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Where Art & Community Meet
Turn Vintage Tin into Ornaments or Wall Hangings
Instructor: Kay Lancaster
Class Description:
Create your own unique ornaments or small wall hangings by upcycling colorful vintage and newer tins (cookie tins, tea tins, candy tins, and holiday tins). Participants will design their ornaments/wall hangings by choosing different colored and patterned tins, and by determining what shapes they want. Stencils will be made available to use or participants can make their own templates with provided supplies. Tools to cut, file, and smooth the edges of all pieces will be provided. Everything that is needed to assemble the designed pieces will be provided for use, including jump rings, chains, and other jewelry findings. Glass beads will also be provided to add to pieces, if desired. Each participant will be provided with a small kit that includes a pair of scissors, a metal needle tool, a file board, and steel wool, to use during the class and to take home with you.
Additional materials that will be made available for use during the class include:
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A large variety of tins to use, including holiday tins and vintage tins
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Templates for different shapes and cardboard to create their own templates
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Metal hole punches
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Additional metal files for sanding and smoothing
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Shears and tin snips to use as needed
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Jump rings, chains, eye and head pins, colorful glass beads, ornament hooks
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Jewelry pliers of various kinds
Recommended to bring with you:
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Protective gloves to wear when cutting tin. Leather gloves recommended.
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Optional: jewelry making tools if you have them (some will be provided for class to use)
Date and Time:
Saturday, November 14, 2026,1:00-4:00 pm
Class Fees: $60, plus tax.
Materials Fee: $25 materials fee, paid to the instructor on the day of class, which covers all the materials needed to create your pieces. You will also take home the tool kit that will be provided.
Experience Level: no experience needed
Class Size: 4 participants minimum & 8 maximum
About the Instructor:
Kay Lancaster retired from a long career in early learning and education and turned her life-long relationship with art and her commitment to sustainability into a new passion of upcycling vintage cookie tins, candy tins, tea tins and tin trays to create colorful and unique jewelry, ornaments and wall hangings. Making fun and functional art by “upcycling” old, discarded objects that had an earlier life or purpose—and creating something new from the material—is a motivating force in her work.
*Must be paid to be fully registered
**Registration Deadline Saturday, November 7th, 2026
* Class Policies:
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Registration closes one week prior to the class start date.
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If the one-week deadline has passed, additional students may be accepted at the discretion of the instructor.
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Class participation cancellations:
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Up to 7 days in advance - 100% refund of instructor fees paid to Swiftwater Gallery.
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2-6 days in advance - 50% refund of instructor fees paid to Swiftwater Gallery. (Because instructors often purchase materials in advance of a class, the materials cost may be deducted from the refund.)
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Less than 2 days in advance - No refund. Special circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Swiftwater Gallery Board.
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Cancellation by Swiftwater Gallery:
A workshop will be cancelled if it does not have the required minimum number of registered and paid students within seven days of the workshop date. (On occasion, an instructor may choose to hold class for fewer than the minimum number of students.) A full refund will be given to the paid students if the class is canceled by Swiftwater Gallery.
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Cancellation due to weather or instructor illness:
A class may be rescheduled at the discretion of the instructor, or full refund will be given.
In the event the instructor cancels the class due to lack of registration, a full refund will be issued.