38 Workshop Gift Passes for You and Your Best Friend

Looking for unique gift experiences to share with your favourite person? Whether you're catching up with your oldest mate, celebrating a birthday or just fancy doing something different together, a creative workshop gives you more to talk about than another coffee date.

You could get your hands muddy at a pottery wheel, learn to make jewellery, try glassblowing or spend an afternoon painting and chatting. These gift passes for you and your best friend are all about trying something new together, having a laugh and coming away with something to show for it. What could be lovelier? 

Why workshops beat the usual coffee hangouts

Coffee catch-ups are lovely, but sometimes it's fun to do something a little different. Before we dive into the loveliest gift passes for you and your best friend, here’s why workshops tick every box: 

• You'll have something new to talk about. Learning a skill together gives you a shared experience, whether you're mastering a pottery wheel or trying your hand at painting.

• You can try something neither of you has done before. It's much easier to be a beginner with your bestie by your side! 

• You'll make something to remember it by. From handmade candles to ceramic mugs, you'll have a little reminder of your day together.

• You can match the activity to your friendship. Pick a peaceful afternoon of plant arranging, a lively sip-and-paint session or something more adventurous like glassblowing.

• It's an excuse to explore somewhere new. Pair a workshop with lunch, a wander around an independent shopping district or a stop at your favourite local café.

1. Kokedama workshops in London for nature-loving friends

If you and your best mate love houseplants, gardening or browsing the plant section of every shop you enter, kokedama could be right up your street. This Japanese technique involves shaping moss around a plant's roots to create a living ball that can sit on a saucer or hang from string.

It's a relaxing way to spend a few hours together, and you'll each have a little green creation to take home. These workshops are particularly appealing if you want a slower-paced activity with plenty of time to gossip! 

Get your craft on with...

• Workshop: Kokedama workshop from The Flower Factory LDN. 

• Location: Shoreditch, London. 

• Duration: 1 hour. 

• Price: £42pp. 

Fuel up for class at...

Artist Cafe for brunch, bagels, matcha and specialty coffee. 

You could also try: 

• This terrarium workshop in Shoreditch and build your own mini ecosystem! 
• This vibrant flower arranging workshop in Shepherd's Bush where you'll arrange your own bouquet. 
• This Ikebana workshop in Hoxton. 
• Or this dried flower arranging class in Kings Cross. 

2. Kintsugi workshops in Manchester for friends who love art

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery and highlighting the cracks rather than hiding them. Traditionally, the repairs are emphasised with gold, turning damage into part of the object's story.

It's a thoughtful activity to share with a friend who enjoys art, Japanese culture or trying a craft with a bit of history behind it. You'll learn a new technique and give a piece of pottery a second life! 

Get your craft on with...

• Workshop: Kintsugi pottery class for beginners with The Creative Society Manchester. 
• Location: Didsbury, Manchester. 
• Duration: 2 hours.
• Price: £60pp.

Fuel up for class at...

Moose, a few minutes' walk away, doing American breakfast properly! Fluffy pancakes, eggs done a dozen ways and coffee that doesn't mess about.

You could also try: 

• This pottery painting experience - another fun way to personalise pottery! 
• This ceramic homeware workshop, where you'll make your own unique project from clay. 
• This eco plant pot making workshop. 

3. Tufting workshops in Leeds to colourful, crafty friends

Tufting is the one where you stand at a frame, fire a tufting gun loaded with brightly-coloured yarn at a stretched canvas, and watch a rug emerge from the back of it. It's tactile, satisfying and a lovely choice for friends who enjoy interiors or making things from scratch!

You can each create your own design and compare your finished pieces, or coordinate colours and patterns if you want your creations to complement each other.

Get your craft on with...

Workshop: Mini rug tufting workshop with Tadatuft Tufting Studio. 

Location: Leeds city centre. 

Duration: 2.5 hours. 

Price: £70pp. 

Fuel up for class at...

The sleek and modern Archive, a coffee house and event space offering a variety of all-day brunch options, daily sandwiches and artisan pizzas from 4pm.

You could also try:

• This tote bag tufting class, where you'll personalise your own bag. 
• This mosaic workshop - craft your own colourful lamp! 
• This ceramic charms and jewellery workshop, for a different kind of craft. 

4. Cocktail making and tapas in London for a proper bestie date

If your ideal catch-up involves good food and a fancy drink, why not turn it into an activity? At a cocktail-making class with tapas-style afternoon tea, you and your bestie can learn a few mixology tricks before sitting down to enjoy Japanese-inspired sweet and savoury bites together.

It’s a lovely excuse to get dressed up, try something different and spend a couple of hours chatting over cocktails and tea.

Get your craft on with...

Workshop: Cocktail making class with tapas style afternoon tea with La Bibliotheque. 

Location: Hackney, London. 

Duration: 2 hours.

Price: £65pp. 

Fuel up for class at...

Towpath for coffee, then a wander down the Regent's Canal. 

You could also try:

• This matcha tasting experience in Stoke Newington, a lovely choice if cocktails aren't your thing!
• This tea tasting experience in Walworth for all the cosy vibes. 
• This coffee making class where you'll learn to brew perfect coffee. 

5. Pottery in Bristol for friends who love a bit of competition

Pottery is a great way to get creative together, especially if neither of you has tried it before. Hand-building classes let you shape clay using techniques such as pinching, coiling and slab-building, while wheel-throwing workshops introduce you to the spinning potter's wheel.

Don't worry if your first attempt looks a little wonky. Part of the fun is seeing how differently you both approach the same task! 

