Dubai Craft Workshops for Weaving Carving and Clay

A bag you have woven and stitched, a miniature door with a pattern cut into its surface, a cup shaped between your fingers: these are three very different reasons to spend an afternoon at a workshop. Choose the object first, then look at what making it actually involves.

For November 2026, Tashkeel has two particularly appealing sessions in Nad Al Sheba. One turns Sadu-inspired pattern into a woven tote; the other takes its starting point from the decorative doors of Emirati architecture. In Al Quoz, Yadawei’s introductory handbuilding class offers a route into clay, with firing and glazing included in the stated workshop price. The practical difference is the finish: Tashkeel describes pieces that participants leave with, while the pottery needs studio processing before collection.

This is a guide to contemporary workshops and their references. Tashkeel’s classes interpret local textile and architectural heritage through accessible making projects. Yadawei teaches a studio pottery process. Pick the experience that draws you in, without expecting every class to teach the same tradition or produce the same kind of souvenir.

Workshop information checked on 9 November 2026. The Tashkeel sessions below are dated events; arrange a place before travelling.

Choose what you want to make

For children, speak to Tashkeel before paying. The individual pages say “all ages” for the tote and “families” for the door, but the registration screen also has a 16-plus confirmation. It does not explain how those statements work together for a younger participant or an accompanying adult. Yadawei’s trial is listed for ages 13 and above.

Weave a Sadu-inspired tote at Tashkeel

Choose this for: colour, repetition and a useful finished object.

The interesting part of this workshop is the construction. Participants make a woven panel and use hand stitching to turn that work into a tote. There is a sequence to enjoy here: choosing colours, developing a repeated design, watching a textile take shape and giving it a practical use.

Mohammed Okasha leads the session on Sunday 29 November, noon–2pm, at Tashkeel Nad Al Sheba. Tashkeel identifies him as an artist, designer and educator working across contemporary creative practice. The project draws on the colours and geometric vocabulary associated with Sadu, with room for each participant’s interpretation.

The listed price is AED 300 plus VAT, and fees are non-refundable. The registration cart showed quantity one at AED 300 before checkout. Confirm who that quantity covers, what materials are supplied, and how child participation works if you are booking as a family. The class description promises a handcrafted bag to leave with; it does not specify the fibre, loom format or finished dimensions.

This is the strongest choice here if you want to spend the session working with pattern and thread. Book it for the introductory weaving and stitching described by Tashkeel.

TashkeelCarry the Tradition: Sadu ToteWorkshop details and registrationVisit website

Weaving the textile before making the bag

A finished bag can hide the most satisfying part of the work: how the textile itself is made. Here, the stated process starts with handweaving a panel. The pattern develops through the making, before the stitching gives the textile another function.

That makes this a good choice for someone whose interest lies in the structure of a fabric as much as its appearance. If you are comparing other tote workshops, read the activity description closely. Applying stickers, printing a design and weaving a panel can all produce attractive bags, but they give you different things to practise.

For a shared outing, establish whether both people will make a bag or whether one person is accompanying the maker. That distinction matters to the cost and the experience, especially when booking with a child. The public wording does not settle it.

Carve a miniature Emirati-inspired door at Tashkeel

Choose this for: architectural detail, a carved surface and a small display piece.

A door is a lovely starting point for a craft project: a familiar object with enough space for a personal pattern. In this workshop, Shiena Fenol guides introductory carving and chipping, followed by colour, texture and decorative accents. The reference is the visual character of historic Emirati doors; the result is a miniature contemporary piece to display at home.

The session takes place at Tashkeel Nad Al Sheba on Saturday 28 November, 4–6pm. Fenol’s official biography describes a multidisciplinary artist, designer and arts educator who coordinates studio activity at Tashkeel. Expect the guided introductory techniques described in the workshop, with the design developing through geometric composition and surface treatment.

The English and Arabic workshop pages now agree on AED 400 plus VAT. The English registration cart also displayed AED 400 for quantity one before checkout. Confirm who that quantity covers and the final amount for your party before committing; the listing does not establish a family-group rate. Fees are described as non-refundable.

The listing calls it a family workshop, while registration includes a 16-plus confirmation. Ask about the permitted participant age and supervision before booking a younger maker. The public page does not itemise the supplied materials or identify the carving tools. Participants are promised a miniature door to leave with.

