Twined Pouch Necklace

Create a transcendent one-of-a-kind piece of wearable art that embodies your personal chic and ethos. Whether you fancy complimenting your wardrobe with a unique, handmade necklace or are intrigued by the idea of creating a sacred vessel (or both!), this project is for you. We will combine a simple basketry technique (twining) with a few other common crafting techniques--knotless netting, beading, and braiding--into a single, powerful objet d'art. The bottom of the pouch is comprised of cotton string "spokes" and Irish waxed linen "weavers." The rim and sculptural "twist" sport your creative touch with beads. The top (also of waxed linen thread) is built with "knotless netting." The top opens with a ball and loop closure.&nbsp;You may store small items of personal significance and/or power inside your pouch necklace. This project involves work in small detail and time outside of class will be necessary to complete your project. But it will be so worth it! Each student will complete one Treasure Pouch Amulet Necklace. You will receive a complete roll (100 yds.) of 4-ply Irish waxed linen--enough to make two pouches. Needles necessary for the various operations and printed instructions for the complete project will also be provided so that students may continue work at home between sessions.

The Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts Schoolhouse

Carving Wood with Small Tools

Through a series of demonstrations and discussions, you will be introduced to a variety of wood carving techniques and styles, all of which can be carved with a modest set of small wood carving tools. Each class will include a demonstration and&nbsp;an opportunity to begin carving and ask questions. We will share our work and the instructor will answer questions before moving on to the next demonstration/project.

Laminated Wooden Rings

In this workshop, we will go through the process of making laminated wooden rings. As wood is a directional material that can easily break at the small scale of a ring, we will be laminating several thin sheets of wood or “veneer” together to create a strong ring! You will customize&nbsp;the ring to your&nbsp;desired proportions and shape! Each student will come away with a one-of-a-kind ring, a perfect gift. You also walk&nbsp;away from this workshop with a basic knowledge of wood grain and plywood lamination. We will also cover using the drill press, shaping with rasps, sanding, and finishing.

Embroidered Stories: Narrative Jewelry

Embroidered Stories: Narrative Jewelry&nbsp;is a two-day beginner-friendly workshop where participants will create a brooch inspired by a personal story, memory, or idea. Through guided lessons, explore pattern design, basic color theory, and embroidery techniques to bring your designs to life.&nbsp; Starting with a simple drawing or photo for inspiration,&nbsp;learn basic embroidery techniques such as satin stitch, backstitch, and French knots. The workshop also covers transferring designs onto fabric, exploring color combinations, and finishing techniques, including edge trimming and securely attaching a pin backing. The final piece will be a wearable work of art that carries a meaningful narrative. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a completed, wearable brooch and an opportunity to share their story with the group, connecting personal narratives to the timeless art of jewelry-making.

Flow and Form: Paint Night with Watercolor

Join us for a relaxing evening of creativity and connection as we explore the balance between abstraction and the illusion of form in watercolor painting. Inspired by the work of Zahirah Nur Truth of ZNT Arts, this two-hour paint night encourages fluid mark-making, expressive contour drawing, and layering techniques in a supportive, no-pressure environment. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, you'll experiment with wet-on-wet watercolor, color mixing, and dynamic line work to create unique, expressive compositions. Participants&nbsp;will learn the following:<ul><li>Abstraction &amp; Form: Balancing fluidity with structure through contour and outline drawing</li><li>Wet-on-Wet Techniques: Letting color blend organically to create depth and movement</li><li>Illusion of Form: Suggesting figures and objects through negative space and layering</li><li>Expressive Line Work: Using gestural strokes to add rhythm and energy to your piece</li><li>Color Mixing &amp; Theory: Creating mood and contrast through intentional palettes</li></ul>

Gouache Workshop

Join this workshop to experience painting with the medium of gouache (opaque watercolor). Working from observation, we'll go through the process of playing with composition, and paint with beautiful color. We will set up a still life, determine composition through thumbnail sketches, and paint with this versatile medium on stable panels that allow for painting with multiple layers. Students will leave with a small gouache painting on an Aquabord panel.

Matchbox Art Workshop

Make miniature masterpieces with matchboxes. Students will learn basic design and collage skills using matchboxes, an assortment of decorative papers, vintage paper ephemera, and assorted embellishments. You will have the opportunity to make several matchbox art pieces inspired by&nbsp;contemporary matchbox artists and sample matchboxes from the instructor. Matchbox art is a great creative project for all skill levels. Experiment with the medium in&nbsp;a relaxed and supportive atmosphere!

Three Legged Stool

In this two-session workshop, we will take hard wood from a rough state to a stool ready to be sat on! We will shape, form, and glue up all of the stool components on the first day and then focus on sanding and finishing on the second day. The simple construction of this stool makes it a perfect project for someone wanting to start building more complex chairs and stools. The stool we will make in this class will be constructed wedge which will secure the leg into the seat. After shaping the three legs and the seat, we will glue up the assembly. In the second session, we will focus on sanding and finishing the stool, perhaps adding personalized elements of texture or color. In the class, we will rely heavily on hand tools for shaping the legs and the seat but we will also use the drill press, router table, and band saw. Making this stool will give students a solid foundation for one of the most basic elements of wood joinery: the mortice and tenon. Understanding how this joint works and how to construct it will allow students to take on more ambitious furniture projects with confidence.

