Where to make crafts & where to take art classes in Asheville – a list and map of ways to be creative in western North Carolina!

Asheville, North Carolina is known for being a very artsy town and while there are lots of galleries to visit, it’s not always easy to find art classes or workshops. I started making a list and signing up for newsletters to hear about new offerings and decided to make it public! My goal is to make it easier to find a fun way to make something with your hands locally and offerings range from fine art to make-and-take-crafts. 

I’ve also included suggestions for other ways to find local creative community. Many of the workshops and classes would also work well for visitors, if you’re planning to come to Asheville as a tourist, try a new art skill while you’re here! Scroll all the way to the bottom to see a map of all the options as well (but not everything listed is on the map, since some offerings don’t have a consistent meeting place).

This blog post was initially written in August 2025 and I will keep it updated as new opportunities pop up! Please leave a comment if you have something to share that you think would be a good fit.

First, a list of art/craft-related meetups and groups or annual events that I want to share a few ways to find creative community/inspiration locally! Some of these groups/people run things regularly but not always at the same location, so they may not be on the calendar so read it all!:

• Spencer Beal hosts a sketchbook club open to all ages every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month at 12 Baskets Cafe – find more info on his instagram.
• Keep Asheville Crafty is a Queer run craft circle that meets regularly, find info on their instagram.
• Torched runs a donation-based monthly queer craft club that meets the last Wednesday of every month, here is the upcoming event description but it is a recurring meetup.
• The annual LEAF festival often has craft classes.
• Penland School of Craft is a bit out of the area but worth the drive for their free, annual community day, with lots of hands-on opportunities on campus- see a reel about our visit from 2025.
• Asheville Sewing Club is a sewing focused meetup that meets up at the Burger Bar, check out their instagram for information.
• Asheville Tool Library has been hosting regular craft meetups, check out their instagram for information.
• Asheville Makers has a tech-y membership-based makerspace, check out their website to learn more.
• The Street Creature Puppet Collective seems to welcome new members based on their website’s language – we have seen them perform at local events and they make really neat stuff! Check out their website to learn more.
• East Fork runs a monthly craft meetup; registration is required. Here is a past event, check their website and social media for future ones.
• Blue Ridge Polymer Clay Guild is membership based and has monthly meetups, check out their website to learn more.
• There is an annual Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair that has a weekend of classes & workshops, check out their website to learn more.
• “Join the Fiber Arts Group on each 2nd and 4th Friday at the Marshall Library at 4pm! All are welcome to bring their knitting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, etc.” – as seen on facebook.
• ArtFolk is a new initiative in Weaverville, with regular craft meetups – check out their website to learn more.
• There is an artist critique circle every first Tuesday starting Aug. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Folkmoot in Waynesville.
• AIGA Asheville sometimes runs workshops that are open to nonmembers, check out their website to learn more.
• Follow Haywood Arts Council for craft workshops and meetups, I saw one on their instagram recently.

Many of these classes/workshops can be a challenge if you’re creative on a budget, so I want to highlight a few affordable or free options in the area (some of these are also listed in the list below and some are more general suggestions):

• Asheville Art Museum hosts regular free community days with new exhibits & hands-on activities, here is an example from a past one but sign up for their newsletter to hear about future ones.
• The Center for Craft downtown is free to visit and often has some type of hands-on making opportunity alongside the exhibits.
• Asheville Parks and Recreation often has affordable arts classes.
• Regularly check each library’s social media or the main library calendar for free art classes run at different branches.
• Arrowhead Art Studios is out in Old Fort and has regular free art classes.
• Trackside Studios hosts free art gatherings in Asheville.
• ReMix It is a new creative reuse center in Asheville that is hosting pop-up events while fundraising for a permanent space.
• Black Mountain YMCA has a monthly craft meetup on the 4th thursday of every month, it is free but call to register, information found on facebook.
• Asheville Plein Air Painters is a social group that gets together to paint outside, check out their facebook group to learn more.
• Urban Sketchers Asheville is a social group that goes around town sketching together, check out their facebook group to learn more.

While you’re here, check out these other posts:

• Asheville area sewing & fabric resources
• 2025 mega list of creative reuse centers! 
• Best hikes near Asheville for beginners & kids
• What to expect at the Asheville art museum

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Where to make crafts & where to take art classes in Asheville

This list is not curated, I haven’t been to all of these places, but I will try to keep it updated! Signing up for email newsletters from the respective studios is the best way to keep up to date on their offerings. 

310 Art

310 Art offers fine art classes for adults, ‘open studio’ times, as well as private lessons. Find more information on their website.

AB-Tech Community College

AB-Tech is a local nonprofit community college with continuing education classes.  Geared at adults, they are a really affordable option for several different types of fine art and crafts. It’s easier to browse their paper catalog that is separated by type of class, but you can scroll through and see offerings online too. Find more information on their website.

Arrowhead Art Studios
Arrowhead Art Studios is a nonprofit art studio with a wide variety of fine art and craft classes for all ages, including free classes. Find more information on their website.

