16 types of activities and workshops you have to try in 2024!

In 2024, after the pandemic shifted our focus away from material goods, in-person creative experiences like pottery, tufting, candle making, and sustainable workshops have surged in popularity as millennials and others increasingly seek unique, hands-on activities to learn new skills and connect socially.

During COVID It seemed that the most popular in-person experience was shopping online from the sofa while considering if our lives are going to be over soon.

Real in-person creative studios, crafts, arts, experience and activity businesses were severely impacted by the wide closures. Many were set to be out of business.

In 2024, after surviving COVID, we started getting out of the house more and more and getting back to a “normal” social life, we can now see a complete 180 degree change.

In-person experiences peaked in 2024 and the industry sees growth that has not been seen before.

It seems like everything that can be bought was already bought in Corona time and now more and more people want to spend their money learning something new. 

The statistics show that 72% of millennials (!!) would rather spend money on experiences than on material goods.

Who would believe that a millennial would rather learn how to be bad in Glass blowing or pottery rather than watch another twitch stream?

This blog post will walk you through some experiences and activities that are trendy in 2024 (I bet you never heard at least about a few of them).

DIY Craft Workshops

Crafts have become huge lately. There are more and more artists that are sharing and teaching their craft. And the demand to try these unique skills is also going up.

Pottery and Ceramics

What is a pottery and ceramics workshop?

Pottery and ceramics involve shaping, firing, and glazing clay to create functional or decorative items such as bowls, vases, and sculptures. There are estimated to be over 5,000 pottery and ceramics workshops globally, offering classes and hands-on experiences for amateurs and enthusiasts.

How Long Does It Take to Create Your Ceramic Item?

Creating a pottery or ceramic piece typically takes several days to weeks, including time for shaping, drying, firing, and glazing.

What Skills Would You Learn in a Pottery and Ceramics Workshop?

You will learn techniques such as wheel throwing, hand-building, and glazing, as well as understanding the properties of different types of clay and firing processes.

Studio Davka

Tufting

What Is Tufting?

Tufting is a textile technique used to create carpets, rugs, and decorative items by inserting yarn into a fabric backing, forming loops or cut pile patterns. Estimated that there are several 100s of tufting workshops globally, with the number growing rapidly due to the craft's rising popularity on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

How Long Does It Take to Create Your Own Tufting Piece?

Creating a tufted piece can take anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the complexity and size of the design.

What Can You Tuft?

Rugs, carpets, wall hangings, cushions, and decorative textiles.

What Skills Will You Yearn in a Tufting Workshop?

You will learn how to use a tufting gun, select appropriate materials, and master the process of creating loops or cut pile patterns for unique, customized designs.

Teo Studio

Candle Making

What is Candle Making?

Candle making is the craft of creating candles by melting wax, adding fragrances and colors, and pouring it into molds or containers with a wick. Estimated that there are over 1,000 candle making workshops globally. In the US alone candle making workshops do around 500 million a year.

How Long Does It Take to Create Your Own Candle?

Creating a candle can take a few hours, including the time needed for melting the wax, adding ingredients, pouring, and allowing the candle to cool and set.

What can you make in a Candle Making Workshop?

Scented candles, decorative candles, pillar candles, tea lights, and container candles.

What skills will you learn?

You will learn how to melt and mix wax, choose and add fragrances and colors, properly insert wicks, and safely pour and mold candles.

Soap Making

What is Soap Making?

Soap making is the process of creating soap by combining fats or oils with an alkali, typically through methods like cold process, hot process, or melt and pour. There are estimated to be over 2,000 soap making workshops globally!

How Long Does It Take to Create Your Own Soap?

Creating soap can take a few hours to several weeks, depending on the method used. 

Cold process soap requires several weeks to cure, while melt and pour soap can be ready in a few hours.

What can you make in a soap making workshop?

Bar soaps, liquid soaps, decorative soaps, exfoliating soaps, and scented soaps

What skills will you learn in a soap making workshop?

You will learn about saponification, the safe handling of lye, mixing and molding techniques, adding fragrances and colors, and understanding curing times for different types of soap.

The Soap Cake Factory

Jewelry Making

What is a Jewelry Making Workshop?

Jewelry making is the craft of designing and creating wearable ornaments such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings using materials like metals, beads, gemstones, and wire. There are an estimated 5,000+ jewelry making workshops worldwide.

How Long Does It Take to Create Your Own Jewelry?

Creating a piece of jewelry can take a few hours to several days, depending on the complexity and the techniques used.

What can you make  in a Jewelry Making Workshop?

Rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants, and brooches

What skills will you learn in a Jewelry Making Workshop?

You will learn techniques such as bead stringing, wire wrapping, soldering, metalworking, stone setting, and using various tools and materials to create unique and custom designs.

Glass Blowing and Sculpting

What is a Glass Blowing workshop?

Glass blowing and sculpting are techniques for shaping molten glass into artistic or functional items by blowing air into the glass or manipulating it with tools.There are estimated to be over 1,200 glass blowing studios and workshops globally.

How Long Does It Take to Create Your Own Glass Piece?

Creating a glass piece can take from a few hours to several days, including the time for heating, shaping, and annealing (cooling slowly to remove internal stresses).

What can you make in a Glass Blowing workshop?

Vases, bowls, drinking glasses, ornaments, sculptures, and decorative glass art.

