There’s no love like yours. So why should your wedding ring look like any other?
By making your own wedding bands or engagement ring, you’re designing and creating custom handmade pieces of art you and your partner will cherish forever. Join me at the Ringed jewelry studio in Portland, Oregon for one-of-a-kind workshop where you’ll learn to make your own wedding rings.
Ringed offers two distinct workshops to make rings that complement your union:
Make Your Own Ring Workshop
Make your own ring(s) in this private DIY metalsmithing and jewelry-making workshop. Our workshops are perfect for making bands, engagement rings, or rings for another occasion.
These two rings were created by clients in a Wax Carving Workshop
These two hammered, plannished beauties were created by clients in the Fabrication Workshop
“It’s terrifying when the love of your life tells you she wants you to ‘make’ her engagement ring, especially when you have zero experience making things with your hands. Working with Allison at Ringed PDX got me through that. Allison knew exactly what questions to ask my partner in order to make sure we were making the perfect ring. And not only is Allison a master at her craft, she’s an amazing teacher who guided me step by step through the ring building process. If you’re at all nervous about building the perfect ring for your partner, I’d highly recommend Allison because in the end my partner told me, ‘It’s exactly what I wanted!”
How To Make A Ring: The Process
There are two ways to make a wedding/commitment band or engagement ring: metal fabrication, or wax carving. During our design chat Allison will confirm the best method of creation for your forever rings.
Your Unique Design
Hammers, torches, and hand saws might seem like the most intimidating part, but most of my couples say the ring design is their biggest worry. Fear not! This is why we book workshops 8 weeks in advance — to allow plenty of time for a guided design process.
The Workshop: Metal Fabrication or wax carving
During metal fabrication workshops, you’ll learn the basics of metalsmithing — how to cut, sand, form, solder, texture, and complete your desired finish.
During a wax carving workshop, which can be done in PDX or virtually, you’ll learn how to cut, file, and carve a block of wax into your design. I’ll make the mold and use it to cast your ring from your preferred metal alloy.
Ring Delivery
Delivery depends on your design and creation method. Most metal fabrication students leave the workshop with their rings in hand! Engraving or stone setting, will take an additional 4 weeks.
Wax carving projects need to be cast and polished before any engraving or stone setting, so they may take longer. Plan for the ring to take up to 6 weeks to complete after the workshop.
Meet Your Teacher, Allison!
Welcome to my studio! I’m Allison Ullmer, a jeweler and metalsmith of 22+ years, and a jewelry teacher and metalsmithing instructor for more than 12 years.
You’re in for an exciting day with me as we develop a rad ring design together, craft heirloom jewelry in honor of your wedding, and share a few laughs along the way.
Ringed Experiences FAQ
Are you looking to contribute to an Experience for a loved on? CLICK HERE!
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So it costs $5,700 - $6,400 to get two weddings rings? Yes. Every project may potentially have additional fees such as a finishing fee, outside ring engraving, gem stones or additional stone setting fees, additional material costs, shipping costs, and a refundable deposit for the wax carving toolkit (only for virtual wax carving classes).
Most couples do not end up spending more than $5,700 for a pair of rings made in a fabrication workshop or $7,000 for a pair of rings made in a wax carving workshop.
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Metal fabrication is the process of heating and hammering small strips of metal into a ring. Wax carving is just as it sounds: you file a block of wax, carving it into a ring design. From there, the wax model is used to make a mold, and the mold is cast using a melted metal alloy of your choosing.
While we can complete fabrication or wax carving in my Portland studio, please note that all virtual workshops must use the wax carving method.
When it comes to deciding which workshop best suits your needs, first we need to discuss ring design. What type of metal, width, texture and style are you looking for?
If you want a simple, half-domed or flat band without much texture, or a cut out, hammered or planished texture, then fabrication is the best choice. If you want an organic or detailed texture, asymmetrical shapes, a more undulating surface, or a nesting ring - a band that will fit flush to your engagement ring, then wax carving is ideal.
Still unsure which is right for you? Please email me at allison@ringedpdx.com and we can discuss together.
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When you click on each workshop you’ll see an option to choose between a class for two people making two rings total, or one person making one ring total. Some couples ask if they can make a third ring. My answer, absolutely! We will just need to add an extra workshop day.
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My newly-renovated studio is located in the backyard of my Northeast Portland, Oregon home.
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Fuck yes — anyone and everyone can learn how to make their own wedding ring! Ringed is designed for first-timers and those without metalsmithing experience, making the experience as accessible as possible. I’ve taught jewelry making at the high school and college level for more than 10 years, so trust me when I say that you and your partner can absolutely do this. Still feeling unsure? Here is a step by step look at how it’s done.
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Make your own wedding ring workshops by Ringed take 4 – 6 hours. You’ll arrive at my studio at 10 a.m., and we’ll take a one-hour lunch break from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Our work should be done around 3 - 4:30 p.m. If you’d like to better understand the day from the client’s perspective, consider reading this blog by a Ringed customer and local Portland wedding planner, Beth Kramer.
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Not a problem! You can visit any jewelry store around to get fitted properly. Just to make sure, we will size you when you visit my studio too. Or, if you’re doing a virtual workshop, check out this ring sizing guide.
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You get to choose what kind of metal you make your wedding ring out of (yellow gold and white gold are the two most common). I have recycled 14K or 18K gold in Yellow, Rose, Peach, or Palladium White and Palladium. Platinum is available only with Wax Carving Workshops. Regardless of what you choose, you should know that I’m dedicated to only using 100% recycled metal, ethically-sourced stones, and local Portland professionals. Read more about my sourcing policies here and environmental ethics here.
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First, let me say that I am stoked you’ll be joining me for a workshop! The first step is to purchase your workshop ticket. Once purchased, you’ll answer a questionnaire for dates that work best for you. Workshops take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays and must be scheduled at least eight weeks in advance so we have time to chat about design and I can source the materials. If you’re looking for a specific date that is outside of my normal parameters, (maybe you’re hoping to do the workshop during a vacation in Portland, for example), please email me at allison@ringedpdx.com.
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The Portland Wedding Ring Experience
Make Your Ring Workshop
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