1 Go gold with kintsugi
1 Go gold with kintsugiKintsugi (golden joinery) is the 15th-Century Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold. The idea is that rather than hide the cracks, through kintsugi you learn how to embrace imperfections. Gold & Behold invite you to arrive at their studio armed with your broken bits (or use theirs) and gently bring them back to life. Not only do you leave with a new art piece with a story behind it, but kintsugi is meditative, serving as a reminder to stay optimistic when things feel like they’re falling apart.
Stay Gold Studio by Gold & Behold, 48 Hillview Terrace #05-02A, 669269. goldandbehold.co
2 Eat your art jam
Why paint on paper when you can get innovative on biscuits? This fully-guided art jam provides you with the humble macaron and a vat of food paints with which to decorate them. From French style to floral, you’ll learn miniature painting techniques alongside patience and restraint as you try not to wolf down the lot as you go. Just bring your own container if you feel like sharing your wares afterwards.
The Art Nooq, 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace, #01-58, 168976. artnooq.com
3 Play & paint a ukulele
If you need a new party piece, look no further. You get to acquire two talents in one at this awesome Ukulele Paint and Play workshop which offers just what it says on the tin. SmallGiant’s music instructors teach you the fundamentals of ukulele playing, then you get to decorate and customise your new instrument to display or take home and play.
SmallGiant, 865 Mountbatten Rd, #01-30, 437844. smallgiantmusic.sg
4 Craft leather
Concerned about the state of your goatskin wallet (the outside, not the inside)? Cursing at the poor workmanship of your suede belt? Whip up your own leatherware at a workshop teaching the basics of leather crafting. All templates and tools are provided at Crafune’s classes which teach you how to make bags and pouches with the leather and threads of your choice. Watch out Louis Vuitton!
Crafune, 38 Haji Ln, #02-01, 189231. crafune.com
5 Swing from the chandelier
Founder and ANZA member Yasmeen Cole has created a gorgeous home ground for artists to come together and have fun making new things. New this year is real life painting, Macrame, and Chandelier-making classes (if your mansion needs a showpiece). Crafty Whizz is also looking for talented creators to open classes and share knowledge, so if that’s you, sign up!
Crafty Whizz, 81 Joo Chiat Road, #02-02 and #02-05, 427725. Tel: 91018203.
craftywhizz.com
6 Fire up at a dance class
Add some spice to your life with a little salsa! Grab a partner and head to En Motion Dance to learn some sexy Latin American-influenced moves. Street Salsa Beginner Packages will help you get the hang of the basics, while dance clinics teach you more fancy dips and tricks. See you cutting up on the dancefloor at the ANZA Ball!
En Motion Dance, #03-05 / 03-05A, Cineleisure Orchard, 8 Grange Road, 239695. dance-en-motion.com
7 Indulge in legal vandalisation
Random graffiti may be illegal in Singapore, but if you’re itching to get busy with a spraycan, head to Heaven Spot where you can spray away to your heart’s content! Their one-hour graffiti sessions allow you to bring out your inner Banksy as you suit up in protective gear, grab your cans, and let your imagination go wild! A session here is a winner for families, hen nights and parties, but those aged 16 and under must be accompanied by parents.
Heaven Spot, 3 Lorong Bakar Batu, #03-01, 348741. heavenspotsg.com
8 Create perfume
Who needs a dash around Duty Free when you can craft your own bespoke fragrance? At Oo La Lab, an Oo La Mixologist will work with you to do just that. While they share insider fragrance intel, you get to select 20 scents from a dreamy list of ingredients to form the top, middle and base notes. You’ll leave with your own Eau de Parfum, presented in a 50ml glass bottle with your name or message printed on the label.
Oo La Lab, Delta House, Alexandra Rd, #02-04 2, 159919. sg.oola-lab.com
9 Be potty (& dirty)
You might recognise owner Tiffany Chua’s gorgeous pottery pieces from the likes of The Ritz-Carlton, Intercontinental and Shangri-La hotels. Her intimate roof-top terrace classes teach you coil, slab and pinch construction when hand building with clay, followed by (everyone’s fave bit!) instructions on how to throw and shape on the potter’s wheel. Take your new hobby into the night with the Dirty Supper evenings where you can relax post-potting with nibbles and wine prepared by Chef Pete Smit.
