LET’S GET CREATIVE IN THE ILLAWARRA
Spots to let those artistic juices flow and your creative flag fly.
It’s time to get crafty Illawarra!
Picking up a creative hobby is an amazing way to have fun, meet new people and try your hand at a new skill.
It’s also an excellent opportunity to step away from the screen and all the hustle and bustle of life for a little while and give yourself some time just for personal joy.
Here are some ways you can get creative in the Illawarra for whatever type of juices you’re looking to get flowing.
And don’t forget to check out our events directory for even more awesome ideas for workshops, classes and activities.
Let’s get creative peeps!
Get Those Hands Dirty
Pottery and ceramics are so hot right now! So many local studios have opened up around town offering loads of fun ways to get your hands muddy and those wheels turning.
Clay Wollongong has plenty of beginner options including wheel throwing taster classes and the perfectly named vino and vases classes to start.
Check out Black Duck Studios‘ ‘make with clay’ and glazing classes and Soul Clay Studios Friday night clay dates for adding a touch of romance to your pottery time.
Terrapotta also offers private clay dates as well as 4–7-week courses and Ground Up Pottery in West Wollongong has both group classes and wheel throwing workshops.
If you’re looking for a way to make your next special event more clay-ful, then have a peep at Luxury Clay Experiences incredible event packages. From clay and dining, clay and graze, clay and cocktails and even a mothers’ group experience, we love the sound of all their options.
Unleash Your Inner Picasso
You don’t have to be the next Van Gogh or Georgia O’Keefe to have fun painting. And as Mr Bob Ross said ‘We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.’
So here are some spots where you can make happy little accidents of your own.
130 Art Studios in Wollongong run regular workshops for anything from calligraphy to Indigenous textiles and UV artwork. Keep an eye on their website for upcoming classes.
Da Vinci Art Studio in Shellharbour offers adult art classes on Monday evenings and Sharon Blair in Kiama runs incredible one or two-day art workshops throughout the year for both beginners and the more advanced.
Another great option for regular art classes in a range of styles is Red Point Arts in Port Kembla, you do need to be a member to sign up and membership is $35 for the year.
Alongside their excellent exhibitions, Clifton School of Arts have plenty of awesome workshops running throughout the year and Kiama Art Workshops are also likely to offer something you’ll love.
Of course, we can’t forget the Wollongong Art Gallery and their painting classes. Check out their website for what’s on next.
Add The Vino
We love getting our creative juices flowing but also grape juices too and that’s why we’re always huge fans of any way to combine them.
Pinot & Picasso in Wollongong and The Sip Studio in Fairy Meadow are both super popular options for this.
For a group event, there’s also Arty Chardy who’ll bring all the fun to a spot near you or even your place if you’ve got the space.
Loads of local clubs, pubs and venues will often host a bit of ‘Paint & Sip’ fun so make sure to pop over to our events directory to find out when and where the next one will be held.
Knock On Wood
We can only imagine how satisfying it would be to use a utensil, sit on a piece of furniture or give a gift that we’ve crafted with our own two hands. That’s why we love the sound of these woodwork classes from the Scandinavian School of Woodwork in Coledale. The spoon shaping and tray making classes are popular so book as soon as you decide to give it a try.
The Illawarra Woodwork School also has a top-notch range of classes from beginner woodworking all the way up to mid-century chair making for the more advanced. Very cool!
Knit Sew Good
Oh baby, make it knit sew good! Ahem, sorry!
Not just a hobby your grandma does but an actual fun way to pass the time and make yourself something cosy in the process.
Finzah Yarn Studio in Cringila has ‘learn to knit’ and ‘learn to crochet’ classes where you’ll learn the basics of either in a friendly and inviting space. They also have embroidery classes and regular social crafters meet-ups.
The Sewing Collective holds regular sewing events like tote bags or clothing making and the Wollongong Crochet Club has classes for beginners and beyond.
Oh and make sure to keep an eye out for Hobbysew Figtree’s regular sewing events.
Something more:
Here are some other out-of-the-box creative ideas we reckon sound pretty neat:
The Bead Shoppe in Port Kembla runs 6-week beginner’s beading courses where you can learn all the basics of beading. They also offer regular macrame courses because if you didn’t already know, macrame is totally cool again.
YD Jewellery has ring, earring and other jewellery workshops at their studio in Wollongong and Appleye Jewellery have ring and bangle-making classes as well as other jewellery workshops from their Berry location.
Check out Hideaway Lane for all their different artisan workshops like soap making, candle making and floral arranging. And Georgia Rose in Shell Cove always has something creative happening from create and graze, paint and sip options plus loads more fun stuff.
We hope you’re feeling well and truly inspired to find your next super fun hobby now!
And for even more amazing special interest classes and workshops around the Illawarra check out our directory here.
We’re incredibly grateful to call this artistic and creative community our home.
