Top Spots in Perth to Learn Papercraft

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Posted 2014-07-29 by Carolyn Hopping ⇒ follow

Most parents are enthusiastic to enrol their little ones in courses that will ignite their imagination and creativity, and therefore children's pottery, painting and dance classes are frequently booked out well before the beginning of the school term. However, as adults caught up in the responsibility of daily life, we unfortunately often neglect the artist that exists within ourselves. Regardless of our age, gender and whether or not we believe we possess any talent, every one of us possesses an unlimited potential to be creative, in some way or another. Maybe it manifests as an ability to draw or paint, or perhaps as a love for cookery, gardening, dance or music. Whichever way we choose to express our creative side, it's wise to honour it and utilise it with gratitude, thus enriching our own lives and those of the people around us.

While many traditional creative pursuits like oil painting, sculpture or learning a musical instrument can easily be relegated to the 'too hard' or 'too expensive' basket, a beautiful and comparatively affordable art-form is papercraft. A term that encompasses scrapbooking, card-making and any other practice that utilises paper creatively, papercraft has been experiencing a remarkable revival over recent decades with enthusiasts creating beautiful and very personal pieces of art all around Australia and far beyond. Getting started is easy, and your creations can be as simple, ornate, flashy or affordable, as you desire. Here in Perth there are several places where you can stock up on basic and more sophisticated supplies and equipment, as well as take classes.

By no means is this a complete list. I've simply written about places that I've visited or am personally aware of. Therefore, if you know of other retail outlets, private classes or anything else related to papercraft in the Perth area feel free to share it with our readers in the comment box below the article.

Tomorrow's Memories
Situated in what was once the old Bassendean Post Office, at the corner of Old Perth Road and Wilson Street, Tomorrow's Memories is a gorgeous, warm-hearted store that not only purveys a dizzying assortment of papercraft essentials but also holds a variety of regular events for crafting enthusiasts. As many of the shop regulars are parents with young kids, Tomorrow's Memories not only caters for the grown-ups but also has a special kids den chock-a-block full of fun things to do.

The workshops held at Tomorrow's Memories cater for both children and adults, and are suitable for all levels of ability. Popular classes include those based on specific kits sold in the store: great for beginners as most of the things you'll need are included, and the friendly facilitator is right there to guide you as create your masterpiece. Please note, however, that for some classes you'll need to bring along your own basic tools such as trimmer, scissors, craft knife, craft glue and double-sided tape. Be sure to check before you register.

Classes held at Tomorrow's Memories include those on scrapbooking, card-making and mixed media wall hangings. There are also special school holiday classes for children, but book early for these as they're extremely popular.

While Tomorrow's Memories is generally just open from Monday to Saturday, on the last Sunday of the month it's also open to coincide with Bassendean's Old Perth Markets. Also, once a month on Friday night, the shop is open for its popular Moonlight Scrap meetings - great for busy folk who are working full-time throughout the week. To find out more about any of these events and classes, as well as the store's opening hours, take a look at Tomorrow's Memories' website or give them a call on 08 9279 2183.

Nicky P Papercraft
Another wonderful spot to fuel your papercraft addiction is Nicky P Papercrafts at Southern River. At Nicky P, the focus is primarily on cardmaking using high quality European products, although many of the techniques you can learn from them can also be utilised by scrapbookers and other crafters.

As well as holding classes in various types of cardmaking, Nicky P also offers lessons in the ancient technique of parchment craft, with both weekly and monthly classes. In addition, they offer a special kids' class on the second Friday of each school holidays.

To learn more about what Nicky P Papercraft offers, take a look at their website or call them on 08 6254 2250. If you want to drop in and have a look around, their street address is Shop 3, corner of Warton and Furley Roads, Southern River.

Scrapbook Secrets
Scrapbook Secrets in Maddington is another hot spot to head to for all your papercraft supplies and offers a wide range of fabulous workshops that encompass various forms of papercraft such as scrapbooking (various grades, starting from foundation level, through intermediate and up to advanced level), cardmaking, mixed media and much, much more. During the school holidays there are also classes for the kids.

If you're looking for something a bit different, twice a month Scrapbook Secrets also hold Midnight Mania, a late-night scrap session that begins at 6pm and ends at around 12am - a great way to spend time with your besties, make new friends and learn new techniques. However, a minimum of ten people is required for these events to be held.

In a nutshell, Scrapbook Secrets is a fabulous shop with something for all papercraft enthusiasts, and holds some of the best classes in Perth. Go to their website to find out more or phone them on 08 9493 1240. They're located at Shop 1/ 72 Attfield Street in Maddington, opposite the Maddington Centro Shopping Centre on the Commonwealth Bank side.

Scrapbooking on Farrall
Located in Midvale in Perth's eastern suburbs, Scrapbooking on Farrall is another top destination for papercraft artists. With a background in fine art, education and training, the team behind Scrapbooking on Farrell offers something that is truly different from many of the classes held throughout Perth, and this diversity is one of the beautiful things about papercraft. While the term seems to neatly categorise a specific style of art, in actuality there are innumerable ways in which a piece of paper can be manipulated to transform it into a unique object of beauty.

At Scrapbooking on Farrall, most workshops and events are held either on Friday night or the weekend, making them convenient for full-time workers. These workshops include cardmaking, mono-printing, art journaling, album-making, vintage scrapbooking, artist trading cards, mixed media and much more. To find out more, visit the Scrapbooking on Farrall website , call them on 08 9274 8688 during trading hours, or email them on [email protected]. The shop is located at Unit 4 / 61 Farrall Road in Midvale.

Starfish Lane
Starfish Lane in North Perth has long been a favourite destination for shoppers looking for exquisite high quality stationary and invitations for their special events. Due the popularity of their products and classes, a few years ago they expanded to a spacious new premises to Garling Street in O'Connor, which is now where all of their workshops and classes are held.

Events held at Starfish Lane's O'Connor classroom encompass not only papercraft workshops (demonstrating scrapbooking and cardmaking techniques as well as off-the-page creations), but also social crafting sessions, Make and Take sessions, mosaic classes, children's classes and classes that present tips about how to get the most out of your specialised crafting gadgets. It's a bustling creative and social hub where there is always something happening.

Take a look at the Starfish Lane website for more details.