Beginner ring class in Eunpyeong, Seoul: first wax carving at Munak

I went to Munak, a ring workshop in Eunpyeong, Seoul, to try a wax carving one-day class. I'd never made a ring myself before, so this was my first time trying wax carving. The idea of shaping a ring entirely by myself from start to finish sounded fun, so I even thought up a design before visiting.

How to find Munak: the entrance is on the right side of the building

Munak is within walking distance of Yeonsinnae Station. I walked all the way to the intersection where you can see Ppyeogui Maeul, then found Munak on the 2nd floor of the building on the left. But on my first visit, the entrance was a little confusing. You can't see the workshop entrance from the front of the building — you have to walk around to the right side to find it — so I actually paused for a second wondering, 'Is this really the entrance?'

Once I stepped inside, though, there was a faint, pleasant cinnamon-like scent right from the entrance, which put me in a good mood. And once I went up to the 2nd floor, a completely different atmosphere from the ground floor opened up.

Inside Munak: a nicer workshop atmosphere than expected

The inside of Munak is decorated with wood-toned interiors, giving it an overall warm feeling. You'd usually picture a workshop as somewhere with tools scattered around and a slightly rough atmosphere, but Munak felt quite upscale, like even the light switches had been thought through.

So when I first walked in, it actually felt more like a rental studio than a workshop. It's the kind of space that photographs well too, so there was fun just in looking around the space itself, on top of the ring-making experience.

On the day I visited, there were also a few groups who'd come with their dogs, and I heard Munak is also preparing to offer pet pendant making. Right now they mainly run ring and jewelry one-day classes, but they said they plan to keep introducing work on various themes using this space going forward, which gave me the feeling this is a workshop that's just getting started. It made me a little curious about what kinds of work might be added down the line.

Do you need to choose a ring design before the class?

For Munak's wax carving class, there was no need to decide on a ring design in advance. I had thought up a design I wanted to make before visiting, but the workshop had a variety of rings they'd made on display, so even someone who arrives without a design in mind could try them on one by one and browse until they found something they liked.

None of the display rings felt plain — they each had a bit of personality and looked pretty, so just browsing the rings was fun in itself. If you're someone who likes jewelry, you could probably spend a good while just looking at the rings here.

First time wax carving: just over an hour of shaping

Wax carving at Munak works like this: after your finger size is measured, you're given a basic ring-shaped block of wax, which you carve with tools into the design you want. In my case it took a little over an hour. I sat wherever I liked, put on an apron, and got started. First, the owner checks the size of the finger you want to wear the ring on, then prepares a basic ring-shaped wax block. In short, think of it as using various tools to carve and shape that wax into whatever ring design you want.

Since this was my very first time doing wax carving, it wasn't as easy as I expected at first. I thought I'd just shave off a little wax here and there to get a shape, but once I actually tried it, even getting the shape I wanted turned out to be surprisingly hard. It took more hand strength than I expected, and I couldn't quite tell how far to carve.

At first I worked carefully, shaving off just a little at a time, but watching the owner work made it clear how different a professional's touch is. It was amazing how a part I'd agonize over and slowly carve away, she could shape in just a few strokes. I guess this is one of those things where you only really understand the gap between an expert and a beginner once you try it yourself.

Even so, the owner kept checking in throughout the process and helped directly with the tricky parts, so I managed to shape it into the design I wanted without any major issues. If I'd had to do the whole thing alone from start to finish, it would have been pretty tough, so I was grateful for the help along the way. It felt difficult at first, but once I got absorbed in the work, time flew by before I knew it. My session took just over an hour, and honestly, the time went by much faster than I expected.

When does the finished ring arrive? About 6 days later

The wax ring made at Munak isn't something you take home the same day — it needs production time, and I got to pick up my finished ring about 6 days after the class. My ring was finished keeping as much of my original design intent as possible. Of course, since it was my first time, it wasn't a perfectly clean shape, but because I'd carved the wax with my own hands, I felt attached to it even before it was finished. And it doesn't end there — the owner further refines and adjusts the wax ring I made to complete it as an actual ring.

When I finally got the finished ring, it definitely felt different from the wax ring I'd made at first, now that a professional's touch had been added. It was fascinating that the ring was completed based on the design I'd made myself, but the surface and overall shape were also so much cleaner, which really showed how different the finishing touch of a professional is. While I was carving the wax at first, I kept wondering, 'Am I even doing this right?', but seeing it finished as an actual ring like this was quite satisfying. Above all, since it was a ring I'd thought through and shaped with my own hands, it felt different from a ring you'd normally just buy.

Munak makes more than rings

There was one more thing that stood out to me while working at the studio that day. Some of the customers who visited that day had come with their dogs, and I heard Munak is also preparing to offer pet pendant making. Being able to turn time spent with a pet into a piece of jewelry seemed like it could be quite meaningful.

On top of that, they said they plan to keep using the Munak space to continue offering work on various themes going forward. It feels like they're just getting started, so it's a space that makes you curious about what else they'll introduce beyond simply being a ring-making workshop.

I went in mainly focused on trying wax carving myself, but once I actually experienced it, the experience of making a piece of jewelry with my own hands in such a pretty space turned out to be pretty fun in itself. In particular, if you're trying wax carving for the first time, it might be harder than you expect, but since the owner helps out along the way, there's no need to feel too much pressure. If you're someone who, like me, isn't confident about making something perfect from the start but wants to walk away with a ring you made with your own hands, it's worth trying at least once. Looking back at the finished ring, even the tricky parts of the process made it a memorable experience.