Best creative workshops in Abu Dhabi | The ADR Guide
Pottery and candle-making to woodworking, metalworking, and painting - Abu Dhabi has creative workshops that go well beyond picking up a paintbrush. Here’s our pick of where to get creative in Abu Dhabi.
StuDIYo lab
For kids who are always trying to do things themselves, stuDIYo lab gives them a chance to put those DIY skills to use. Its woodworking and design technology workshops include projects such as Mario and Minion-themed creations, pencil holders, clocks, and LED signs. They can make something inspired by their favourite characters, or build a desk accessory they can use at home, with an instructor on hand to guide them through the process.
You can also book a one-hour Try-Me session for AED 105. It gives them a chance to try woodworking before taking on a longer project. Workshops are available for kids aged five and above, with some projects taking up to three hours.
Where: Abu Dhabi Mall, Al Zahiyah
Price: From AED 105
Book here
Where: Abu Dhabi Mall, Al Zahiyah
Price: From AED 105
Book here
MAKE Abu Dhabi
Want to try pottery, learn to use a sewing machine, or see what you can make with a laser cutter? MAKE Abu Dhabi runs hands-on workshops across ceramics, fashion design, digital fabrication, electronics, metalworking, and woodworking. There are beginner-friendly sessions to get you started, along with more advanced classes if you already have some experience.
You could learn to throw clay on a pottery wheel, make a desktop organiser from sheet metal, try your hand at welding, or use a heat press to customise fabric. If you want to keep working on projects, MAKE also offers memberships, from one-day passes to monthly and annual plans. You'll need to complete the relevant Fundamentals Workshop or pass a competency assessment before using specific machines and equipment.
Where: Al Zeina, Abu Dhabi
Price: Workshops from AED 120
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More info here
Abu Dhabi Pottery
If you fancy getting your hands messy with clay, head to Abu Dhabi Pottery, where you can try your hand at the pottery wheel or learn to shape pieces by hand. Make your own bowls, pots or sculptures, then experiment with colours and glazes to finish them off. You don't need any previous experience, as instructors will walk you through the techniques.
There are classes for kids aged five to 14, as well as sessions for adults, so you can give pottery a go yourself or book something for the family. Adult classes last one or two hours, while younger makers can try a one-hour session. Multi-session packages are also available if you'd like to keep practising.
Where: Dabbas Street, Building 29, Abu Dhabi
Price: Children's classes from AED 120; adult sessions from AED 186
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More info here
Studio CLAY
Studio CLAY runs three types of workshops, from learning to use a pottery wheel to shaping pots by hand, and making scented candles in coffee cups that you can reuse at home.
Wheel throwing covers the basics of wedging and centring clay before you try making cups, bowls, and cylinders. If you prefer working without the wheel - go for the hand-building workshop which introduces pinching, coiling, and slab techniques, with time to add colour and glaze to your pots.
For something more personalised, the candle-making workshop lets you choose your vessel and customise your scent. You'll get a complimentary drink, and your candle will be ready for collection the next day or delivery.
Where: Studio CLAY, Al Manhal, Abu Dhabi
Price: Wheel throwing from AED 200; hand-building from AED 190; candle-making AED 450 per person.
Cultural Foundation
Located in Al Hosn, Cultural Foundation is one of Abu Dhabi’s main arts and culture spaces, with exhibitions, performances, and creative programmes for different age groups.
You can learn to shape pots on the pottery wheel, experiment with colours and dyes on silk, try sewing, or paint ceramics. There are also digital art classes, including sessions on creating Islamic geometric patterns using Adobe Illustrator. Younger artists have their own programme at the Children’s Art Centre, with drawing, painting, pottery, and other arts and crafts. If you’d rather work on your own project, the open studio starts at AED 30.
Where: Cultural Foundation, Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi
Price: From AED 30
More info here
Khazaf Fine Arts
Want to get beyond a one-off pottery class? Emirati-owned Khazaf Fine Arts offers a 14-workshop ceramics course that takes you from raw clay to finished pieces. The hands-on programme covers the fundamentals, including different clay types, choosing the right clay, shrinkage rates and firing temperatures, before moving on to pinch, coil and slab hand-building techniques.
You’ll also get to try pottery wheel throwing, carving, and trimming, learn the basics of firing and kilns, and experiment with glazing. The course covers common problems with clay, firing, and glazing, too, so you can learn how to troubleshoot your own work.
If you prefer to get creative at home, you can order the Khazaf Creativity Box, which includes 500g of clay, enough to make a cup, plate, and keychain, along with clay-shaping tools, letter stamps, and a step-by-step guide to hand-building pottery.
Khazaf Fine Arts also has pieces available through Palm Collection, including collections inspired by tradition and Andalusian design.
More info here
Gentle Pause UAE
Grab your crew for a creative afternoon, or use it as a chance to meet new people while making something of your own. Gentle Pause UAE hosts girls-only workshops in Abu Dhabi, where you can paint tote bags and pouches, decorate mirrors with clay, or add a bit of sparkle to a canvas with bedazzling.
More info here
Art and Pause
From painting mirrors to creating your own piece of coastal-inspired art, Art and Pause regularly hosts creative workshops in Abu Dhabi. You can try sea texture art using real sand and shells, or pick up a paintbrush for a sunset painting session. Each workshop gives you a different way to get creative, even if you’ve never tried it before.
More info here
