Credit: Bead It Austin
Austin is a great place to get craft beer with buddies, but there’s another “crafty” side of our city. If you’re into painting, jewelry-making, or any other type of arts and crafts, then keep reading. Let your creative spirit run free at these seven awesome places for hands-on crafting in Austin!
1/ CRAFT Austin
Located in east Austin, this adults-only craft spot gives local DIYers free rein of the shop’s supplies during walk-in times. Just take a quick tour and fill a bin with supplies for your project before creating your next piece of work. CRAFT Austin also hosts workshops where you can learn specific crafts you’ve been dying to know how to do, such as macramé wall art or ceramics. Bonus! CRAFT Austin is BYOB. So bring your favorite local beer or wine to enjoy while exercising your creative spirit.
“The Junkyard” at CRAFT is full of et cetera crafting supplies like tea tins, doll parts, corks, and old encyclopedias (Credit: Diana Ascarrunz Photography)
4704B E. Cesar Chavez St. – Website
➡ Keep reading: CRAFT Hosts Workshops and Open Crafting Hours in East Austin
2/ Helios Fused Glass Studio
Create colored glass pieces (Credit: Helios Fused Glass Studio)
Stop by Helios Fused Glass Studio in northwest Austin to meld beautiful pieces of glass, creating items like pendants, bowls, and mosaics. The studio has open hours Tuesday through Saturday with table time and studio access, but it also hosts a variety of workshops. In fact, Helios Fused Glass Studio is a nationally-recognized teaching facility, so you’ll be in good hands. Attend single session courses or classes that take place over a number of weeks.
13581 Pond Springs Road – Website
➡ Keep reading: Take a Glass Class at Helios Fused Glass Studio
3/ Creative Side Jewelry Academy of Austin
Creative Side Jewelry Academy studio space (Credit: Creative Side Jewelry Academy)
Hone your jewelry-making skills at Creative Side Jewelry Academy of Austin. From Jewelry 101 to the Art of Inlay, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to find the perfect class for you. There are over 75 courses available each semester! If you’ve attended a class, you’re even eligible to sign up for a studio-rental membership, with full access to the studio 24/7. If you don’t commit to a membership, then Creative Side still offers open studios on Wednesdays and two Sundays each month.
321 W. Ben White Blvd. #204 – Website
➡ Keep reading: Skill Levels Converge at Creative Side Jewelry Academy in Austin
4/ Austin Creative Reuse
Austin Creative Reuse in north Austin is a nonprofit with a mission to foster conservation. The organization succeeds at doing just that by using donated crafting items and following the City of Austin’s Zero Waste goal. You can participate in workshops that are focused on creating art using reclaimed materials, such as mini succulent shrines and upcycled mosaics.
6406 I-35 Srv Road N. #1801 – Website
5/ Blue Moon Glassworks
Blue Moon Glassworks is nestled in Hyde Park and has a fireworking studio for handling glass (Credit: Blue Moon Glassworks)
Blue Moon Glassworks is a studio specializing in stained glass, glass-fusing, mosaics, flameworking, jewelry, and encaustic painting. Here, crafters learn skills like melting glass to create colorful beads. You can also rent the flameworking studio or the glass-working studio to work on personal projects. I don’t know about you, but that flameworking studio sounds like a hot experience worth having!
108 W. 43rd St. – Website
➡ Keep reading: Light a Fire and Blow at Hyde Park’s Blue Moon Glassworks
6/ Bead It Austin
The walls are full of beading materials and dreams at Bead It Austin (Credit: Bead It Austin)
This crafty stop in south Austin is filled to the brim with all sorts of dazzling beads that will absolutely delight you! Bead It Austin offers several classes and workshops that teach the basics of beading, wire, and design. If classes aren’t your style, then there’s a room used as an open studio whenever there isn’t a workshop or party taking place.
2058 S. Lamar Blvd. – Website
➡ Keep reading: You Wanna Be Crafty? Better Do What You Can and Bead It!
7/ Austin Craft Lounge
Austin Craft Lounge is a new, fun place to craft with friends (Credit: Austin Craft Lounge)
Located on a few acres outside of Bear Creek, Austin Craft Lounge is surrounded by nature to put crafters in a relaxed state of mind. The craft experience is similar to Painting with a Twist, where you sign up for classes online and pick a time slot to attend. Austin Craft Lounge currently has about 30 products you can build, from wood signs to box art, to canvas bags.
12919 Nutty Brown Road – Website
@theAustinot wants to know:
Which places do you like to go for hands-on crafting in Austin?
Crafts & Drafts is also a really great spot!
Upstairs Circus just opened downtown on second street. It’s a DIY crafting studio and Bar.
This new shop on SOCO is great for supplies! https://letterpressplay.com/