Make Your Own…Whatever!
I have always had a creative side, but I’ve never really excelled at any one specific craft. I am a mediocre cook. My team can guess about half my drawings during a Pictionary game. And if you want a cherry vodka lemonade, I can hook you up; anything more complicated than that and I am not your girl - not without a little help at least.
This is what makes me the perfect audience for all the "how to / make your own classes" out there. Not only do I think they are a great idea for a date night, but they break down something that seems overwhelming to a point where even my finished product is impressive.
Ok fine, maybe my paintings aren’t good enough to hang up and only Craig brought home a finished bowl from the pottery class - but my ice cream was divine, and my cocktails were delicious. I plead the fifth on the Gnocchi.
No matter your experience level, the classes discussed below were well worth the cost in my opinion. I wouldn’t hesitate to sign up for any one of them again. And I probably should – I could use all the help I can get!
Make Your Own…Pottery
Brooklyn Clay Industries
Intro to Pottery Wheel
Brooklyn Navy Yard
$75 per person
I admit, I am the person who always sees this on television and in movies and immediately thinks how easy and fun it looks. So when I came across the Intro to Pottery Wheel class being offered in Brooklyn, I couldn’t wait to sign up and try it.
Oh man how wrong I was. Not about how enjoyable the class was, because it was an absolute blast. But it was far from easy. I thought I would get there and bang out a bowl in minutes and move on to bigger and fancier things, like a vase. Instead, I struggled through the class and ended up leaving empty handed. Not for lack of trying or great instruction though. The gentleman teaching the class was great – helpful, informative, and encouraging. He truly wanted me to succeed, but I was happy enough with my attempts. Craig managed to create a very nice bowl for us though – it’s still sitting on our dresser to this day.
A couple of quick things to note on this one – everyone does get their own pottery wheel, it’s not one per couple. You also have to go back a few days later to pick up your completed piece after it gets “fired”. Going to the Brooklyn Navy Yard is a cool experience in and of itself, if you have never been.
Make Your Own…Gnocchi
The Cook’s Studio has multiple locations and offers classes on how to cook all different types of food. My brother and nephew just went the other week to learn how to make soup dumplings. When Craig and I went a couple of years ago, we chose the Gnocchi.
When deciding on which recipe to pick, we wanted to go with something we had never cooked before and would probably never attempt on our own. We are typically the pasta out of a box and sauce out of a jar type of chefs – so this class intrigued us. Not only would we learn how to make fresh Gnocchi, but also how to make a pesto sauce for it.
The class began with a full demonstration by the instructor – he walked you through the entire process before you were allowed to begin. This wasn’t my favorite approach, but I understood why it would be helpful – this would free him up to walk around and help each station while they were moving through their preparations. The class had all the tools needed for the dish and we were not rushed at all. They even had a tool to roll the gnocchi, which was a lot of fun if you have never done it.
When we went, the class also included wine tastings – I am not sure if that’s still the case, as the company has multiple locations now. Either way, I would still recommend it for the food alone. Although I personally was not a fan with how our pesto came out, Craig claims it was delicious. To this day, I think he was just being nice.
Make Your Own…Painting
Paint Nite
Various Locations
$35 per person
If you look in our basement closet, you will see stacks of canvases from all the PaintNites we’ve done. These are experiences we have gone to with friends, with family and alone on dates. We’ve also gone to one as part of a corporate event hosted by our realtor.
You don’t need to have any experience painting or much artistic ability to enjoy these. They walk you through the painting step-by-step and give you plenty of time to keep up. The events are held at all different restaurants and bars and the picture you are painting changes based on location and date – so you have tons of options to choose from.
All the materials are included, and you can usually find a promotion code online to get a discount. The only thing you have to pay separately for is the food and drink you consume during the class. I will say that I noticed some instructors push you to order drinks more than others – just something to be aware of.
Make Your Own…Cocktail
The Cauldron
Potion Making Class
Stone Street, NYC
Starts at $44.99 per person
The Cauldron offers “potion making” classes, which is cocktail making with a wizardry twist. They have special themed classes for various holidays and Craig and I chose to do the Christmas themed one.
Depending on the class you choose, you get a certain number of drinks and make your own cocktails included. Plus, you always have the option to add extra recipes at an additional cost.
Our class started with a welcome drink of Prosecco or mulled wine. When we were brought to our table, we got robes and a magic wand to use to make our cocktails. Our second drink was the choice of a cider, cocktail or beer poured with the help of our wand. We then got to choose two "potion" recipes we wanted to make. And we finished it off with candy cane shots.
The instructors definitely played a part with their cheesy acting and characters - but it was a fun addition to the class. And each cocktail had a unique special effect to give it that magic feel.
Although it was a little expensive, Craig and I definitely left the class feeling good and slightly buzzed. And when you think of how many drinks we got for the price in Manhattan, it makes the cost a lot more reasonable. Let’s not forget we got an awesome and unique opportunity to act like wizards and drink “potions” we made ourselves. It was the perfect date night.
Make Your Own…Ice Cream*
Ice Cream Class
Gowanus, Brooklyn
$80 per person
Fun and Delicious! Not only did we have the opportunity to make our own ice cream, but they also provided 6 scoops of their most popular flavors to eat during the class. And anything you didn’t finish you could take home with you.
Our class was broken up into stations of two and each pair got their own equipment. There were different stages and step-by-step instructions for the various ingredients and parts of the ice cream. The instructors were great and gave clear directions and made sure to stop at each station to offer help. They also provided short breaks and water throughout the class, which we appreciated. The class was entertaining and extremely enjoyable - one of the best and tastiest “how to” classes we’ve done.
Tips: Each class focuses on a different ice cream flavor, so make sure to sign up for a date that has the flavor you want to make. If you have a long commute, bring a cooler bag to pack your pints. The ice cream isn’t fully frozen at the end of class and this will help keep it from melting on your way home.
*This one is marked with an asterisk because all of Ample Hills locations are “temporarily closed” at this time.
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