If you’re itching for your next creative project, it’s time to explore DIY workshops where you can get your hands dirty and craft something from scratch. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced crafter, these workshops are a fun and fulfilling way to refresh your home with personalised items that are proudly yours.
From glass suncatchers to batik woodware, here are 7 DIY workshops where you can express your style and play a meaningful role in crafting your own home decor or furniture.
1. Elf the Keeper—Singapore’s first stained glass suncatcher workshop
Image credit: Bev L
Make full use of Singapore’s strong year-long sunlight and create your own stained glass suncatcher at Elf the Keeper’s workshop. At Singapore’s first stained glass suncatcher workshop, you can craft light-catching suncatchers to brighten any room.
Image credit: Elf the Keeper
In this 3.5-hour workshop ($108 on weekdays, $124 on weekends and public holidays), you’ll pick up the basics of stained glass cutting and assembly. There are endless combinations to create, with more than 30 templates and 50 glass colours and textures to choose from. Beads and embellishments are also provided for your customisation needs, to create an extra personal touch.
Custom designs are also available upon request, if you want to take the personalisation a step further. For pet owners, Elf the Keeper also offers a 5-hour customised pet portrait workshop (starting from $258 on weekdays, $288 on weekends and public holidays), where you can create a stained glass portrait in the liking of your furry friend to proudly hang up at home.
Image credit: Elf the Keeper
Exclusive to May, glass propagation planter workshops will be available ($168 on weekdays, $188 on weekends and public holidays), featuring mushroom and sunrise designs. This would be a suitable piece to kickstart your plant collection, or if you are looking for a cottagecore addition for your home.
2. Raya Artisans—Batik on wood tableware workshops
Image credit: Raya Artisans
Bringing the traditional Batik art form to the modern kitchen, Raya Artisans offers workshops where you can create your own customised mahogany plate and serving board. These pieces are not only functional with a food-safe coating applied, but they can also serve as unique talking points for your kitchen, ready for the next time you entertain guests.
Their 3-hour Batik on Plate ($98) and Batik on Serving Board ($98 to $129) workshops offer insights into the history of Batik, while also teaching you how to use the traditional tjanting Batik tool to create intricate patterns with hot wax and dye painting.
Image credit: Yoga Seeds
For homeowners looking for smaller yet nonetheless vibrant decorative pieces, Raya Artisans also offers a Batik on Coaster workshop ($55). In just 1.5 to 2 hours, you can create a coaster with Batik art, adding an accent piece for your living room or dining table.
3. The Sundowner—Mini treehouse workshop
Image credit: The Sundowner
Take a break from the city’s hustle and bustle and craft your very own mini treehouse at a lush rooftop garden. Held at The Sundowner’s Nature Experience Centre in East Coast, the Mini Treehouse Workshop ($85) lets you create a miniature version of the treehouses we dreamed of playing in as kids.
Guided by a professional arborist, you will learn how to craft and decorate a mini treehouse on top of a small bonsai plant, using sketching and woodworking techniques. After the 2-hour workshop, you can bring your creation home and add a sense of tranquility to any corner of your house.
4. Sage Artelier—Skateboard art jam
Image credit: Sage Artelier
Suitable for skaters or anyone looking for a bold artwork to add to their home, here’s your chance to transform a blank wooden skateboard deck into an unforgettable art piece.
In this 3-hour Skateboard Art Jam session ($90), you’ll get to express your personality onto the skateboard deck with a variety of acrylic paint. After creating your one-of-a-kind skateboard, you can even take it to the streets with additional light-up wheels or proudly mount it as a stylish statement piece at home.
5. RetroCade SG—Make your own LED neon sign
Image credit: RetroCade SG
If you’re looking for more cosiness in your room, try crafting your own neon sign at RetroCade. They offer a modernised version of the neon sign, using LED strips and soldered connections to create the distinctive glowing tubes from past decades.
With over 30 designs to choose from, you can find classic retro motifs or beloved Nintendo video game characters, guaranteed to bring cuteness to your space. Each design is rated according to their five-star difficulty rating, with options suitable for complete beginners as well as those looking for a more complex challenge. Custom neon designs are also available upon request.
Prices start at $45 for the base size, with an additional $10 for every 100 sq cm. With its warm glow, your finished neon sign creates a cosy and vibey ambience suitable for any room, perfect for your next rainy night in.
6. With Autumn—Indigo lampshade making
Image credit: With Autumn
Perfect for Japandi or minimalism lovers, With Autumn offers an Indigo Lampshade Making workshop where you’ll learn to create your own round or square lampshade ($129) using the traditional Japanese art of Shibori dyeing.
Each lampshade has a one-of-a-kind pattern, crafted through different folds and ties that are subsequently dipped in natural indigo dye. Every dyed lampshade is completed with a wooden base, adding a warm detail that matches any zen-inspired home.
7. Tombalek—Wood crafting furniture workshops
Image credit: Tombalek
Take the next step from assembling flat-pack furniture to building your own wooden furniture from start to finish at Tombalek’s furniture making classes. From these workshops, you can pick up the handy skill of woodworking while creating custom furniture that is functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Tombalek offers workshops to create versatile furniture, such as the Mini Bench ($180). All basic wood and materials are included in the workshop cost and you will be guided at every step to create a unique handcrafted furniture piece. The Mini Bench works well as a compact side table for any room, or even as a decorative piece to elevate your plant collection. It only takes 3 hours to complete a Mini Bench, and you can take home a multi-purpose piece with just an afternoon’s worth of work.
Image credit: Tombalek
For those looking to tackle a bigger project, Tombalek also offers a Shoe Bench workshop ($420). In this workshop, you will craft a larger statement piece perfect for your doorway. With built-in shoe storage at one side, the shoe bench provides convenient seating while keeping your shoes out of sight.
DIY homeware & furniture classes for your next day off
When you’re feeling a little fidgety on your next day off, consider channeling your energy into one of these DIY sessions. Not only is it the perfect way to add a personal touch to your space, the sense of satisfaction from creating something from scratch might just surprise you.
For more home DIY ideas:
- How these homeowners DIYed their kitchen backsplash
- These homeowners DIYed their limewash wall for less than $200
- This Singaporean DIYed all the arches in her home for <$150
Cover image adapted from: Tombalek, Yoga Seeds, Elf the Keeper
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