You’re invited to a housewarming and you’re after inspiration for giving a great gift to loved ones who’ve just moved in? It’s true that deciding can be tough, especially since the question here is delicate: if you pick an item, will it be to the recipient’s taste?
We’ve found a smart workaround to sidestep that tricky question. Instead of giving a decor gift, why not opt for an experience that lets your loved ones add a personal touch to their home? For a housewarming, what could be more fitting than a creative workshop?
In Paris and in the Île-de-France region, several workshops offer to create decorative objects of all kinds! Pieces like mosaics, candles, personalized sculptures, pottery, or even rugs: the field is wide, and you can learn a variety of techniques — maybe even discover new passions along the way! Best of all, it gives the recipient a chance to proudly display their masterpiece. So it’s not just a gift or an experience: it’s an opportunity to personalize one’s home with a self-made creation.
All that’s left is to pick the perfect experience for the recipient. Below you’ll find the concepts we’ve spotted for Paris and the surrounding area:
Quirky: a creative doormat customization workshop for a one-of-a-kind rug in Châtelet
Just a stone’s throw from Châtelet, the Paillasson Workshop invites you to grab the brushes and reinvent your hallway decor. Create your own one-of-a-kind piece, far from the dreary default “Bienvenue,” in a two-hour, creative, sociable group workshop. [Read more]
Poetic Paris: design your own dried-flower candle holder in this hidden workshop in the 11th arrondissement
Forget fleeting bouquets and step into a hidden green haven in the heart of the 11th arrondissement. At Poétique Paris, craft your own dried-flower candle holder—a luminous, one-of-a-kind piece in the capital—during a cottage-core inspired DIY workshop. [Read more]
Unusual: we tried a stained-glass intro during a workshop at the foot of Montmartre Hill.
At the foot of Montmartre Hill, Justine Dablanc’s workshop opens its doors to the curious for a quick immersion in the art of stained glass. Here you learn to tame glass and lead to bring a luminous creation to life in just three hours. A fascinating dive into an ancient craft where precise technique meets the magic of color. [Read more]
Crea'Café: the creative coffee shop for 100% painting workshops opposite Père-Lachaise cemetery.
A stone's throw from the Père-Lachaise cemetery, a creative coffee shop has taken up residence: the Créa'Café. Designed by Louise, this hybrid space, part painting studio and part cozy lounge with retro vibes, invites you to let go, paintbrush in hand, whether on canvas or fabric, for a 2.5-hour session accompanied by a drink. [Read more]
Etagère Café: an artistic interlude in this creative café in the 11th arrondissement, with handicraft activities
Looking for a quiet break in the day? At Étagère Café, you can sip a drink while trying out one of the creative activities on offer, from porcelain painting to candle-making and other handicrafts, in complete relaxation! [Read more]
Les filles d'à côté: the florist where you can learn to create your own bouquet of flowers in DIY workshops
Discover the art of flower arranging at Les filles d'à côté, the 11th arrondissement's colorful and cheerful florists, where you can buy your bouquet or learn to make your own! [Read more]
Biscotti, the gourmet ceramic café in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine (93)
Set to open in September 2025, Biscotti is the latest ceramic café to open in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine. On the menu? Creativity and gourmet delights! [Read more]
Carve your own bas-relief at an introductory stone-cutting workshop in the Marais.
In a workshop in the heart of the Marais district, learn the art of stone carving from passionate craftsman Grégory Philippe. In just two hours, become a builder for a day and leave with your own hand-carved bas-relief. [Read more]
Gutea, the creative spot to paint on figurines while sipping bubble tea, in the 13th arrondissement.
In the Glacière district of the 13th arrondissement, Gutea invites you to relax in a café-style setting, with a creative workshop. [Read more]
Gaby, the pretty café where you can paint your ceramics, in Levallois-Perret (92)
A newcomer to the family of ceramic cafés, Gaby opened in autumn 2023 on rue Raspail in Levallois-Perret. As much a creative address as a gourmet one, this is where friends and family gather for a convivial moment of creation. [Read more]
Fe.Mè, the DIY studio and gourmet coffeeshop in Romainville (93)
On Rue Carnot, in Romainville (93), a colorful window distinguishes Fe.Mè from the rest of the street: pink, blue, balls and other DIY kits already announce the program: people come here for a creative workshop, a knitting café, to stock up as in a haberdashery, or simply to drink a comforting hot drink in the coffeeshop. [Read more]
DIY: we tested a kintsugi workshop, the Japanese art of repairing broken objects with gold
Kintsugi is a Japanese method that gives a broken plate, bowl or vase a second life, embellished with shimmering golden joints. From Belleville, Delphine suggests you arm yourself with patience to try the adventure! [Read more]
Be Bearz: pouring painting workshop and bubble tea salon, near the Eiffel Tower
Be Bearz, the new hybrid concept store, pouring painting workshop and bubble tea salon, has arrived with its cute teddy bears a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower. With this painting technique, already all the rage in Los Angeles and Milan, you can create your own work of art, with the added bonus of hot drinks and treats. A trendy creative hobby within everyone's reach! [Read more]
Mosaïcafé, the pretty, colorful spot to learn how to create a mosaic in DIY workshops
At Mosaïcafé, you'll spend two and a half hours in a timeless workshop, assembling your coloured earthenware pieces and giving life to the motif of your choice, to create a home-made decoration! [Read more]
Boby la Plante, playful workshops to create your own terrarium
If you're a plant lover, come and visit Boby la Plante, an astonishingly friendly store where you can create your own miniature tropical garden and take it home with you in fun workshops! [Read more]
Introduction to modeling and ceramics classes with friends or family at Three Seven, in the 6th arrondissement
Putting your hands in the clay is your guilty pleasure, the activity you never tire of? Then it's a good thing, because Three Seven is now offering its ceramic modeling classes for young and old, in its store in the 6th arrondissement. [Read more]