Dirty Hands Only, 3 Mount Emily Road, Emily Residence, 228485. dirtyhandsonly.com
10 Try tufty textiling
This studio teaches you how to play and paint with yarn to create fluffy works of art – think mirror frames, custom rugs and vibrant wall tapestries. Grab a tufting gun (it’s a thing), choose your yarn, get in a tizzy over colours, and go for your life on a monk cloth canvas. Alternatively, take a simple design of your own and trace it onto the canvas with the help of a projector.
Tuft Club, #03-01, 57 Circular Rd, 049412. tuftclub.com
11 Let loose at Balloon Splatter Painting
At Art Pop Studio you can throw darts at paint-filled balloons attached to canvas and watch them explode on it all in the name of self-expression. Before you let loose, you’ll learn techniques such as colour-mixing and layering as a bid to make your creation look better. If you have kids aged five years or older, bring them along for some family fun (as darts are involved, parental supervision is imperative). The best bit? You don’t have to clean up afterwards.
Pop Art Studio, 3007 Ubi Road 1 #06-446, 408701. artpop.sg
12 Quill with Mum
For host Praveena MangipudiIt, quilling is a form of therapy. At this workshop especially for Mother’s Day on Sunday 14 May 2023, she’ll be sharing all you need to know to set you on your quilling journey, providing step-by-step instructions for you to create a personal masterpiece. Understand the materials and tools and how to handle them, make basic shapes, and learn how to rustle up a mandala and a pair of earrings.
Crane Joo Chiat, 281 Joo Chiat Road, 427962. eventbrite.sg
13 Get a pseudo tattoo
Learn the art of tattooing without the actual permanency of ink on your skin at this Pseudo Tattoo workshop. For three hours you’ll get the lowdown on the history of tattoo art, the do’s and dont’s of operating the parlour’s machines, and a tutorial on using stencils by a State of Shiok staff member. Afterwards, you get the opportunity to create your own design using a sheet of fake “skin” as your medium.
State of Shiok, 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace #03-69, Singapore 168976. stateofshiok.com
14 Make a concrete creation
No, we’re not expecting you to fashion a patio. You can start small at Concrete Everything where cool home accessories are the name of the game using concrete, jesmonite, or resin as your base. Try your hand at a chic concrete lamp, take an advanced terrazzo clock-making workshop, or design a resin flower coaster. New workshop dates are released monthly, so keep an eye out.
Concrete Everything, 37 Jalan Pemimpin, #03-08, Mapex, S577177.
concrete-everything.com
15 Scrub up with soap-making
If you want to wow guests who enter your bathroom, bond with bubbles on this soap-making workshop at Soap Ministry. Here you’ll discover how to make soaps via the quick Melt & Pour method, or start from scratch. In the Melt & Pour workshop, you can start Basic (perfect for kids), go Intermediate, or opt to Upsize and learn layering techniques or more advanced moves like flower petal infusions.
277 Orchard Road, #03-04, Orchard Gateway, 238858. soapministry.com
16 Boost your eco-skills
The Sustainability Project host a wide range of workshops each with the protection of our planet in mind. Individual classes include how to make a beeswax wrap, eco-friendly deodorant bar or toilet bomb, to more niche lessons on upcycling the likes of orange peel and coffee grains. Both physical and virtual workshops are available, so you can up your skills from the comfort of your sofa.
The Sustainability Project, various locations. thesustainabilityproject.life
17 Experiment with skincare
Fawn Labs conduct research and development on skin with a focus on sustainability and clean beauty. This workshop shows skincare enthusiasts what goes into products, talks you through clean beauty principles, plus lets you create your own luxury skincare range with non-toxic ingredients and natural botanicals tailored specifically to your needs. You’ll look ten years younger (possibly) when you leave with your new products beautifully packaged.
Fawn Labs, 71-2B Tras St, 079010. fawnlabs.co
18 Enjoy Batik printing
Kamal Arts teaches the age-old art of batik, a traditional wax technique for fabric from Java. You’ll have an introduction to the history and traditional methods, hear about the cultural aspect of batik, and suss how to use traditional tools like the ‘tjanting’.
Kamal Arts, Wisma Geylang Serai, 04-05/06, 1 Engku Aman Turn, 408528.
kamal.sg