Artplay Studio
Artplay Studio offers fine art and craft classes, workshops, private group classes, and open studio times. Find more information on their website.

Asheville Art Museum
Asheville Art Museum is a local nonprofit museum that hosts regular, one-time community days with free art-making opportunities as well as irregular, one-off art workshops. Find more information on their website.

Batton Clayworks
Batton Clayworks runs pottery classes and lessons for all ages, including a date night. Find more information on their website.

Black Mountain Center for the Arts
Black Mountain Center for the Arts is a nonprofit that offers fine art & pottery classes for all ages. Find more information on their website.

Board & Brush Creative Studio 
Board & Brush Creative Studio is a franchise ‘make and take’ business with different wooden signs and project options. They run one-off workshops and private parties. Find more information on their website.

Catalyst Fiber Workshop
“Catalyst Fiber Workshop is a shared fiber arts studio with equipment and space for weaving, sewing, fiber processing, basketry, handwork projects, and small scale natural dyeing. ” They are hosting regular free meetups, open studios to share tools, and workshops. Find more information on their website.

Cherry Tree Beads
Cherry Tree Beads is a local bead & jewelry finding store that also runs jewelry making classes. Find more information on their website.

Fine Art Studio of Asheville
Fine Art Studio of Asheville teaches fine art drawing and painting classes to all ages. Find more information on their website.

Fired Up! Creative Lounge
Fired Up! Creative Lounge is a ‘make and take’ pottery painting studio that also offers glass fusing and pottery wheel classes for all ages. Find more information on their website.

Firefly Valley Design
Firefly Valley offers pottery classes, camps and workshops for kids and adults. Find more information on their website.

Gather Studios
Gather Studios runs craft workshops around the area for adults. Find more information on their instagram.

Ginger Huebner Art
Ginger Huebner teaches creativity focused workshops with different mediums for groups and individuals 16+. Find more information on their website.

Ignite Jewelry Studios
Ignite Jewelry Studios is a jewelry studio that runs drop-in workshops and classes for simple jewelry stamping through metalsmithing intensives. Find more information on their website.

Jan’s Art Academy
Jan’s Art Academy is focused on fine art lessons for kids ages 8-14. Find more information on their website.

Local Cloth
Local Cloth is a fiber-focused nonprofit that runs regular classes and meetup interest groups focused on sewing, hand embroidery, felting, dye, and more. Find more information on their website.

Love + Light Studios
“Light + Love Arts is a process-art studio for Asheville families, with classes, camps and parties for ages 1–9” – their website also states they can run professional development activities for adults and parties/special events. Find more information on their website.

Majik Studios
Majik Studios teaches marbling on both paper and fabric, with classes and workshops for adults. Find more information on their website.

Miranda Wilder
Miranda Wilder organizes art & craft classes and workshops for adults. Find more information on their website.

North Carolina Arboretum
The arboretum is know for the trails and gardens, but they host adult education classes that usually include a botanical drawing and painting option! Find more information on their website.

North Carolina Glass Center
North Carolina Glass Center is a nonprofit glass studio with two locations as well as one-off and recurring classes for both kids and adults.  Find more information on their website.

Odyssey Clayworks
Odyssey Clayworks is a local pottery studio that offers classes, private lessons, open studio time and camps for both kids & adults. Find more information on their website.

Purl’s Yarn Emporium
Purl’s Yarn Emporium is a local yarn store that offers both knitting & crochet classes (ages 8+) as well as informal stitching meet ups. 

Reems Creek Pottery
Reems Creek Pottery is a small clay studio that offers private lessons and workshops. My daughter and I have participated in some of their classes and had a great time – they don’t have any on the calendar but contact about scheduling small groups!

Remnants Thrift N Sew
Remnants Thrift N Sew is a nonprofit thrift store & community sewing space that runs regular sewing classes and has open community sew time. Find more information on their instagram.

Resurrection Studios Collective
Resurrection Studios Collective is an art gallery & studio that runs fine art classes and workshops. Find more information on their website.

Print House AVL
Print House AVL is a printmaking studio that runs workshops, classes, and press rentals. Find more information on their website.

Purple Crayon
Purple Crayon is a creative space for women and hosts regular workshops, creativity circles, and a membership option. Find more information on their website.

The Ten Acre Garden
The Ten Acre Garden is a local farm that sells food, flowers, pizza, and hosts regular craft workshops with local teachers. Find more information on their website.

Torched
Torched is a metalsmithing studio that offers jewelry making classes suitable for beginners and advanced artists, with varying ages. Find more information on their website.

Trackside Studios
Trackside Studios hosts a variety of art & craft classes for all ages, including some free options. Find more information on their website.

Tunnel Studios
Tunnel Studios hosts a variety of art & craft classes for all ages. Find more information on their instagram.

Waxon Studio
Waxon Studio is a batik & dye studio that offers classes and workshops to try ice dye, batik, and other dye crafts. Find more information on their website.

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