Clark County studios offer seasonally inspired arts, crafts workshops ideal for gifts
Local arts and craft studios offer a rainbow of gift-making workshops that also let you give yourself the present of a fun holiday activity. Options include glass fusing, painting, pottery, wooden sign-making and mixed media collage. If you aren’t jazzed about the joys of DIY gifts, the studios offer gift certificates that make a thoughtful present for the budding artists on your list.Some objects require one to three weeks for kiln firing, so if you don’t have time to spare, choose a “make-and-take” class so you can leave with your gift in hand. Materials are usually included in the fees, which for the classes listed below range from $48 to $120. If you’re uncomfortable working in a studio with people you don’t know, inquire about booking a private party. One business will even deliver all the supplies to your home so you can create your masterpiece on your own timeline.
Here are five local studios that offer a palette of seasonally inspired workshops. Register for classes at the websites listed below or by calling the number provided. Before you go, check with the business about COVID-19 safety measures and get details about what to wear or what to expect.
Live Laugh Love Art
17707 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver; 360-787-7033; livelaughloveart.com/vancouver
This studio in east Vancouver offers pottery painting, canvas painting, paint pouring, glass fusing and glass blowing. Walk-ins are welcome for all crafts except glass blowing and paint pouring. Fired objects (glass and ceramic) are ready for pick-up in 7 to 10 days. Both workshops below allow students to leave with a finished project.
Wood sign workshop: $65 to $95 depending on size and design, one two-hour session from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 20, 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 3 and 17, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 11 or 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 23: Students pick a wood base and choose their own design and quote when they register; hundreds of designs are available in the studio’s online database. Students then come to the studio to paint their custom sign.
Canvas painting workshop: $65, one two-hour session from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 28, Dec. 2, 9, 12 and 16: Step-by-step instruction in painting holiday scenes on prepared canvas. Different subjects will be painted on different days, such as snowy mountains, a cheerful snowman and a pair of owls. All materials are supplied.
