Jewellery Making
Asimi College of Jewellery in Sheung Wan offers courses in jewellery making ranging from beads to silversmithing. Bibi Cheung, the course instructor, recommends that those with little experience start with beaded jewellery and work their way up to more intricate adornments. If your main goal is to make presents for Christmas, she suggests that the minimum time to take her eight 3-hour lessons is one and half to two weeks during which you can produce at least eight to 10 bead-work projects including necklaces, bracelets and earrings. The stones and beads used are all semi-precious with silver wire work, allowing for a better quality product to reflect the time and effort you’ve spent making it. Although jewellery making is an expensive craft – a project can range between $100 to $300 in materials, the toolkit costs about $700 and the course is priced at $4,000 for eight lessons – the reward is a new skill, and beautiful pieces of handmade jewellery for your loved ones. All materials and tools used can be bought from Asimi, or you can provide your own.

Contact Bibi Cheung at 2157 1970 for enrolment or arranging private courses and special packages for materials, tools and tuition or email info@asimiart.com for further details. Log on to www.asimiart.com for course schedules and address.

Alternatives:
For those who wish to make more inexpensive jewellery, Cheung Sha Wan and Sham Shui Po are the places to visit. The streets here are lined with wholesale jewellery traders, who also sell retail and you can find anything you need for jewellery that is relatively easy to make and, most importantly, cheap. If you’re leaving things to the last minute, Beadspro sells jewellery making kits that include all materials and step-by-step instructions in the Mega Show fair at the HKCEC, Dec 22-26.

Crafts
The folks over at Craft Paradise weren’t kidding when they named their small but diverse workshop. Tucked into a corner in the Citic Tower in Admiralty, their shop is a veritable treasure trove of craft materials, with the workshop housed in the back. Its size should not fool you as they offer over 20 different types of crafts, some much easier to grasp than others, but with instructors Margaret and Emily it seems unlikely you can go wrong. A few simple and easy projects such as napkin technique, decoupage and alumfoil work can produce one to two lovely presents. Napkin technique is delicate paper patterns laid onto wooden jewellery boxes and decorative glass plates. Alumfoil work produces unique labels for sets of spice jars etc, using a material similar to aluminium. Other things to make are simple clocks, or even mosaic trays, although those might require more time. Most workshops are three hours long, and cost $300 which covers all materials and tools. Private workshops can be arranged for a minimum of four people. Fridays are a la carte days – you can work on anything you want, just remember to book well in advance. Also, in time for the holiday season, on December 6 from 4pm Craft Paradise will be hosting a free crafts demonstration with tea and biscuits: go along to pick up a few ideas or finished crafts items available for purchase throughout the month.

Contact Margaret Solomon or Emily Chan on 2104 6210 to
book for workshops, or to arrange private classes for you
and your friends. Log on to www.craftparadise.com.hk for workshop timetables and email MS@craftparadise.com.hk for further details.

Alternatives:
Chameleon Workshop (see below) also offers craft work such as mosaic coasters, photo frame making and album making. The YWCA often offers courses in various different crafts, usually held during the daytime, contact them at 3476 1340 for details, and log on to esmd.ywca.org.hk for course listings and enrolment forms.

Glass Work
Glassblowing is a fascinating and delicate art made accessible by KC Wong, owner of and resident artist at the Kaleidoscope Studio in Kwun Tong. His glassblowing workshop allows you to work for a whole weekend (all day Saturday and Sunday) plus Monday evening, to perfect three to four glass paperweights and a glass-blown cup and gives you a chance to see how glass items are made, old school style. If you’d rather make glass beads and pendants, or cocktail swizzle sticks, he may be able to arrange a session for you to try your hand at lampworking (the name of the technique). But if you’re feeling truly lazy and want him to do all the hard work for that unique and creative present, KC takes orders for glass products (paperweights, glasses, bowls and so on) and, depending on the size, can make a completely original art piece just in time for Christmas. Book early for workshops, as he can only take up to six people at a time.

Contact KC Wong on 2728 4224 to arrange private lessons or book for workshops or email info@glasstudio.hk. Check the website http://homepage.mac.com/kaleidoscopestudio/ for more information and address.

