The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen offers an array of classes for adults in blacksmithing, glass, jewelry, fiber, wood, and pottery. Our workshops are accessible for everyone, with most being suitable for beginners. We strive to continually connect our Guild members and local artists to the local community through education. Join us for an afternoon or evening and learn a new skill!

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Upcoming Events
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Celestial Stained Glass
2025-08-30
9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Donna Lashof Skill Level: Beginner Create a stained glass piece based on the sun, the moon or the stars. The class begins with a safety overview and an introduction to the tools used. You will be guided through each of the steps from selecting a pattern, selecting the glass, cutting the pieces, shaping with a …
Upcoming
Celestial Stained Glass – August 30Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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Elegant Dinnerware Series: Footed Dinner Plate with Textured Rim
2025-09-03
11:00 am - 1:30 pm
Instructor: May Lucas Skill Level: Beginner Beginner-friendly. Part of the Elegant Dinnerware Series — attend all four sessions to create a complete handmade dinnerware set. Create the centerpiece of your handmade table setting—a full-size dinner plate with a footed base and textured rim. This class teaches techniques to ensure stability, even drying, and a professional …
Upcoming
Elegant Dinnerware Series: Footed Dinner Plate with Textured Rim – September 3Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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May Lucas
With a joyful heart and clay-covered hands, May Lucas brings over a decade of pottery experience—and a lifetime of artistic curiosity—to the studio. May founded Elegant & Earthy, a brand rooted in handmade beauty, warm hospitality, and soulful creativity. Known for her signature techniques—like vinyl cutout embellishments and layered underglaze designs—May blends refined craftsmanship with playful exploration. Her classes are more than just lessons—they’re community-centered gatherings where students are invited to create, connect, and celebrate their artistic voices.
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Frosty Pots & Objet d’art
2025-09-06
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Instructor: Jeffrey McCombie Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate – prior experience with dremel tools and gourd staining recommended but not required In this class, students will be build on their gourding skills by creating small pots and assorted objet d’art. To create your unique piece we will focus on the elements of design and color. …
Upcoming
Frosty Pots & Objet d’art – September 6Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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Celestial Stained Glass
2025-09-07
9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Donna Lashof Skill Level: Beginner Create a stained glass piece based on the sun, the moon or the stars. The class begins with a safety overview and an introduction to the tools used. You will be guided through each of the steps from selecting a pattern, selecting the glass, cutting the pieces, shaping with a …
Upcoming
Celestial Stained Glass – September 7Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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Introduction to Polymer Clay - Day 1
2025-09-07
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm -
Introduction to Polymer Clay - Day 2
2025-09-14
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm -
Introduction to Polymer Clay - Day 3
2025-09-21
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Instructor: Wendy Merron Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate Over the course of this hands-on, three-week Polymer Clay class, you’ll explore the creative possibilities of this versatile medium while building a strong foundation in essential techniques! Students will learn how to choose the right tools and materials, safely bake their creations, and develop the skills to design and …
Upcoming
Introduction to Polymer Clay – September 7, 14, & 21Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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Wendy Merron
Wendy Merron is an award-winning polymer clay artist and a member of The International Polymer Clay Association. https://wendymerron.com/
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Elegant Dinnerware Series: Footed Platter with Tissue Transfer & Sprig Mold Handles
2025-09-10
11:00 am - 1:30 pm
Instructor: May Lucas Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate Part of the Elegant Dinnerware Series — attend all four sessions to create a complete handmade dinnerware set. Could you wrap up your dinnerware series with a show-stopping footed platter? In this class, you’ll hand-build a large serving piece and decorate it using tissue transfer designs for …
Upcoming
Elegant Dinnerware Series: Footed Platter with Tissue Transfer & Sprig Mold Handles – September 10Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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May Lucas
With a joyful heart and clay-covered hands, May Lucas brings over a decade of pottery experience—and a lifetime of artistic curiosity—to the studio. May founded Elegant & Earthy, a brand rooted in handmade beauty, warm hospitality, and soulful creativity. Known for her signature techniques—like vinyl cutout embellishments and layered underglaze designs—May blends refined craftsmanship with playful exploration. Her classes are more than just lessons—they’re community-centered gatherings where students are invited to create, connect, and celebrate their artistic voices.
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Stained Glass 3D Fruit: Apples, Pears, & Pumpkins
2025-09-13
9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Karen Peiffer Skill Level: Beginner In this immersive one-day workshop, explore the art of stained glass by creating your own three-dimensional fruit sculptures. After a safety overview and introduction to stained glass tools, you’ll receive step-by-step instruction on the full process—selecting materials, cutting and shaping glass pieces, refining edges with a grinder, applying copper foil, …
Upcoming
Stained Glass 3D Fruit: Apples, Pears, & Pumpkins – September 13Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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Karen Peiffer
Karen has her BS from Penn State University and her MBA from Loyola College, MD. She is the President of the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen headquartered in Lancaster, PA. Karen was drawn to ceramics because of its natural complement to cooking, gardening, and entertaining – all of which she loves. She predominantly throws (or hand-builds) functional stoneware. She is a “lifelong learner” and has been a potter for over 22 years working from her home studio in Lititz, PA. Karen’s structured clay education consists of years of workshops, regular classes, and hands-on training by a number of professional potters. In recent years she has also developed a love for stained glass and is also working regularly in that medium.
