Uijeongbu ring workshop over summer break: Iris rings at Ring Plus

Why we went to a ring workshop in Uijeongbu during kindergarten summer break

Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch (반지더하기 의정부점) is a ring workshop near Uijeongbu Station where you can make silver 925 couple rings yourself together with your child. I had been wondering what to do with my daughter over this kindergarten summer break, and a friend told me about her trip to a ring workshop with her daughter. I thought we should go too, and we managed to fit in a visit on short notice. It was a quirky little date with my kid, and I'd like to introduce you to this Uijeongbu ring workshop.

Where is Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch and how do you get up there?

Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch is on the 5th floor of the McDonald's building on Uijeongbu Station's Rodeo Street, so it's easy to find even if you're on foot. They say it's built on designs and a professional craftsmanship system backed by a jewelry designer with 30 years of experience, and that over 10 years more than 20,000 couples have visited.

The 5th floor is stairs only, but if you take the elevator in the McDonald's up to the 3rd floor and use the stairs from the 4th, it's a bit more comfortable on a hot summer day.

Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch at a glance

• Address: 11 Haengbok-ro, 5th floor, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi, South Korea
• Hours: daily 12:00–21:00
• Price: varies depending on the design, lettering and plating you choose
• Reservation only (100%)
• No parking
• Local currency (card type) accepted / pets allowed
• Groups welcome

Where do you park for Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch?

There's no parking lot in the building, so you'll need to use a nearby public lot or a department store lot. The shop is a one-minute walk straight ahead from Exits 5–3 of the Uijeongbu Station underground shopping arcade, which is why the building has no lot of its own.

• Uijeongbu 1-dong Public Parking Lot (underground): 17 Pyeonghwa-ro 552beon-gil, Uijeongbu-dong, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi
• Uijeongbu 1-dong Multi-story Public Parking Lot: 29 Pyeonghwa-ro 5462beon-gil, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi
• Uijeongbu Shinsegae Department Store parking lot: 168-54 Uijeongbu-dong, Gyeonggi

They don't cover parking fees, so pick whichever lot suits your route! If you ask the shop, they'll send you a map, but the public lots fill up fast, so keep that in mind.

Interior and private rooms at Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch

When we got to the 5th floor, the interior was really neat and simple, and the silver rings laid out right in front of you naturally draw your eye.

There are lots of private rooms, so even when several groups visit, you can work without feeling watched by the group next door or the next time slot, and it never felt awkward. In a separate space, friends, couples and families can chat, focus on making their rings, and take photos at leisure to keep as memories.

A staff member might be in the middle of working, so it was nice that we could use the bell at the front desk or the one in our assigned room and they came to guide us.

How is the price at Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch decided?

You pick a design first, then choose whether to add lettering and plating. Since these were couple rings with my daughter, who is about to start elementary school, silver seemed the safest choice, so we went with silver 925 couple rings.

I wish dad could have come and made one too, but instead we decided to put his initial in as well. So we added initial lettering : )

Making silver 925 rings with a child: the process

We arrived with my daughter and went into Room 3, which they had assigned us. It was a space where two people could make rings comfortably, and aprons were provided, so we put them on and rang the bell to call a staff member for instructions.

How do you decide your ring size?

The first step they walked us through was choosing the ring size. A loose ring will slip off as you move around, so they recommended picking a size that fits without the skin bulging out. Write down the sizes you tried, call a staff member, and they'll check your ring size in person. My daughter was a size 3 and I was about a 17½ (Korean sizing).

Choosing a ring design for a child: we went with Iris

In the design step there was a wide range, from simple rings to slightly more three-dimensional ones and gemstone designs, so there was plenty to choose from depending on taste. My daughter and I tried on one after another, wondering which one she could wear comfortably while being active, and the design choice took the longest haha

We went back and forth between the simplest design and the ones with gemstones, and in the end my daughter wanted something prettier and sparklier, so we chose the Iris design : )

Tools prepared in the private room

Once you've chosen the size and design, a staff member brings the materials matched to your ring size. The private room had wet wipes, a phone charger, a phone stand, and tools for filing and sanding.

How much can a child do on their own?

Filing and flattening the underside were a little risky, so I did those, and my daughter joined in with sanding and pressing the drill pedal. First we tried both our rings on once more to check the fit, then flattened the bulging part underneath the ring and smoothed the sides with a file. This part was a bit dangerous, so my daughter didn't do it.

After we relaxed and worked quickly, my daughter also sanded hard with 400-grit sandpaper and polished. The small ring is hard for a child to do herself, so she tried on mine. Polishing needs the drill, which is a bit riskier, so my daughter pressed the pedal to make the drill move while I polished with the drill and sandpaper.

When do you get the finished couple rings?

At Ring Plus Uijeongbu Branch, a staff member finishes the final polishing and detail work and calls you when it's done. In the meantime we took a few commemorative photos and wandered around downtown Uijeongbu, then picked up the rings after they contacted us.

Getting the chance to make couple rings with my child even without any crafting skills was great. She couldn't do very much, but because she made the ring herself it felt even more meaningful, and it made for a really happy summer break day.

The rings we picked up, the photos they took of us while we worked, and the packaging bag were all so pretty that the day ended on an even happier note.