TashkeelCarved in Heritage: Emirati DoorsWorkshop details and registrationVisit website

Choose between the two Tashkeel sessions

Let your interest in the material decide. The door workshop offers a patterned wooden surface, colour and a miniature architectural object. The tote puts the emphasis on a textile panel, repeated colour and hand stitching. They run on consecutive days, so you can choose one without treating them as an interchangeable weekend activity.

The finished object is another useful guide. A miniature door is intended for display; a tote has a practical role. Think about which one you would actually enjoy keeping.

Both sessions are in Nad Al Sheba. Tashkeel also operates a Makerspace at Alserkal Avenue, so check the location in the individual confirmation before setting off. These two listings name Nad Al Sheba specifically. For the participant and supervision questions, contact tashkeel@tashkeel.org or +971 4 336 3313, quoting the exact workshop and date.

For visual context, Tashkeel’s November workshop programme post, published on 30 October 2026, introduces the wider calendar. Its illustrated cover uses a stylised building, foliage and a bird. It provides programme context for both entries here, rather than showing a participant’s finished door or woven tote.

Shape a cup at Yadawei in Al Quoz

Choose this for: a first encounter with clay and an introduction to handbuilding.

Yadawei’s trial starts with a modest, tangible ambition: a cup made by pinching 400g of clay. Handbuilding puts the material directly between your hands. It is a good entry point if you want to shape an object yourself before deciding whether to commit to a longer course.

The studio is at Warehouse 30, First Al Khail Street, at the corner of 19 Street, opposite Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz 1. The trial is for ages 13 and above. Its description and the studio fee schedule specify AED 231 including VAT, with the clay, bisque firing and glazing in a chosen colour included. An additional piece costs AED 84 for firing and glazing. Two trial places at the detailed inclusive fee total AED 462. One trial plus processing for one additional piece totals AED 315; confirm the piece and clay arrangements with the studio before making extra work.

There is a pricing discrepancy to notice: the product header displays AED 220, while the detailed description gives the inclusive AED 231 workshop price. Use the latter as your budget and confirm the total when arranging your place. The product asks guests to get in touch; a published timetable is not a confirmed reservation. Use info@yadawei.net or +971 4 379 1312 to confirm the date, final price and collection arrangements together.

The trial page lists Friday 3pm, Saturday 1pm and Sunday 3.30pm. Ask which date is available and how long to allow for the initial making session. The page’s one-hour statement concerns glazing trial sessions, so it should not be read as the duration of the first class.

Yadawei Ceramic StudioHand building TrialTrial detailsVisit website Yadawei Ceramic StudioHand BuildingStudio handbuilding informationVisit website

The cup has another journey after yours

Firing and glazing are part of this purchase, which makes the collection plan important. Establish when the piece will be ready, whether you need to return for glazing, and how collection will work. The trial page does not publish a finishing lead time. If you are visiting Dubai briefly, settle that point before choosing the class.

For cancellations, the studio asks for more than 24 hours’ notice to return the workshop value as account credit for another booking. It states that cash refunds are unavailable. That makes a confirmed date particularly useful for travellers with a fixed itinerary.

The trial is also the stated prerequisite for beginners moving into Yadawei’s weekly handbuilding sessions. If you enjoy the first cup, there is a progression into further techniques and longer packages. Start with the trial if what you want now is an introduction; the package timetable and clay allowance describe a different commitment.

Yadawei’s 29 October ceramics and workshop post shows finished ceramics and supervised wheel activity in a poster for its 7–8 November 2026 Dubai Design Week appearance. That event has ended. The post illustrates the studio’s wider work; its wheel image does not show the format of the separate handbuilding trial described here.

Make the afternoon fit the object

Choose the tote if you are drawn to textile structure and want to stitch something you can use. Choose the miniature door if a patterned surface and architectural reference appeal more. Choose the pinch-cup trial if the attraction is clay itself and you can accommodate the finishing arrangements.

For the two dated Tashkeel sessions, arrange the participant places and resolve the family booking rules before paying. For Yadawei, confirm the trial date and the cup’s collection plan together. Once those details are settled, the appealing part is simple: a few hours spent making an object that carries your own decisions in its colour, pattern or form.