Built to Wear: Professional Jewelry Finding Series - Part 3: Pins

Pins and brooches demand a balance of strength, flexibility, and comfort—and poorly designed findings can compromise even the strongest work. In this two-hour online workshop, Kristin will teach you how to fabricate reliable pin findings using springy stainless steel wire.

Students will learn to create both single- and double-pin configurations, with attention to each of the components that make pin findings functional (or not!): joints, stems and catches. Tactics for achieving proper tension and placement will also be covered by the live demonstrations.

Design considerations for wearability and long-term performance will be discussed, along with methods for integrating pins cleanly into finished pieces. Essential soldering tips will be included where applicable to support strong, professional results.

This class is the third in a series called "Built to Wear: Professional Jewelry Findings." Check out the other sessions available:

Students registering for all three parts of the "Built to Wear: Professional Jewelry Findings" series qualify for a discount! Discounts will be applied in the form of a refund for $85. To receive this refund, please complete registration for all three workshops and then email [email protected] to request reimbursement.


For more information about virtual courses, visit our Virtual Course FAQ page.

Meet the instructor

photo of

Kristin Mitsu Shiga (she/they) is a maker, educator and small business owner with more than 30 years of experience currently living and working in rural Oregon.

Throughout her career, Kristin’s desire to balance her individual studio practice and working as part of a larger team allowed her to build an unusual skill set that includes everything from nonprofit arts administration and bookkeeping to armature-building for stop-motion animation studios. From a long line of educators, Kristin is passionate about teaching and has shared her knowledge with students at venues all over the US including Penland, Arrowmont and Haystack Mountain schools of craft, along with programs she established in New York, Oregon and Hawai’i.

Kristin believes that service is a crucial component of any career and has served in a variety of volunteer roles and on numerous nonprofit boards since 2001. She currently serves on the boards of the Hawai'i Artist Collaboration and Frogwood Artist Collaboration, and is in her second term as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the American Craft Council (ACC).

Kristin has shown her work internationally, and is included in several notable collections, including the Kamm Artful Teapot Collection and the Permanent Collection of the White House. You will find her work published in numerous books and magazines, including Art Jewelry Today, The Art of Enameling, Metalsmith’s 2017 Exhibition in Print, and several of Lark’s 500 Series books. Learn more about Kristin’s past work on Oregon Artbeat (segment originally aired in 2010).

View upcoming classes with Kristin Shiga (She/They)

Materials & Tools

The following supplies will be used for course demonstrations and objectives. A suggested item and/or vendor has been provided below for reference. Click the vendor name to be redirected to a page where you can view the item. The quantities needed for each item are listed first. If ordering, please be aware that some items may come in larger quantities than needed for this class. We recommend not opening an item's packaging until the day of the workshop. Student participation during or in-between class sessions is encouraged but not required.

Torch setup:

Virtual Course
Tuition
$115.00
Instructor
Kristin Shiga (She/They)
Level
All Levels
Location
Virtual - Eastern Time Zone
Length
  • 1 day
Schedule
  • June 30, 2026
    Tuesday
    6:00pm – 8:00pm
Class Dates
  • June 30, 2026
Related Classes
Built to Wear: Professional Jewelry Finding Series - Part 1: Earrings
Built to Wear: Professional Jewelry Finding Series - Part 2: Bails
 

Stay Connected