Custom Creative Experiences for
Campus Affiliates and Student Orgs
The Craft Center can help you create a one-of-a-kind experience for you and your group with exclusive course offerings and discounts to campus affiliates and student organization groups. Great for team building, social groups, or other private events! Designed by student staff and professional artists at the Craft Center, participants are invited to de-stress, participants are invited de-stress, immerse themselves in the process of being creative and enjoy the opportunity to make an artifact or art object by hand. Contact one of our representatives at craftcenter@ucsd.edu.
Please note: for scheduling purposes, workshops require 3 weeks advance notice. Minimum number of participants is 5 people, up to 25 or 30, depending on activity selected. (If your anticipated number of participants do not fall within that range, we will try to work with you to customize the experience within reason).
Please note that we will charge a 50% non-refundable deposit 15 days prior to event date on all reservations.
Options Exclusive to Campus Affiliates and Student Groups:
Ceramic Tile Glazing
Participants are invited to paint an image/pattern or design on a 6"x6" ceramic tile using a variety of brightly colored glazes. They are then fired and ready for pick up 3 weeks after the event. Participants are given directions from our staff on how to paint the glaze onto the tiles (but is not facilitated by one of our instructors since it is a fairly easy process).
$10.00 per person or a minimum of $100.00 for groups under 10 participants
Potted Succulents
Participants are invited to select a hand-made ceramic cup or small bowl, pick a succulent clipping and then plant it in their selected ceramic. They will also be invited to make a fun flag to plant with an image, message or something to celebrate the day. Participants are given directions from our staff on how to plant the succulents but this isn't facilitated by one of our instructors since it's a fairly easy process.
$12.00 per person or a minimum of $120.00 for groups under 10 participants
Printmaking
Participants are invited to incise an image, symbol, or pattern on a block printing plate, learn how to roll up traditional ink onto the plate, and print several impressions onto paper. This activity is facilitated by one of our teaching artists.
$24.00 per person or a minimum of $240.00 for groups under 10 participants
Journal Making
Participants are invited to design their own personal journal, sketchpad, scrapbook, notebook, photo album, or blank book, learning a versatile construction using recycled materials that allows for personalization and modification. This activity is facilitated by one of our teaching staff as it is a little complicated.
$24.00 per person or minimum of $240.00 for groups under 10 participants
Other Custom Creative Experience Options:
Block Printing
Make a positive impression on your friends and/or colleagues! Experience the joy of transforming a simple image or pattern into a block that you can print multiple times. Using traditional printmaking methods, participants will learn to carve out their design, ink the block and print the image on a variety of papers to create a series of prints.
This workshop takes 1.5-2 hours and costs $45/person.
Mini Lathe Woodturning
In this miniature woodturning workshop participants will be challenged to produce items such as small mushrooms and little trees using small scale turning tools and specialty wood. Tool technique and tool safety will be covered along with fun exercises that will lead to making the final products.
* Due to the capacity of these mini wheels, the curriculum will be set by the instructor.
This workshop takes 2 hours and costs $70 per person for groups of 6 or less.
Ceramics Sampler
Participants are introduced to the stress-relieving and playful experience of shaping clay into something beautiful and functional. Experienced artists provide a brief overview of the different traditions of ceramic arts: hand-building and wheel throwing, and facilitate participants’ exploration of the medium in a supportive environment designed for a range of skill sets. Each participant will create a clay art piece by hand which will be glazed and fired at the Craft Center. Projects will be available for pick up approximately 2 weeks after workshop date.
This workshop takes 1.5 hours and costs $80/person.
Edible Spring Rolls
Enjoy the fun of learning how to prepare a delicious appetizer or light meal together. Rice paper wrappers envelop a rainbow of ingredients from carrots, cucumbers, optional proteins and more. Participants will learn to source ingredients, prepare them properly, and put together a stunning presentation design! Making mouth-watering sauces top off this fabulous culinary experience.
This workshop takes 1-1.5 hours and costs $60/person for 5-9 and $50/person for 10+.
Friendly Cupcake Wars
Work together in teams to challenge your taste buds and creativity as you make and decorate cupcakes with unlikely ingredients. Bacon and parmesan in your buttercream? Chives in your batter? You and your teammates will have to decide what unusual- yet yummy- ingredients to add to your confectionary creations. At the end, each team will present and sample each others creations and vote for the favorites.
This workshop takes 1.5-2 hours and costs $82/person with a minimum of 8 participants or $656.
Fused Glass Tile Project
Using a colorful array of provided glass pieces and embellishments, you will create an abstract or representational design of your choice and adhere it onto a 4”x 4” glass base “canvas”. Your piece will be fired in a glass kiln and ready for you to hang or display it the following week!
This workshop takes 1.5-2 hours and costs $75/person for groups of 10 or more, $70/person for groups of 5-9.
Recycled plastic jewelry, keychains or sun catchers
Transform hard-to-recycle plastic #6 into colorful, luminous art pieces you can wear, hang in your window (or on your lunch box) or transform into a key chain.
This workshop takes 1-1.5 hours and costs $45/person.
Natural Fabric Dyeing- Indigo + Shibori
Learn how to beautifully transform cloth using the ancient resist-dye techniques found around the world. Using simple materials, you’ll create a design using a traditional technique such as tegumo (tie-dye) or itajime (clamp-resist) and indigo dye to transform a white cotton bandana into wearable art.
This workshop takes 1-1.5 hours and costs $70/person.
Smash Your Stress Mosaics
Relieve stress, have some fun and make something beautiful and functional! Smash plates and other ceramic ware with hammers and then glue pieces to a decorative mirror frame.
This workshop takes 3 hours and costs $60/person. Please note it cannot be shortened to less than 3 hours. Smashing stress takes some quality time!
Mini Wheels
Participants will learn how to make mini pots on mini pottery wheels in this workshop, which is designed to encourage students to have fun, get a little messy, and enjoy making (less than perfect) miniature pottery! Participants will get to choose their favorite pieces to have fired in the kiln and return 2-3 weeks later to pick up their tiny treasures.
This workshop takes 3 hours and cost $85/person for group of 16 or more. $80/person for group of 1-15.