Local artisans take turns sharing their crafts during workshops and classes at a handful of Ward Village boutiques. At MORI by Art+Flea, Luna Amante is among local small businesses offering workshops, in this case utilizing succulents and air plants for home decor.
BY NADINE KAM
This is the season when we start thinking about holiday gifts or making time to spend with family and friends.
Art and craft classes are one way to achieve both aims in a fun way. Ward Village Shops recently hosted a media tour to introduce shops that offer classes for those who enjoy learning new skills and the D.I.Y. lifestyle.
Trust me, most reporters do what they do because they’re better at working with ideas than working with their hands. Yet, we were able to turn out some beautiful ceramics, scarves, mini cactus decor and lau hala ornament in an hour’s time thanks to patient instructors.
Here are some shops to check out:
CHAI Studio: This design emporium offers “ideas for an inspired lifestyle,” from home furnishings, bedding and textiles, to internationally sourced jewelry, gifts and accessories. Its DIY Studio is open to creator workshops, with the next coming up 11 a.m. Nov. 22. It will have participants using indigo to dye a loose, casual slip dress. The fee is $108. To learn more or reserve a space, call 536-4543 or visit www.chai-studio.com.
Clay Cafe Hawaii: Release your inner Picasso via pottery painting sessions. Even if you have zero ability to draw, instructors have ways to fight artist’s block. Because there’s nothing worse than facing a blank plate with no idea where to begin, they showed us a simple technique involving blowing soap-and-paint-mixed bubbles onto a plate to create organic abstract imagery.
It’s a great way to spend an afternoon and if there are a lot of kids in your extended family, you could organize a two-hour children’s party with a minimum of eight painters (maximum 40), and minimum of $12 per piece per painter.
Call 589-1808 or visit claycafehawaii.com for more information.
MORI by Art+Flea: What started as a pop-up urban marketplace showcasing local makers has expanded to a permanent retail space that hosts workshops showcasing the skills of its vendors. You might find Chad Watanabe of engiNERDart (enginerdart.com) offering a woodblock print class for personalized holiday cards, or Yayoi Nishitani of Luna Amante showing how to create a succulent garden or ornament.
Luna Amante’s next workshop, Geometric Airplant Ornaments, will take place noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 15. The class fee is $60 for three ornaments. Visit lunaamante.com for more information and updated listings.
At Na Mea, we wove a lau hala fish ornament, no easy task! Those with a knack for weaving can graduate to more advanced hat-making classes. Many more Native Hawaiian arts classes are available.
Na Mea Hawaii: A longtime specialist in Native Hawaiian books, arts, jewelry and apparel, Na Mea offers workshops as part of its mission to perpetuate and encourage appreciation of Hawaiian culture. During our session, we wove a fish-shaped lau hala tree ornament.
For those of us with three thumbs, this was no easy task, but instructors are patient, working with us one-on-one, even helping to wrap the lau hala around clumsy fingers.
It’s just a first step to one day making fine, ornate hats. When you get to that point, there is a Lau Hala Weaving Hui support group to lend their expertise.
You can always check the store’s website for an online calender detailing classes, including flower and haku lei making, Niihau shell make-and-take, language sessions and more. There is a different cost for each activity, listed at nameahawaii.com. Call 596-8885.
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Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her coverage is in print on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.
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