We’ve skipped through London’s edgy hangouts to bring you the coolest craft courses in the capital right now. From bamboo bicycles in Canning Town to a welding workshop in Walthamstow, here’s where to get the creative juices flowing.
14 June, 2022
Read more in Volume 37: Craft.
If any city is likely to ignite your creative flair, it's London. We've found the capital's best crafting workshops, including candle-wax building in King's Cross and the ceramics courses guaranteed to make you a devotee of all things handmade.
Maybe you're a renaissance man (or woman) looking to add another string to your already rather well-strung bow. Perhaps you're a few dates in and looking for a romantic gesture - something tender to seal the deal - or you're simply hankering for some creative stimulus to lift you out of a funk. Whatever your motive, we believe there's never a bad time to try your hand at something new. From eco fabric dyeing classes in Limehouse to welding workshops in Walthamstow, these are the coolest craft courses happening in London right now.
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This humble craft won't earn you much street cred - there'll be no sparks, elbow grease or flames here - but regular dinner party hosts will get endless mileage out of the wooden salt or serving spoons that course participants take home. Hew a chunk of wood (bark still intact) into a pretty but functional sculpture, an abstract expressionist one perhaps…
You'll leave with: A wooden spoon. Price: A day class costs £175.
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It might be having a moment - every home in north London is decorated with at least one ceramic pot plant cradled in macramé - but this craft has centuries of history behind it. Knot your thing? Knithub24's workshops cover the full gamut of knitting niches, including machine knitting and sock making. There's even a men-only class.
You'll leave with: A macramé pot plant holder. Price: A one-hour one-to-one hand knitting masterclass will set you back £55.
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Forget your sturdy carbon and feather-light graphene frames, all the DIY kids about town are riding bicycles made from humble bamboo, thanks in part to the Bamboo Bicycle Club. Construct the bicycle frame during its two-day workshop or choose to piece the whole thing together (wheels, cogs and all) over four days.
You'll leave with: A fully functional bamboo bicycle - no need to catch the tube home. Price: A two-day weekend workshop (frame only) costs £595. All materials provided.Address
Bamboo Bicycle Club, Unit 8, Caxton works, Jude St, London E16 1FF
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How to define the Earl of East? It's both a shop - one filled with exquisite little knick-knacks and things you didn't know you needed - as well as a community space and a workshop where you can learn to make all manner of modern luxuries, including bespoke scented candles, all-natural face masks, bath salts and more.
You'll leave with: A divinely scented screw-top candle. Price: A Saturday candle-making workshop costs £55.
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This contemporary workshop is housed within a cluster of primary-coloured freight containers in Walthamstow - former home to arts and crafts pioneer William Morris. Nab a place on its weekend-long metalwork course to make a small coffee table, or take a few woodwork evening classes and emerge with a modernist oak shelving unit.
You'll leave with: Anything from a chopping board to a bedside table, depending on your dexterity. Price: A weekend welding course costs £260.
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You'll find Turning Earth's two pottery studios on the top floor of an old hardware factory in Leyton and hidden under the train viaducts between Hoxton and Haggerston. The latter is delightfully Hackney - think stray bicycles propped up against exposed-brick walls and more beanies than you can shake a stick at.
You'll leave with: A handful of simple moody pots. Price: A 12-week evening course will set you back £380.
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2022 marks the return of fun-loving, free-spirited patterns - and we are absolutely here for it. So, what better way to shake up the wardrobe than to DIY your own summer staples? Step forward, CND Studio. Visit on a Saturday to sneak into the two-hour eco printing masterclass, set to take you through dyeing and fixing cotton and linens. Don't expect to leave without a tote bag brimming with funky garms.
You'll leave with: Ridiculously chic upcycled garments. Price: A two-hour eco printing class will cost you and your gang £40 each.Discover more stories from the Craft issue here. This article was updated on 14 June 2022.
