Whether you live in London or you’re just visiting, unleash your creativity. Leave London with new skills and fond memories, as well as a handcrafted memento of your trip, by indulging a passion or exploring a new hobby.
The Dalston Print Club is a big draw for arty types across the city. With a gallery and studio showcasing the latest in screen-printing and other print techniques, Dalston Print Club also runs workshops for beginners. Design is taken seriously at the club’s home on a Hackney-based industrial estate, so expect a busy day as you transform your work from a digital image to a print worth having framed and mounted. Hackney is in east London and easily accessible by Overground or Tube, A workshop for beginners costs £50, with a Deluxe weekend workshop costing £150; www.printclublondon.com
Where better to learn the art of hat making or handbag design than at the prestigious London College of Fashion? Offering a range of courses (one-day courses for beginners to two-week intensive courses), the college offers expert tuition and the use of traditional equipment. On the ‘Introduction to Millinery’ course, expect to walk away with two hats of your chosen design and material. Prices vary, e.g. a four-day ‘Introduction to Millinery’ course costs £550. Courses run throughout the year; www.arts.ac.uk
Homemade London runs a range of classes from how to make paper flowers or lampshades to workshops where you can even create your own perfumed scent. Prices vary (£65 for the Introduction to Perfume-making workshop) and advance booking is required; www.homemadelondon.com
The Guardian newspaper runs a broad range of creative courses—from food photography to how to write about art—at their funky central London offices in Kings Cross. Aspiring children’s authors and illustrators can learn how to turn their scribbles into fiction that both children and publishers will love. Fire up your imagination with this one-day masterclass with children’s author, Rebecca Elliot, or focus your ambition by attending The Guardian’s mix of talks, games and practical exercises for aspiring creative types. Course dates and prices vary, but the one-day How to write and illustrate children’s storybooks masterclass is £249; www.theguardian.com
You can probably hazard a guess at what goes on at Drink Shop Do. The quaint café, located just around the corner from Kings Cross station in London, is home to courses as varied as tea towel screen printing to making flowery headbands or Lego robots. Prices vary with some crafts offered free; www.drinkshopdo.com
The Book Club, in trendy Shoreditch, plays host to ‘Come Get Felt Up’, a night of crafts, live rockabilly and beer, with prizes for the silliest creation, as well as DIY t-shirt screen-printing classes; www.wearetbc.com
Set up ten years ago by French artist Tony Pianco, the Life Drawing Society hosts regular classes in all sorts of unusual venues, from pubs and restaurants to libraries, boats, roof terraces, theatres and even churches. Artists of all abilities are welcome. The Life Drawing Society even likes to mix it up a bit when it comes to hiring models—Olympic gold medallist Greg Rutherford has bared (nearly) all, and the events regularly feature burlesque and stage performers. Various locations around London; www.london-life-drawing-society.com
Learn the ancient craft of bookbinding at Shepherds Bookbinders in central London, where patient and knowledgeable teachers will have you crafting a Japanese paper-covered notebook in no time. Shepherds Bookbinders courses are held at its Victoria branch (the nearest tube station is Victoria or Westminster). Courses from £50 for one day and booking is required; www.bookbinding.co.uk
