There are so many creative classes in Austin, so this was my year of crafting! This post is a summary of all the things I made.
Crafting has long been a favorite hobby of mine. In fact, some of my first posts on this blog are about hosting DIY parties and partnering with a company called Brit + Co to test their craft kits. I took a pottery class a few years ago and did a few crafts as new things I did last year. It reminded me of the many crafty things I wanted to try and the tools I had already bought and were waiting for me to use.
So, one of my goals this year was to finally use the supplies I had and try crafts I have wanted to for a long time! Austin has a lot of options when it comes to creative classes, so throughout the year, I worked my way through my list.
Here are the crafty things I tried!
DIY Miniature Kit
This DIY kit was gifted to me and is a good introduction to miniatures and building dollhouses. Every part of this diorama was put together by me, minus some of the plastic food. It included gluing together the shelves, folding the pastry boxes, and even installing the real light! I spent 7 straight hours putting this together from start to finish.
I was gifted another DIY kit recently, so I’m excited to do that one in the new year. The company is called Rolife. This is the bakery kit, and this is the greenhouse kit I’ll be doing.
Custom dollhouses, like the ones by Geneva who is a DIYer, are so impressive to me, and this seems like a gateway to that.
Candle Making
I first tried candle-making years ago at a place that has since closed. 7th Street Candle Co invited me in for their candle workshop, which included creating a custom scent for the candle. Not only is the candle aesthetically cute since it’s in a wood bowl, but it’s also a special scent that I made drop by drop. Their candle workshop is beginner-friendly, and I had a fun time trying it out!
See the full candle-making experience in this post.
Embroidery Kit
I’m embarrassed to say this embroidery kit was bought almost two years ago (at Blue Genie), and I finally opened it and completed it! When I started, it took about an hour. This was my first time trying embroidery, and I know it’s a craft I want to try again. Embroidery can be done on clothes, which is my ultimate goal.
Mountains of Thread is an Austin-area company, and she also sells her embroidery kits on Etsy.
Silversmithing Jewelry
A new silversmithing studio – Sisu Studio – opened in Austin, and I was excited to try it. We got to design our pieces (a ring for me) from picking the stone to the type of band, all while being led by an expert silversmith. It was fun to create something that I’ll wear often and be able to share that I made it!
See the silversmithing experience in this post.
Stained Glass Class
Stained glass has been another craft that I’ve been wanting to try for a long time! (This experience was much different than the glassblowing class for my bachelorette party.) This was another great beginner class, and we got to pick our favorite colors for our sunbeam.
See the stained glass class in this post.
Perfume Making
Did you know there is a walk-in perfume bar in Austin? My candle-making class included creating a custom scent with essential oils, so it makes sense that you can do the same process to make a custom perfume! I went back to 7th Street Candle Co for their drop-in perfume-making bar, this time creating a scent that is more floral.
See the full experience in this post.
Tortilla Making
Can you believe only one of these crafty classes this year is food-related?! I wanted to go to this workshop because I had never seen the process from corn kernel to tortilla. (Where are my food nerds at?) I love that fresh tortillas are a tradition in many kitchens around the world and that we could honor that in this workshop. So, it’s a little different, but I did make a tortilla!
See my experience making tortillas in this post.
Mosaic Making
I won a visit to The Mosaic Workshop in a charity raffle and was excited to try this medium again. (I made a mosaic on a glass bowl last year.) This time around, there were more tile and color options. It’s also a little easier to mosaic on a flat surface. What do you think of my finished piece?
See the mosaic-making process in this post.
Gem Kit
I spotted this craft kit at the store, and sometimes, that’s how it starts. These are called diamond gems or diamond/gem painting. The surface of your print is sticky and color-coded. You’ll use a tool to stick each color gem onto the labeled color. This wood plaque is 8 inches in diameter, and the project took about six hours.
Block Printing
For my final workshop of the year, I went back to 7th Street Candle Co for a block printing workshop. Audrey, one of the owners of 7th Street Candle Co, studied this craft in college, so she walked us through picking a design, carving the linoleum, inking, and printing. I picked a cute mushroom pattern, and it took a few prints to perfect the block. Finally, we printed on notecards and napkins. Yes, I have a print-making kit on my wishlist so that I can keep experimenting with this craft!
See the full experience in this post.
As you read, so many of the crafts I tried were things I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I’m so glad I got to try them. I know I’ll be crafting in the new year, though maybe not new mediums. I’m looking forward to exploring some of these further and finally working on all my sewing goals.
If you want to be more creative, there are lots of ways and tools to do it. You’ll find inspiration and even relaxation in the tasks. I hope this post inspires you to try something new!
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