Carve your own bas-relief at an introductory stone-cutting workshop in the Marais.

Hidden away in one of the capital's oldest streets, rue Prévôt, a workshop opens its doors to you for a two-hour introduction to the art of stone-cutting, in thelair of Grégory Philippe! Step back in time and become a builder of yesteryear as you learn the basics of stone-cutting from a Parisian craftsman, before returning home with your proudly sculpted bas-relief!

Don't panic, if you're not very handy, anyone can do it, and you might even discover a new passion!

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Arriving at this beautiful, historic workshop in the Marais district of Paris, the smell of stone quickly sets the mood. You sit down at your table, in front of your 25×25 cm stone and your tools, alongside other apprentices for the day, and start working on the design you want to create.

While some preferred to honor PSG's Champions League victory, others engraved beautiful rosettes or more personal motifs. If you draw like a foot, which was our case, choose something simple. For us, it will be a rose, inspired by Beauty and the Beast.

You draw your motif with a pencil, then use a stone eraser to erase and redo - amazing! You need to think big and leave plenty of space between the various lines, to prevent the design from breaking during cutting. Once you're satisfied, you grab a pair of stone scissors of various sizes and a hammer, and patiently learn the gesture from Grégory, which quickly becomes memorized and automatic.

Note that if you already have thumb tendonitis, it's best to avoid it, as it's repetitive and can become a bit painful after a couple of hours.

But you can of course take breaks, especially as drinks are included throughout the workshop. While there is also Lutetian limestone, the famous "Paris stone", the one we cut is softer and comes from the Oise region - from the quarry used for the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris - making it easier to work.

We start by carving the outside of our design, notching the stone in three strokes. Then we work on the edge of the stone, removing layers until we reach the first notches of our protected design.

During the whole process, we regularly clean our work with a brush, to get rid of the limestone, which is jumping all over the place (don't worry, there won't be any lumps in your hair!), before fine-tuning the final details, ironing over certain areas not cut enough for our taste, and polishing the stone for a better appearance, all with the personalized advice of the craftsman. And, as it turns out, it's not all bad, and our little rose looks great!

If you wish, you can take a small moisturizing cream with you after the session, as handling limestone can make your hands dry with dust. In addition, the workshop is done standing up for better support, so it's not recommended if you're a little elderly, for example, but highly recommended with friends or family (from age 15), as it's accessible to all in terms of technique.

Because stonemasonry is a somewhat physical job - even if you don't particularly need strength - and it requires real know-how!

Two hours go by in a flash, chatting casually as we cut our stone in this favorite workshop. Don't forget to bring a sturdy bag so you can take your stone home and display it in your living room!

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.