If you’re looking to pick up a new hobby this summer in New York City and don’t know exactly where to start, there are plenty of options. Perhaps you know pickleball isn’t for you, and you’re nervous to give horseback riding a go, but you’ve always wanted to embrace your inner creativity. If you’ve perused TikTok, it’s more than likely you’ve seen numerous classes teaching everything from painting to pottery. But now, it’s time to actually sign up and attend.
Read on to discover the most exciting artistic endeavors in New York City, from embracing your inner designer by crafting jewelry and handbags, to glassmaking and weaving. You’ll feel like you’re in the arts and crafts room at sleepaway camp all over again—but in a chic way.
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Anthony Luciano Sip and Stitch
347 W 36th St NY, NY Suite 1300
$225 per person for three-hour session
Want to guarantee you have a truly unique, extremely chic, custom handbag that won’t be spotted on anyone else? Head to designer Anthony Luciano’s wildly popular Sip & Stitch, an event hosted in his leather studio that quickly went viral on TikTok.
Sip & Stitch is the perfect creative class for a girls’ night or bachelorette parties, as you’ll can take in views of Manhattan while crafting the cutest handbag—and holding a cocktail in your other hand. Grab a bottle of wine and get ready to make an elegant, luxurious purse. And if you want to enjoy making the most stylish clutch exclusively in the company of your close friends, you can book a private workshop.
Susan Alexandra Bead Night
33 Orchard St. New York, NY 10002
$82 a person
Susan Alexandra makes cheerful, kitschy jewelry, like cherry earrings and her famous watermelon bag. Head to her flagship store in Manhattan and spend the evening beading a bracelet, belly chain, anklet or necklace of your choosing.
Sit with friends (or make new ones), sip on the custom cocktail, and get inspired to create the beaded item of your dreams, with materials you painstakingly pick out yourself. Make sure to keep an eye on the brand’s Instagram to see when the next bead night will be, because they sell out fast.
Loop of the Loom Zen Weaving
227 E 87th Street #E New York, NY 10128
197 Plymouth Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
$75 per person
This weaving class, with locations on the Upper East Side and in Dumbo, is a favorite of Florence Pugh’s. Loop of the Loom teaches the contemporary textile art of Saori, which is a weaving style that embraces imperfections, created by a Japanese housewife. The class is said to be meditative, and will let you relax while embracing your inner creativity. The two-hour introductory session is specifically for beginners, and the studio notes it doesn’t matter if you don’t have great hand-eye coordination. You’ll make a tapestry you can hang in your home—and you just might pick up a new hobby that’s sure to be a much better use of time for your hands than doomscrolling through Instagram.
Glassmaking at Shiny Sparkle Labs
185 Van Dyke St Floor 2, Brooklyn, NY 11231
$124 a person
Head to Red Hook to learn the art of glassmaking from artists Matthew Day Perez and Dorie Guthrie. You’ll discover out how to put pieces of glass together, and then use a kiln to create stunning glass art you’ll definitely want to keep. Class-goers can create all different types of usable pieces, including charcuterie trays, coasters, drinking glasses or ornaments (holiday shopping done early!). Sign up for Fuze & Booze to enjoy a three- to five- hour introductory class, alongside cocktails and snacks from local Brooklyn eateries.
Wilcoxson Brooklyn Ceramics
67 West St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
$85 per person
This Brooklyn-based design studio will make you feel like you’re starring in Ghost. Join a mug or planter workshop to learn how to make the pottery pieces of your wildest dream, complete with tutorials for how to glaze your creation and fire it in the kiln. The chic Greenpoint studio is on the waterfront, so you can make a day (or a night) of it. The three-hour class is for beginners, and there’s no experience required.
Introduction to Copper Creations at Craftsman Ave
117B 11th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
$185 per person
Are you particular about your home decor? Consider making some interior design accessories yourself—by starting with a copper creation. This Brooklyn workshop offers classes on everything from woodworking to leather-working, all for beginners. For the introductory class, attendees use simple tools to cut copper pipe, and then learn how to solder with a propane torch—it’s certainly a bit wilder than simply picking up pottery or heading to the local Color Me Mine. You’ll walk away from the three-hour workshop with an actual working lamp, complete with an Edison bulb.
