Let’s talk about workshop ideas.

When you’re thinking of putting on a workshop in your store, it can get overwhelming just trying to come up with the project that you want to teach.

You want to find the most popular workshop ideas, while providing value for your customers so that they leave with a good impression of your store.

But at the same time you’re looking for projects that fit into your budget, only take a few hours or less to complete, and don’t take up a lot of space in your store.

5 Popular Workshop Project Ideas

The solution? Below, we’ve listed 5 popular workshop project ideas that are fun, fit within budget, only take a couple hours to complete, and that your customers will LOVE!

If you prefer listening to the Paint Therapy Podcast audio experience, Jessica walks you through the 5 workshop ideas here.

Before we get into the 5 Workshop Ideas, you should know that each of these ideas use the DIY Kits from Paint Therapy Workshops.

What are DIY Kits?

The DIY Kits are unique workshop ideas that set your store apart.

They come pre-packaged and ready to assemble during a workshop (instruction cards, screws, and pre-drilled screw holes included for easy assembly!) Not only that, but they’re unpainted so your customers can build, paint, and enjoy!

The wood is nicely sanded and smooth (makes it enjoyable to paint), and the kits are individually wrapped up like a gift. Your customers will have a great first impression when they walk into the workshop, and the best part is all of this makes planning your workshop so simple!

The DIY Kits check all the boxes when it comes to the criteria you’re looking for in your store:

1. The perfect size to fit your workshop station
2. Fit within a budget and easily cover the cost with a workshop ticket
3. You’ll be done in a couple hours flat!
4. Your customer will find value in the kits because they are all useful items they can decorate their home with.

We’ve literally sold thousands of these DIY Kits. The retailers that really catch onto them are reordering them over and over again for all sorts of different workshops.

It takes so much of the preparation work out of planning. All of the hard work is done for you! When you’re trying to run a business and offer workshops at the same time, you need a ‘quick and easy’ system to implement for each workshop.

So many retailers have told us they LOVE the DIY Kits because it helps them offer a wonderful workshop experience, without spending too much time ‘planning’ for their workshops.

Workshop Idea #1

DIY Kit: Chevron

The Chevron design has been a popular Home Decor item for several years now. It’s a great way to get creative using multiple colors on your project.

There are many ways you can use the Chevron in a workshop. But one of my favorite ways is to use a hammer to give it the ‘old aged’ look. Plus, is a workshop really a workshop without a hammer? 🙂

STEP 1: Have the class open their DIY Kit and assemble the Chevron.

STEP 2: Before painting the Chevron, use a hammer to ding it up. I like to use both the front of the hammer, as well as the reverse side of the hammer to really give the piece some unique character.

STEP 3: Paint it! On this piece, I painted it white with American Paint Company’s color, Uncle Sam. Then I sealed it with APC’s Vintage Black Antiquing Wax. The cool thing that happened next, is that the Black Wax naturally filled the holes from the dings created from the hammer.

It gave it a great aged look and fit nicely as a decor piece next to some aged novels.

Workshop Idea #2

DIY Kit: Sign

Sign Workshops have exploded in popularity over the past 24 months. Why? Because when it comes to being creative, the sky is the limit!

There are so many ways to add your own unique personal touch using vinyl stencils, names, paint, and other finishes.

In this project, I used the Sign DIY Kit, Stencil, Glaze and Gold Metallix Paint. The reason why I think this DIY Kit is different from so many other sign workshops is because it includes the ‘building’ process of the workshop, which attendees love. It’s a simple addition to a workshop that adds so much value.

STEP 1: Have the class open their DIY Kit and assemble the Sign.

STEP 2: Once the sign is built, teach the class to apply APC’s Glaze. This is used as a furniture stain except it’s 100% eco-friendly. Imagine using a stain product that has ZERO smell! It’s easy to apply and with multiple color options available, it can really change your sign into any unique type of finish you want.

STEP 3: The next step is to apply the stencil using white paint (or any color you’d like). We recommend FunkedUP Stencils for your workshops because they’re good quality and a very competitive price. They also come packaged specifically for a retail store and can hang on any display stand or shelving. In this project I used the ‘You are my sunshine’ stencil, but there are dozens of styles available at wholesale prices.

STEP 4: Finally, have your class ‘personalize’ their stencil to make it unique to them. On this project, I glued a little clothespin to the sign in order to clip on a picture of my choice. Then, I dipped the end of a pencil into Gold Metallix Paint from American Paint Company and applied it around the outside of the sign.

It’s amazing how little things to personalize your project can add so much value and make the project uniquely yours. The possibilities with the DIY Kits are absolutely endless!

Workshop Idea #3

DIY Kit: Decor Stool

My favorite way to use the Decor Stool is as a plant stand. This makes for a perfect spring workshop idea.

Another great workshop idea using the Stool is to use it in the kitchen to hold decor, or even Salt & Pepper shakers.

People have also used the Decor Stool next to their bath tub to hold shampoo or other bath accessories.

When doing a workshop using the Decor Stool, you can share these ideas with your class, and they can decide what they’ll be using the Stool for at home.

In the picture above, you’ll notice I reused the ‘You are my sunshine’ stencil. I didn’t use the entire stencil, just the sunshine portion of the stencil on the Decor Stool. That’s the nice thing about the stencils is you can reuse them for multiple workshops and get creative with using just parts of the stencil.

Workshop Idea #4

DIY Kit: Tablescape Box

This is one of the more original workshop ideas that has just started to take off.

It’s also the perfect workshop for spring because you can put Mason Jars or Planters inside the Tablescape Box, and put it by your front door, or use for a center piece on your kitchen table.

STEP 1: Build the Tablescape box following the included instructions. All of the screws are included, and the holes are already pre-drilled and match up to show you exactly how to assemble.

STEP 2: Now you can instruct the class to either paint, or just Glaze directly onto the smooth wood.

STEP 3: Add a Stencil, Metallix paint, Mica Powder, or any other finishing product to help personalize the project and make it unique. American Paint Company offers an established line of sealers and finishes that are 100% all natural.

STEP 4: Finally, don’t forget to add something fun on the inside to finish the project. Show your attendees how to utilize their decor piece by adding mason jars or planters inside the kit!

Workshop Idea #5

DIY Kit: Serving Tray

The Serving Tray workshop has been a great hit. There are several uses for the tray, in addition to using it as a decor piece.

The best part about the tray is you can use it to create a specific workshop theme.

One idea is to use it for the Summer Theme! This is surprisingly popular even during the winter months because people wish it was summer.

Imagine helping your workshop attendees turn a simple wooden tray into a summer party with the Pineapple Tray Workshop!

STEP 1: Build it! Have attendees put together their own serving tray so they can tell everyone they built it from scratch.

STEP 2: Paint it! Add just one paint color, or multiple colors and then distress.

STEP 3: Stencil it! Add a unique stencil to match the theme of your workshop.

STEP 4: Personalize it! Add knobs or handles to your tray to make it uniquely yours.

There are so many ideas that you can do on one DIY Kit that the options really are endless.

I truly believe that doing the kits in your workshops, and coming up with out of the box ideas, really sets you apart. This can make your store different from others in your area.

I would love to see projects that you have done with the DIY Kits, and I love to see the creativity continue to flow.