Make a Decorative Silver Ring

Rachael Plassard is running a decorative silver ring workshop at Hotwalls Studios on Saturday 12 September, a half-day session that takes you from a blank piece of metal to a finished ring you can actually wear. It's aimed squarely at complete beginners, so you don't need to have ever touched a jewellery tool in your life to join in.

The morning is all about the pattern. You'll start by designing your own decorative motif and then use steel punches to hammer it into the metal. There's a bit of a safety net built in: you get to practise the punching technique on copper first, so you can get your pattern sorted before you move on to the sterling silver. From there, you'll pick up the core skills of the craft — accurate filing, sawing and soldering — and work your way through to the finished piece. The atmosphere is relaxed, with clear demonstrations and plenty of one-to-one support, and you take your ring home with you.

Hotwalls Studios is a Portsmouth hub that runs workshops and classes led by its resident designer-makers, alongside paint-along events guided by professional instructors at local pubs and bars. This one is held in Studio 5, at Point Battery & Barracks, Broad Street, Old Portsmouth, PO1 2FS.

The workshop runs from 10:00 to 14:30 — four and a half hours in total — and costs £115. That covers all the materials and tools you need to make one sterling silver decorative ring, plus tea, coffee and biscuits to keep you going.