Tapping into creative energies can serve as a stress-reducing outlet and help groups bond. But for those who cringe at the memory of messy grade-school projects, here are some crafts that are more adult-friendly than the ones you brought home to mom.
Red Heat lets staffers try their hand at fashion design, with an array of 1,700 prints ranging from vintage rock-band logos to superhero characters that can be heat-pressed onto a T-shirt, tank, hoodie, or—for those not fond of casual wear—a book bag. Participants can don their fresh-off-the-presses creations and strike a pose in the shop’s photo booth, or trade design tips in an outdoor area that seats 15. A $475 package for a group of 10 includes one T-shirt for each person, three large pizzas, and two employees to help.For a fun activity that time-crunched employees can do without leaving the office, origami artist Cindy Ng teaches corporate types (like San Francisco-based investment firm Babcock & Brown) the art of paper folding through her company Finger Magic. Ng says origami works well in an office because it’s a “creative, open, and logical artistic craft” that utilizes the left and right sides of the brain. She recommends working in groups of 10 or rotating among groups of four to five people every 15 minutes. The California-based Ng travels nationwide with supplies and instruction. She requires four months’ advance notice and charges $100 an hour, plus supplies and travel expenses.
If your team can stand the heat from a 2,000-degree furnace, glass artist Josh Gelfand will teach groups of three to six people the art of glassblowing at his Revolution Glass Studio. In the introductory course, Gelfand familiarizes students with tools and safety rules before letting them guide slabs of molten glass into the furnace and shape them into clear or colored paperweights. The six-hour course costs $275 per person, or individuals can opt to take two courses over a two-day period—and tackle more complex ornament and tumbler making—for $475 per person.
Red Heat lets staffers try their hand at fashion design, with an array of 1,700 prints ranging from vintage rock-band logos to superhero characters that can be heat-pressed onto a T-shirt, tank, hoodie, or—for those not fond of casual wear—a book bag. Participants can don their fresh-off-the-presses creations and strike a pose in the shop’s photo booth, or trade design tips in an outdoor area that seats 15. A $475 package for a group of 10 includes one T-shirt for each person, three large pizzas, and two employees to help.For a fun activity that time-crunched employees can do without leaving the office, origami artist Cindy Ng teaches corporate types (like San Francisco-based investment firm Babcock & Brown) the art of paper folding through her company Finger Magic. Ng says origami works well in an office because it’s a “creative, open, and logical artistic craft” that utilizes the left and right sides of the brain. She recommends working in groups of 10 or rotating among groups of four to five people every 15 minutes. The California-based Ng travels nationwide with supplies and instruction. She requires four months’ advance notice and charges $100 an hour, plus supplies and travel expenses.
If your team can stand the heat from a 2,000-degree furnace, glass artist Josh Gelfand will teach groups of three to six people the art of glassblowing at his Revolution Glass Studio. In the introductory course, Gelfand familiarizes students with tools and safety rules before letting them guide slabs of molten glass into the furnace and shape them into clear or colored paperweights. The six-hour course costs $275 per person, or individuals can opt to take two courses over a two-day period—and tackle more complex ornament and tumbler making—for $475 per person.
Finger Magic's Cindy Ng
Finger Magic's Cindy Ng
Photo: Courtesy of Cindy Ng
Revolution Glass Studio students can tackle ornament-making after taking the introductory glassblowing course.
Photo: Courtesy of Josh Gelfand
Red Heat offers custom clothing.
Photo: Courtesy of Red Heat
