The Best Creative Classes in Hobart if You’re Dying to DIY

While the Tasmanian capital is known for its top-tier restaurants and breathtaking natural scenery, Hobart is also an emerging arts hub — attracting creative types to its shores thanks to it being the home of MONA (the Museum of Old and New Art) and the Dark Mofo festival.

If you’re a budding artist yourself, there are also plenty of creative classes in Hobart to allow you to explore your own skills. From painting to photography, flower arranging to pottery, why not try everything to find your hidden talent?

Here are all the best creative classes in Hobart to indulge your arty side.

Lumina

This streamer-strewn haven in Hobart is the perfect place to bunker down for a cosy crafternoon. An events space available to hire, Lumina also boasts a calendar of creative workshops that range from crepe flower bouquets to botanical candles and embroidery. Their popular monthly crafternoons are also a great chance to dip your toe back into crafting, with materials, snacks and drinks provided for you to go free-range on your creativity.

269 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart

Pottery & Watercolour Workshops at Leap and Wander Studio

Ever wondered what it’s like to shape clay with your own hands or paint a canvas that speaks to you? Leap and Wander Creative Workshops invites you to explore your inner artist in a relaxed, supportive setting. Whether you’re a beginner or novice, you’ll handcraft unique pottery pieces or create beautiful painted works, all under the guidance of Lisa and her friendly studio cat Bluey.

Located just a 45-minute drive from Hobart in the serene Southern Beaches, these workshops are perfect for individuals, friends, or private groups. 

Book here

13 Falcon Street, Primrose Sands

Cooking & Gardening Classes at The Agrarian Kitchen

For an unforgettable creative experience in Hobart, look no further than The Agrarian Kitchen’s hands-on cooking and gardening classes. Sitting pretty in the heart of New Norfolk, their state-of-the-art teaching kitchen offers a chance to master culinary skills while working with the finest local produce, from freshly harvested vegetables to humanely sourced meats.

Signature classes range from making homemade pasta to mastering the art of charcuterie, while gardening enthusiasts can dive into the essentials of cultivating a flourishing one-acre produce garden.

See current classes available here

11a The Avenue, New Norfolk 

Glazed & Confused Pottery

The fabulously named Glazed & Confused hosts a few types of classes in its Hobart pottery studio. Build & Booze is a hand-building session in which you’ll use coiling and pinch pot methods to create a small pot for a plant, a bowl or a vase during the class. In Wheel & Wine, you’ll be guided in using a pottery wheel for your clay creation. Just make sure you’ve got one hand free for your glass of complimentary wine! The studio offers more intensive courses as well, so jump online to explore all the creative classes on offer.

52b Bathurst Street, Hobart

The Wooden Boat Centre

If you’re looking to invest some serious time into your next hobby, The Wooden Boat Centre is calling. Whilst it is first and foremost a boat building school (Australia’s only traditional school), they also run ship-adjacent workshops, including learning to craft a shipwright’s stool, canoe and trout landing net.

If you’re not quite ready to commit to a course, make a day of it and head out to the visitor centre for a tour through the workshop and a short history on wooden boat building.

3333 Huon Highway, Franklin

Luke O’Brien Photography

Local lensman Luke O’Brien runs workshops all over Tasmania — which checks out when you think about how photogenic this state is. His Hobart-centric creative class runs for half a day and kicks off in the foothills of kunanyi / Mt Wellington, where Luke will help you snap the perfect pic of a Tasmanian waterfall. From there, you’ll make your own way across the Derwent River to the Eastern Shore to get a stunning sunset shot of the city. Cross your fingers for a clear and cloudless night!

Hobart, Tasmania

Phoenix Creations Wood Carving

Head down to the artsy enclave of Cygnet — about 45 minutes south of Hobart — for a creative class with a difference. Join David and Michelle of Phoenix Creations for a wooden spoon carving class, making your own timber utensil from scratch. The process of wood-carving is incredibly mindful, so you’ll find that it’s a relaxation session and workshop in one. The class includes a delicious morning tea and everything you need to turn a block of timber into your very own homemade wooden spoon.

31 Golden Valley Road, Cygnet

Pour n’ Sip Candle Making

Make the most of Tasmania’s beautiful local scents (like golden honey and cherry blossom) by hand-crafting your own soy wax candle. Run by Little Creations Co., which sells locally-made candles at loads of markets and homewares stores around Tassie, in this fun and creative class you’ll make two of your own hand-poured candles to enjoy. Held in the charming town of New Norfolk, about 40 minutes north of Hobart, take your friends and your favourite drinks and nibbles — it’s BYO, so no doubt you’ll be pouring a local Pinot as well as your wax.

Willow Court, The Avenue, New Norfolk

Archaica Schola 

Create your own masterpiece at Hobart’s own paint and sip studio Archaica Schola. You’ll be armed with nothing but a blank canvas, artistic ambition and a full wine glass, of course! With classes running regularly in Hobart’s CBD, you can tackle a famous artwork (Vincent Van Froff or Froffies with Frida are just two of the booze-themed classes on offer) or pick a more modern piece to adorn your wall. While the quality of the artwork can’t be guaranteed, the good times can be. For something a bit more technical, Archaica Schola also offers painting and drawing courses if you really want to brush up on your skills.

2/121 Macquarie Street, Hobart

Earthenry Flowers

Just a 25-minute drive south of Hobart in the delightfully named Lower Snug is Earthenry, a flower farm offering seasonal creative classes in flower picking and arranging. During peak flowering periods, the farm has more than 100 varieties of flowers to (literally) pick from. Learn to make flower garlands, arrange your own bouquet, create a wreath and even how to decorate a festive table — all in the beautiful surroundings of Earthenry’s vibrant gardens.

3 Waldie Drive, Lower Snug

Loved this edit of the best creative classes in Hobart? Why not keep the creative energy flowing and dive headfirst into one of these inspiring art galleries? If you’re visiting in the cooler months, there’s also no shortage of winter activities in Tasmania to enjoy.