Alternatives:
Selling Point on Lamma Island run workshops for stained glass, bead work and glass fusing. They also have a store where you can buy unique glass products. Contact them at 2982 4050 or glass@sellingpoint.com.hk. Check their website for listings of one-day and four-day courses at www.sellingpoint.com.hk.

Porcelain Painting
Explore Hong Kong’s Chinese roots through the old art form of porcelain painting. Using delicate glazes and some enamels, May Cheong-Sahgal will guide you through the process of decorating your own mugs, jewellery boxes and even plates to present to friends and family. For those hesitant about their artistic abilities, May teaches easier projects such as small boxes or mugs and for those more well-versed in painting, adapting your techniques to porcelain is not difficult. Three-day workshops can be arranged for $750 which includes all materials and tools and will roughly produce four small porcelain items. You can provide your own materials and porcelain – white porcelain and bone china only. Mugs and plates from IKEA are acceptable, although they should not be microwaveable or Corning ware. May does take orders for pieces and dinner sets, although from now until Christmas she can only accept smaller orders.

Contact May at 2812 0357 for details about workshops, one-day lessons, and private lessons. She can also be emailed at maycheong33@hotmail.com. Her website has pictures of her and her student’s work www.porcelainpainting.netfirms.com.

Alternatives:
Janny Chan Wong offers lessons in porcelain painting – contact her at 2812 6067 or janny-wong@hotmail.com for further details about course times and prices. Amy Chan has a studio in Shaukeiwan with classes mostly during the day. Evening classes can be arranged but with a minimum of six people. Contact her at 2513 7687 and email amychan@porcelainpainting.com for further details. Her website www.porcelainpainting.com has examples of her and her student’s work.

Painting
Painting is the world’s oldest art form and many fun workshops and sessions in Hong Kong will test your skill with a paintbrush. But if the end product doesn’t turn out exactly as you envisioned, at least you would have had fun trying. If, however, you are planning to impress someone with your artistic skills, Chameleon Workshop has a drop-in workshop on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 9.30pm and Tuesday and Thursday mornings. For $450 all your materials are included for painting and crafting along with a glass of wine. Eleanor, the brains behind the workshop, will be on hand to lend a discerning eye and gentle touch to those who need a bit of advice on their work. If your interest is more seasonal, for $400 they also have a special Christmas workshop on Thursday nights until December 21 from 7pm to 9.30pm to make Christmas cards and presents.

Contact Eleanor at 2527 2251 or email info@chameleonworkshop.com. More info on regular courses is available at the website www.chameleonworkshop.com

Alternatives:
If you think you can do the painting thing on your own and would like to make a night of it, get down to Art Jam in
Central and book a canvas for a night, get some drinks in and go mad. Check out www.artjamming.com for details of workshops and prices.

Ceramics
Although they aren’t offering any special workshops for the Christmas season, the Pottery Workshop at the Fringe Club can take special bookings for private lessons and groups of four. If working the wheel inspires you, and you’d like to finish a fired and glazed piece, you’ll need to book as soon as possible to get your presents done in time. The staff at the Pottery Workshop recommend at least three weeks to complete a piece, taking into account the firing time (they’ll need to book a slot) and also time to have your piece glazed and re-fired. Should you be unable to return for a glazing session, they’ll be happy to
glaze and fire it for you at an additional cost, although you won’t have a say in the final colour. Also, they’ll be having a sale on pottery and other handmade crafts in their store during the month.

Contact the Pottery Workshop at 2525 7949 to enquire about special workshops, or visit their website at www.potteryworkshop.com.cn.

Flower Arranging
It is a known fact that everyone likes receiving flowers (yes, even men – though they are loathe to admit it) so why not buy some blooms (fresh or artificial) and arrange a floral display as a present? The HK Academy of Flower Arrangement has a one-day workshop designed to show you contemporary Christmas floral design with both fresh and artificial flowers, as well as gift-wrapping wine bottles. It’s $980 for the day including most materials, but you will need to bring along some floral and regular scissors, a bottle of wine to wrap and some #24 wires (can be purchased at the academy). Workshops take place at locations in Central and Mongkok on December 9, 11 and 13.

Contact the HK Academy for Flower Arrangement at 2882 1832 for more details or email info@hkafa.com.hk. Their website is www.hkafa.com.hk