Think yoga and knitting are so last year?
Never want to see a Zumba class again for as long as you live?
Blow away the cobwebs in 2016 by trying some of these less familiar hobbies the city has to offer.
You could elevate your dinner party game by beefing up your butchering skills, or maybe you’ll customize your apartment so your guests have some more interesting furniture to enjoy it from.
Whether your new hobby revolutionizes your 2016 or simply provide plenty of anecdotes for the rest of it, trying your hand at something new is always a great idea.
Burlesque
It’s not all taking your clothes off – at the Toronto School of Burlesque you can graduate in basic ballet or circus skills without any prior dance experience needed. Each class will teach you moves you can add to your arsenal of tease. With drop-in rates and annual membership options, there’s a workshop to suit everyone whether it’s a one-time giggle with your friends or your new favourite hobby. It’s worth it for the instructors’ names alone – Beaver Galore, anyone?
Rock Climbing and Bouldering
For those of us who are sick of making promises to visit the gym that we simply can’t keep, find a new form of exercise. Rock climbing is a great way to get fit, push yourself to the limit, and have fun while you’re doing it. Since it requires a partner to hold your ropes, it’s a very sociable activity, and many clubs put climbing evenings on so you’ll never go solo. If the idea of strapping yourself in and belaying up a wall doesn’t appeal, you can try bouldering, which uses the same skills but requires no gearing up.
Toronto Climbing Academy
3-D Printing
It may seem like a very futuristic endeavour, but the rise of 3-D printing is becoming more and more undeniable. And while we’ll look to the future to see the true scope of this technology, jump on this bandwagon for the time being by heading to the Toronto Public Library to learn how to print any three-dimensional object – from jewellery to phone accessories – for one of their introductory classes. Design your own or download ready-made designs from Thingiverse.
Glass Blowing
Take your Etsy obsession to the next level by learning how to blow glass and create an amazing work of art you can dazzle your friends with. Internationally renowned contemporary glass artist Minna Koistine, leads the glass blowing classes from her Toronto studio in the Junction. You can make paperweights, wine bottle stoppers, or colourful glass birds and flowers at one of Mina’s many intensive workshops.
Playing with Fire
Butchery
It’s one thing to say you’re going to start eating well and getting into cooking, but how about starting with the very basics? The Healthy Butcher has a stack of live-to-eat seminars that teach or demonstrate how to cut, brine and smoke meat, select, clean and dress fish, or make your own sausages. From spatchcocking chickens to butchering pigs from head to trotter, there’s a wide selection of classes to take. Make sure you book up early as courses are popular and sell out quickly.
Flip Furniture
Pinterest has well and truly revived a make-do-and-mend attitude towards our interior design, inspiring us with novel ways to upcycle our old and unwanted furniture. But if you’re looking to take that one step further, or hoping to make a living out of it, try one of the classes they’re running at the Restyle Studio. Their monthly workshops take a modern approach to DIY so you can make furniture from scratch or refinish and overhaul your existing pieces.
RE Style Studio
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