Get your craft on with...

Workshop: Hand building pottery class with Wild Clay Studios. 

Location: Bedminster, Bristol. 

Duration: 2.5 hours.

Price: £40pp. 

Fuel up for class at...

Oowee Diner, round the corner, doing some of the best burgers in Bristol. They run a club where members can win free burgers for six months, which is a sentence I never expected to type.

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You could also try:

• This wheel throwing workshop for some fun on the wheel! 
• This creative tile painting workshop where you'll paint cute Ottoman-inspired tiles. 
• This crafty wildflower and copper foiling workshop. 

6. Candle making in Edinburgh for a cosy night in

Candle-making is a relaxed activity for friends who love home fragrance, interiors or a cosy evening in. You'll choose scents, prepare the wax and pour your candle, with guidance on the process.

It's a nice way to spend time together without needing to be especially artistic. You can compare your fragrance combinations and take home something you'll actually use!

Get your craft on with...

Workshop: Candle making workshop with Candle Creations Edinburgh.

Location: Near Edinburgh city centre. 

Duration: 2 hours.

Price: £65pp. 

Fuel up for class...

Grab a coffee and a pastry at the super cosy Books N' Cup Cafe nearby. 

You could also try: 

• Crafting adorable candles in this dessert candle making workshop. 
• A cosy surprise in this mystery craft workshop. 
• This labradorite jewellery making workshop. 

7. Sip and paint in London for friends who love a laugh

Sip and paint is built around a simple idea: painting is more fun with a glass of wine in your hand. You're guided through a single piece by an instructor at the front of the room, sip by sip.

By the end you've got a canvas you can actually hang up, a slightly fuzzy memory of how you got there, and absolutely no pressure to be Vermeer. It's a good pick for a birthday, a catch-up with a friend you haven't seen in ages or a group outing.

Get your craft on with...

Workshop: Sip and paint class with Art Play London.

Location: Shoreditch and Chelsea. 

Duration: 2-2.5 hours.

Price: £42pp. 

Fuel up for class at...

Gorgeous independent cafe Potter and Reid, who serve a different menu packed with local, seasonal ingredients every week, and stock artisan coffee beans and a range of dinner party provisions to buy in store. 

You could also try: 

• A slower paced watercolour painting workshop in Putney. 
• This vibrant glow-in-the-dark paint and sip workshop in Battersea. 
• This resin jewellery workshop in Kingston Upon Thames. 

8. Glassblowing in London for adventurous friends

Glassblowing is a memorable choice for friends who want to try something a little different. Working with hot glass involves heat, specialist equipment and careful guidance, so you'll learn from an experienced instructor as you shape your own pieces.

It's a more unusual craft to try together, and the finished glassware can make a lovely reminder of your day!

Get your craft on with...

Workshop: Glassblowing workshop with Samantha Sweet. 

Location: East Finchley. 

Duration: 2.5 hours.

Price: £190pp. 

Fuel up for class at...

Independent dog-friendly pub Victoria Stakes, who offer a varied menu full of local ingredients and a gloriously designed space to relax in.

You could also try: 

• This sweet and unique lampwork glass flower workshop in Stratford.
• Or this fun creative fused glass workshop in Bow.
• This stained glass workshop in Shoreditch. 

9. Cooking classes in Manchester for foodie friends

Cooking together can be a gorgeous way to learn a new skill and enjoy a meal at the end. A guided class gives you a chance to try a new cuisine or technique without having to plan the ingredients or work out the recipe yourselves!

From making fresh pasta to learning how to prepare a favourite restaurant dish, there are options for all kinds of food lovers. You might even discover a recipe that becomes part of your regular catch-ups.

Get your craft on with...

Workshop: Pizza making class with The Pasta Factory. 

Location: Northern Quarter, Manchester. 

Duration: 2.5 hours.

Price: £75pp.

Fuel up for class at...

Federal Cafe and Bar, a cosy coffee shop with a gorgeous brunch menu and a variety of homemade pastries and cakes. Yum! 

You could also try: 

• This pasta making class for more Italian favourites. 
• This chocolate truffle making workshop, perfect for a sweet-toothed duo. 
• This lovely bento cake decorating workshop. 

How to choose the right class for your friendship

With so many best friend activities to choose from, start by thinking about the kind of day you'll both actually adore! 

• For a relaxed catch-up: Kokedama, candle-making and pottery painting offer a slower pace with plenty of time to chat.

• For friends who love making things: Pottery, tufting and mosaics let you create something to take home.

• For foodies: Cocktail making with tapas, pasta-making and cooking classes are good choices if you fancy a food and drink adventure. 

• For a laugh: Sip and paint workshops are sociable options that don't require any creative experience at all! 

• For trying something completely different: Glassblowing or kintsugi can introduce you to techniques you may never have considered before.

• For a full day out: Pick a class in a neighbourhood you want to explore, then plan lunch, coffee or a wander around the shops nearby.

• For a particular budget: Check the total cost for both people, plus travel and any optional extras, before booking.

The best gift passes for you and your best friend are the ones that suit both of you. If one person loves pottery but the other would rather be making candles, find a middle ground or choose a class that lets you each create something totally different!

Make time for your best mate

Don't wait for a special occasion to plan something fun with your bestie! A workshop can turn a regular weekend into a chance to learn a skill, explore a new neighbourhood and spend a few hours doing something different together.

Whether you're looking for gifts for best friends, planning a birthday surprise or simply searching for creative things to do with your best friend, there are workshops to suit all sorts of interests, budgets and locations. Dive in and find your next catch up today!