#HOBBIES

5 Cool Workshops To Bond With Your Loved Ones

From glow-in-the-dark painting to bean-to-bar chocolate-making, hit up these unforgettable workshops by local artisan brands.

By Annie Tan        9 February 2022

Gift are great, but it’s the experiences we share that really bond us. So for Valentine’s Day, why not invest in a bonding experience with your date? Or, if you are not dating anyone, invite a friend to embark on this journey of learning and self-discovery instead.

After all, February is also Total Defence month, and close community bonds strengthen our Social Defence. May your love and friendships blossom this month!

1. Paint In The Dark

Let your inhibitions down and let your creativity take flight at Singapore’s first lights-off art jamming experience. Hueplay Studio’s Glow In The Dark Painting Series uses acrylic and phosphorescent paints to bring your inner dreamscapes to life. Painting in the dark is a cathartic experience to share with a friend, and an intimate experience for lovers.

SAFRA members enjoy 15% off with the promo code SAFRAXHUEPLAY; more info at www.safra.sg/promotions/hueplay-studio

$58 per person for three hours, including brushes, tools, canvas, paints and apron. Available daily from 4 February from 7pm to 10pm at Hueplay Studio, 183 Jalan Pelikat, #B1-82/83 The Promenade @ Pelikat

Art Jam

If you prefer to paint in the light of day, gather your friends and family for an Art Jam session at Canvas Ark, SAFRA Toa Payoh. Suitable for all ages, all materials will be provided for you to create your masterpiece. Come along on a solo painting journey, or use the 2-hour session to bond with a family member or friend. Freestyle painting is a great way to express yourself and to communicate with the world through colours and strokes. Guided sessions are also available.

Acrylic paint, art tools and blank canvases are included. More info at www.safra.sg/canvasark/art-jamming

2. Blend Your Own Brew

Slow down and be present in the moment at The Tea Crafters’ Artisanal Tea Blending Workshop. From tasting to preparation, tea appreciation is a mindfulness exercise. Create your bespoke blend with an exquisite range of leaves, herbs and dried flowers from around the globe, and share your very own special blends with your date or friend.

SAFRA members enjoy 15% off storewide with the prromo code TTCSAFRA; more info at www.safra.sg/promotions/the-tea-crafters

$85 per couple for 120 minutes. Available on most Saturdays and Sundays in February at The Tea Crafters, 214A South Bridge Road


3. Whip Up Ice Cool Treats

If you and your date love experimenting with food, you will love Carrara Cafe’s Ice Cream Making Workshop. Conducted by head chef Jackson Lee, first runner up of the Singapore Gelato Championship 2019, this workshop will equip you to develop your own ice cream flavours at home, be it Horlicks, Tim Tams or Hojicha. Cap off a mouth-watering morning with a gelato and waffles buffet.

$70 per person for 150 minutes, inclusive of two flavours of ice cream made by you and a gelato and waffles buffet. Available on 12 and 19 February at Carrara Cafe, Blk 2 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-5148


4. Make Your Own Chocolate From Scratch

Always wanted to make your own chocolate? Sign up for Pure Imagination’s Make Your Own Bean To Bar Chocolate Workshop. Designed by award-winning chef Janice Wong, this workshop will involve you in the entire process from roasting beans to grinding and picking your choice of sugar or sugar substitute. It also ignites your senses with a tasting experience of fresh cocoa seeds, single origin hot chocolate, chocolate dessert and ice cream.

$250 per person for 90 minutes, including the chocolate tasting experience and 1kg of your bespoke chocolate delivered to you within three days. Available on various dates in February at Pure Imagination, #B1-K119 Great World.


5. DIY An Iconic Singapore Airlines Mug

Reminiscing the good old pre-Covid days of air travel? Recreate iconic Singapore Airlines serviceware at the SuperMama Upcycling Workshop. SuperMama is a cult Singapore design and lifestyle goods brand that won the President’s Design Award in 2013. Using materials left over from Singapore Airlines Business Class range launched in 2007, you will personalise your own porcelain mug or square tray with cool decal, which will be fired overglaze and delivered to you in about a week.

$90 (for mug) and $108 (for square tray) per person for 60 minutes. Available most Thursdays and Fridays in February at Supermama at the National Museum of Singapore.

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