Family Clay Workshop

Learn how to build pinch pots, coil pots, fist pots, and slab pots in this two-day workshop open to families. Along with family and friends, learn&nbsp;how to create sculptural vessels using the technique of your choice. You will learn how clay responds to&nbsp;touch and movements and how to manipulate clay to widen, lengthen, thin, and thicken. We will also explore&nbsp;how to use objects as molds to create&nbsp;vessels. Students will walk away with a variety of small pots with different hand-building techniques.&nbsp; This class uses self-hardening clay that behaves like kiln-fired clay when worked. The pieces created in class will not be waterproof nor food-safe. Pieces can be painted with acrylic and other paints. All children under 18 need to be accompanied by a registered adult.&nbsp;

Introduction to Embroidery

In this two-day workshop, students will learn&nbsp;a variety of stitches and decorative embroidery techniques. Participants will learn how to add&nbsp;images, textures, and dimension to a flat piece of fabric. Students will then&nbsp;create an artwork based on imagery that inspires them, or in the abstract, using these new embroidery techniques.&nbsp; Students will leave with their artwork and a portable stitch sampler, spanning from chain stitches, looped stitches, french knots, pistils, couching, satin stitch, cretan stitch, etc.,&nbsp;that can be applied to future projects. Adults and Teens (ages 13+) are welcome to sign up for this course.

End Grain Cutting Board

In this two-session course, students will transform rough lumber into a finely crafted end grain cutting board. Unlike edge grain boards, end grain boards are gentler on knives, making them a favorite among butchers and professional chefs. This class will guide students through every step of the process, including milling, cutting, gluing, and shaping their unique cutting board.&nbsp;Students will first construct an edge grain cutting board as the foundation. This board will then be cut into strips and reassembled in a perpendicular orientation to create the end grain surface. For a more customized look, students may opt to incorporate walnut alongside maple, producing a striking pattern. Finally, we will rout a juice groove into the board and then go over finishing and care of the board. Participants will leave with a 20x15” end grain cutting board and a deep understanding of wood grain, milling techniques, and the intricacies of cutting board construction. These skills are foundational for woodworking and can be applied to various other projects. The first session is 2 hours longer than the second one, running from 4:30-9:30 PM.

Herb Planter Box

Come make a cedar&nbsp;wooden planter box that can be used to grow a small collection of herbs and will sit elegantly on a porch or in a yard!&nbsp;This daylong workshop will teach you all you need to know about constructing and growing this sort of project.&nbsp; In this workshop we will create a small planter box, perfectly sized for a collection of herbs, using intermediate joinery techniques with a combination of hand and power tools. Students will walk away from the course with a complete planter box, ready to be used in the summer months as well as increased confidence in tackling simple household furniture projects.

Summer Studios: Fine Arts Media (Ages 9-12) Exploration

Send your 9-12-year-old on a creative journey with mixed media artist Cristina Hajosy. Over the course of the week, this class&nbsp;will cover a wide range of fine art techniques while exploring how interactions between art forms and personal artistic vision can produce amazing artworks. Students will complete projects in the following media:&nbsp;<ul><li>Printmaking with Gelli Plates and Textures</li><li>Mushroom Medley with Enso Brush Painting and&nbsp;Drawing</li><li>Paste Paper Projects with Paper Weaving</li><li>Finding the Connections with Hand Sewn&nbsp;Book Art</li></ul>Each day, students will cover new art techniques, develop hand skills and confidence with new materials, and learn to discuss our artworks, creative processes, and personal expressions in a thoughtful way. No class Thursday, June 19.

Summer Studios: Woodworking Skateboard (Ages 13-17)

This class takes students ages 13-17 through the process of creating and maintaining their very own longboard. Students will utilize tools such as wrenches and power drills as well as machines such as the bandsaw and orbital sanders. By the end of the class, students will have their own handmade longboard to take home. The main focus of this class is the longboard itself, however, students will also complete a short mini-project on the bandsaw to prepare them for cutting their boards to shape. This mini project will be to cut a stamp shape out, which can then be used to create patterns on the students' boards. Students will be taught the safety procedures of machine woodworking and practice how to use machines responsibly. Students will complete and take home a custom longboard as well as the knowledge of how to maintain and upkeep their board to last for as long as possible. Students will help one another and understand the value of teamwork in the wood shop. No class Thursday, June 19.

Gelliprinting with Botanicals

This workshop will teach the basics of gelliprinting using botanicals (plants, weeds, and flowers). Join us to learn several different ways to make botanical prints. We will talk about the different kinds of paints that are used in printing,&nbsp;colors and color mixing, and the paint characteristics that allow for layering, an important concept for gelliprinting printing. At the end of the workshop, students will have learned basic information about gelliprinting including the concepts of main and ghost prints, the use of a brayer, characteristics of acrylic paint, and how to make botanical prints. We will also&nbsp;talk about the different kinds of paper that can be used for gelliprinting and&nbsp;discuss different ways that these prints can be used. Students will begin the workshop by gathering plants and weeds in the vicinity of the Eliot School. From there, Diane will&nbsp;demonstrate basic concepts, and talk about color and paper and layering. In the afternoon, we will make many gelliprints using the materials they gathered in the morning and the information learned in the first part of the workshop.

The Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts Annex

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S19: interest based

WBUR’s 75th birthday celebrations 💫

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.