There’s something about switching off for a little weekend break that makes the idea of crafting magically pop back into your head. Oh yeah, my hands exist for more than just typing and washing dishes! It’s pretty easy to forget you love being creative when you’re stuck in your workweek routine. But there’s a place only 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne, where you can get stuck into casting your own botanical-themed jewellery or making pottery while in nature, using wild clay from the banks of a beautiful lake. It’s Ballarat! Here are our tips for an arty and cute weekend escape in this creative regional city. gin and nature-inspired abstract art
A flight of gin in the rustic Kilderkin Distillery is sure to loosen up your creative muscles if you’re more of a ‘follow-the-instructions crafter’ than ‘abstract artist’. After you’ve tasted the styles and botanicals of the Larrikin gin range, it’s time to wander to the nearby private studio of artist Laura Day, where you’ll create your own abstract painting. Using her garden studio as inspiration, she’ll guide you through the negative-space abstract painting technique using plants and leaves as stencils.diy botanical-inspired silver jewellery
The location for this creative class is beautiful enough (Windflower, a lush florist and homewares store), yet you’ll also be creating your own cute little piece of jewellery to wear on your fingers, ears or around your neck. Ballarat silversmith Claire McArdle will show you the lost-wax casting process to make your jewellery creation, inspired by the native flowers and seasonal blooms surrounding you. wild-clay pottery at a local lake
This pottery class is perfect for those who like their art (literally) off the beaten track. You’ll take a guided walk around the clay banks of Lake Esmond with artists Steph Wallace and Kirsten Ives before making and decorating your own wild-clay pottery piece. Bonus: you’ll learn to forage for clay in your own backyard so you can keep creating. painting pots and eating platters
So you’ve got the indoor plants (let’s not mention that fiddle-leaf fig that couldn’t be saved) but do you have pots you hand-painted yourself to show them off in? Inside the vibrant Ivy&Coco store and studio, you’ll learn how to paint your own pot (or vase) that you can take home to house your plant-children. There will be a gourmet grazing platter involved for the hard-working artist. where to eat (and eat and eat)
For quality Dukes coffee and top-notch breakfast, take a seat at the former service station, now café Drive. The banoffee waffles with grilled banana and coconut crumb are a big hit, as are the coffees made with Inglenook Dairy milk, which has been produced locally for over 100 years. For lunch or dinner options, there’s an Italian restaurant called Ragazzone which was recently hatted (so you know it’s excellent) and Spanish restaurant Meigas decorated with fairy lights and quirky lamps. If you’re in Ballarat for the second or fourth Saturday of the month, definitely check out the Ballarat Farmers Market at Lake Wendouree if you fancy cooking something yourself using locally grown produce.where to wet your whistle
For local wines, check out the recently opened, intimate wine bar Pencilmark. We recommend trying the rosé called ‘What-A-Melon’ by local winemaker Owen Latta. If cocktails are calling, a small, dark bar called The Comfort of Strangers has a drinks list that’ll impress. Just ask the super-friendly waitstaff for their recommendation if you can’t choose between the white negroni or the regular kind. Ballarat is known for its breweries and our favourite is Aunty Jacks, which has a kooky upcycled interior and (of course) cold beers. You can also try a tasting paddle with matching food from local producers and bread by 1816 Bakehouse, made from the same grain used to brew the Aunty Jacks beers.cute homeware stores and florists to visit
If a super-curated shop stocked with homewares and fashion by independent and local makers is your scene, Hattie and the Wolf has got you. Dog-print cardigans? Check. Floral shift dresses? Got ’em. Giant colourful scarab beetles made from recycled cardboard? Um, absolutely. If you’re after a big colourful pot for your plants, head to Ivy & Coco to nab one of Bridget Veld’s vibrant painted pots. Or if you’re after a bunch of blooms, may we recommend Windflower for your locally grown dahlias and delphinium. other arty spots
Australia’s oldest regional gallery, the Art Gallery of Ballarat is a must-visit particularly for its focus on works by Wadawarrung artists such as Aunty Marlene Gilson and her daughter Deanne Gilson. The Rare Trades Centre is another great stop if you want to delve into the history of crafts across woodwork, leatherwork, textiles and metal. We reckon timing your visit with the Ballarat International Foto Biennale (August 26 – October 22, 2023) or the Ballarat Heritage Festival (May 19 – 28) would be a super-clever move. 

This jam-packed guide was produced in partnership with our pals at Visit Ballarat. We recommend the Made of: Ballarat experience series led by seven award-winning makers and creators (and just checking out this creative city at any opportunity you get).