What skills will you learn in a Glass Blowing workshop?

You will learn how to work with high-temperature equipment, shape molten glass using blowing and sculpting techniques, color and decorate glass, and understand the annealing process for durability and strength.

Speculo

Food and Beverage Experiences

Who doesn't like to eat? Many people would like to expand their cooking skills and learn from the best chefs to get more skillful.

Baking and Pastry Workshops

Interactive sessions focusing on various cuisines, including plant-based cooking, ethnic foods, 

and gourmet techniques. There are estimated to be over 5,000 baking and pastry workshops globally

What skills will you learn in a Baking and Pastry Workshop?

You will learn dough making, cake decorating, working with chocolate and sugar, and creating various pastries and pies with a focus on baking fundamentals.

Wine and Beer Making

Workshops that guide participants through the process of making their own wine or craft beer. There are estimated to be over 3,000 wine and beer making workshops and homebrew clubs globally.

What skills will you learn in a Wine and Beer Making workshop?

You will gain expertise in fermentation processes, ingredient selection and preparation, monitoring fermentation, bottling, aging, and quality control methods.

Bua Beer

Chocolate Making

Classes where participants learn to create artisanal chocolates and confections. There are estimated to be over 1,500 chocolate making workshops globally.

What skills will you learn in a Chocolate Making Workshop?

You will learn how to temper chocolate for a glossy finish and snap, mold and shape chocolate, create fillings, and decorate with various techniques such as drizzling, piping, and using edible decorations.

Yaar Acacao

Cooking Classes

Interactive sessions focusing on various cuisines, including plant-based cooking, ethnic foods, and gourmet techniques.There are many thousands of cooking classes and culinary workshops globally

What skills will you learn in a Cooking Class?

You will master culinary techniques such as chopping, sautéing, grilling, and baking, along with seasoning, flavor balancing, recipe execution, and kitchen safety.

(M)EAT CARNIVAL

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Workshops

Another huge upcoming topic is sustainability. Societies strive to be more sustainable and upcycle and it’s super trendy as well to have experiences around sustainability

Upcycling and Recycling Art

Workshops focused on creating art and functional items from recycled materials. There are an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 workshops and classes globally focused on upcycling and recycling art.

What can you make in an Upcycling and Recycling Art workshop?

You can create unique and personalized home decor items, furniture, jewelry, and artworks made from repurposed materials.

What skills will you learn?

You will learn how to creatively repurpose discarded materials, basic carpentry and crafting techniques, painting and decorating, and sustainability practices in art.


Sustainable Gardening

Classes on urban gardening, composting, and growing herbs and vegetables at home.There are an estimated 2000 sustainable gardening workshops globally.

What can you make in a Sustainable Gardening Workshop?

You can develop a productive home garden with organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and native plants.

What skills will you learn in a Sustainable Gardening workshop?

You will learn sustainable gardening practices, composting, soil health management, plant propagation, pest control, and water conservation techniques.

Natural Dyeing and Fabric Arts

Sessions on using natural dyes and sustainable materials for fabric arts and crafts. There are an estimated 1500 workshops globally focused on natural dyeing and fabric arts. 

What can you make in a Natural Dyeing workshop?

You can create naturally dyed fabrics, garments, scarves, and home textiles.

What skills will you learn in a Natural Dyeing workshop?

You will learn how to extract dyes from natural sources, fabric preparation, dyeing techniques, pattern making, and sustainable textile practices.

Tech-Creative Experiences

As tech and AI is being more and more prominent in our daily lives there are more and more experiences popping up mixing the two of those.

Printing and Maker Workshops

Hands-on classes where participants learn to design and print 3D objects. There are an estimated 3,000 workshops globally focused on 3D printing and maker activities.

What can you make in a Printing and Workshop?

You can create customized 3D printed objects, prototypes, and gadgets.

What skills will you learn  in a 3D Printing and Workshop?

You will learn 3D modeling and design, operating 3D printers, selecting and using different printing materials, and post-processing techniques like sanding and painting.

Virtual Reality Art

Workshops exploring the creation of art using VR technology. There are an estimated 1,000 VR art workshops globally

What can you make in a Virtual Reality Art workshop?

You can produce immersive VR artworks, interactive environments, and VR-based installations.

What skills will you learn  in a Virtual Reality Art workshop?

You will learn VR content creation, using VR design software, understanding spatial design, and incorporating interactive elements into VR art.

Digital Photography and Editing

Classes that teach photography skills and post-processing techniques using software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. There are an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 digital photography and editing workshops globally.

What can you make in a Digital Photography and Editing workshop?

You can develop a portfolio of edited photographs, including portraits, landscapes, and creative compositions.

What skills will you learn in a Digital Photography and Editing workshop?

You will learn camera operation, composition and framing, lighting techniques, and photo editing skills using software like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.

Screen and Print Workshops

Interactive classes where participants learn to create intricate screen-based designs and print them using various techniques. There are an estimated 2,000 workshops globally dedicated to screen and print activities.

What can you make in a Screen and Print Workshop?

You can create detailed screen-based patterns, prints, and custom designs that can be used in various artistic and practical applications.

What skills will you learn in a Screen and Print Workshop?

You will learn screen design principles, different printing techniques (such as screen printing or block printing), color theory, and the use of various printing materials and tools.

Amber Print Studio