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Fanciful Fraktur Birds
2025-09-13
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Emily Smucker-Beidler Skill Level: Beginner In this workshop, participants will learn what birds were prevalent here in southeastern Pennsylvania in the 1700s and find connections through Fraktur images. Learn where the polka-dot, checkerboard, and various striped patterns came from that we now enjoy in Fraktur. Then, participants will be shown some “tricks” to drawing …
Upcoming
Fanciful Fraktur Birds – September 13Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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Sweater Mugs: Cozy Texture Meets Clay
2025-09-17
11:00 am - 1:30 pm
Instructor: May Lucas Skill Level: Beginner Beginner-friendly. Using a unique pattern tool, make a mug with a cozy, sweater-like texture. Roll the texture into your slab, cut the body and base from a template, and assemble a mug that feels like your favorite fall cardigan. This is a perfect project for the hot cocoa season! …
Upcoming
Sweater Mugs: Cozy Texture Meets Clay – September 17Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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May Lucas
With a joyful heart and clay-covered hands, May Lucas brings over a decade of pottery experience—and a lifetime of artistic curiosity—to the studio. May founded Elegant & Earthy, a brand rooted in handmade beauty, warm hospitality, and soulful creativity. Known for her signature techniques—like vinyl cutout embellishments and layered underglaze designs—May blends refined craftsmanship with playful exploration. Her classes are more than just lessons—they’re community-centered gatherings where students are invited to create, connect, and celebrate their artistic voices.
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Sterling Silver Ginkgo Earrings
2025-09-19
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Instructor: Hattie Weselyk Skill Level: All Join Hattie in the jewelry studio and make a beautiful pair of silver ginkgo earrings, Hattie’s own design that she sells at Longwood Gardens and Terrain. Students will use a jeweler’s saw to cut out their ginkgo leaf, hammer texture ripples into the silver, and then heat and shape …
Upcoming
Sterling Silver Ginkgo Earrings – September 19Read More »
Workshop Teachers
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Registration
Participants are encouraged to register early. Register online or by calling 717-431-8706. If you have any questions, please contact us here.
Tuition
Tuition for each workshop is noted in the descriptions. Guild members receive a 10% discount on most classes. You may register online or by calling the office at 717-431-8706.
Confirmation
Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email that confirms your registration. No printed tickets are required.
Parking
Need help finding parking? Click Here to find lots and parking garages in Lancaster.
Workshop Cancellation/Refund Policy
We understand that plans can change, and we strive to accommodate our participants as best as possible. Please review our refund policy before registering for a workshop:
In order to request a withdrawal from a workshop, students must contact the Guild by phone at 717-431-8706 or contact us here.
Cancellations More Than 7 Days Before the Workshop
If a cancellation is made more than 7 days before the workshop, a 10% administrative fee will be deducted from any refund to the original form of payment to cover credit card processing and administrative costs. A workshop credit of 100% of the tuition may also be offered. Workshop credits expire 6 months after the date of the workshop.
Cancellations Within 4-7 Days of the Workshop
Cancellations made within 4 to 7 days of the workshop are not eligible for a refund to the original form of payment but may be transferred to another class or issued as a workshop credit for future use. Workshop credits expire 6 months after the date of the workshop.
Cancellations 3 Days or Less of the Workshop
Cancellations made within 3 days of the workshop are not eligible for a refund or a workshop credit.
No-Show Policy
If you do not notify us ahead of the class and fail to attend, you are not eligible for a refund or a workshop credit.
Classes canceled by the instructor or the Guild.
Students are eligible to receive a 100% refund to the original form of payment or workshop credit if the workshop is canceled by the instructor or the Guild. Workshop credits expire within 6 months of the date of the workshop.
Accessibility
We do not have an elevator, so some of our classrooms are wheelchair accessible and some are not. Please contact us here to find out more about your classroom.
Snow and Inclement Weather
Severe weather poses many safety concerns for participants that may require modifications to the workshop’s hours. Based on current conditions in the area immediately surrounding the event and our best judgment, the Guild staff may delay the opening of a workshop or postpone a workshop to another date that the instructor is available. Circumstances that justify amending workshop hours include icy roads, rapid snowfall, tornado warnings, and other severe weather conditions. The Guild does not offer weather-related refunds of class fees unless the workshop is canceled.
Class Proposals from Artists
Artists interested in teaching may submit a proposal online here.