BYOB Arts and Crafts Classes in Chicago

Updated December 14, 2020

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Chicago’s Best Art Classes for Adults

Learning to paint or draw isn't just for kids. Regardless of your art skills, Chicago has a variety of locations to explore creative fun. 

General Arts and Crafts Classes

The Chicago School of Shoemaking and Leather Arts holds a variety of classes to make leather goods such as wallets, purses, shoes, and even 'man cave accessories.'

Urban Oil Ceramics is a home studio and showroom in Logan Square featuring handmade ceramics and other unique artisan goods designed by owner Katie Netti. Classes are also taught on a scheduled and private-event basis, and include crafts such as embroidery, jewelry-making, ceramics, book binding, card printing, water color, or painting.

Spudnik Press Collective is an artwork studio and print shop that hosts Drink and Draw nights the first Wednesday of every other month. The class theme (such as calligraphy, pictured above), rotates and is taught by a guest artist. The suggested donation is $10 and classes are BYOB.

RAM Art Studio hosts BYOB arts and crafts classes in Edgewater including painting pottery, ceramics, and glass fusing. Non-BYOB classes include after school and kid-focused classes.

Indigo & Violet Studio hosts modern, handmade craft workshops which are open as classes or as private group bookings.

Lillstreet Art Center is a great venue to host an art party for adults or kids, or take a BYOB crafts class. Scheduled classes include jewelry making, screen printing, ceramics, and multimedia.

iO Theater in Lincoln Park has a wide variety of comedy-related classes including improv, screenwriting, and sketch writing for SNL. For those interested in both science and art, pair adult beverages with lectures, exhibits, and live performances at Adler After Dark at the Adler Planetarium the third Thursday every month.

Verlocal has a variety of creative art classes taught by fellow locals. For board game enthusiasts, chess classes for all ages can be paired with coffee at the Touch Chess Move Center.

Art Room Events creates unique creative experiences around Chicago (they also do private events). Bevvers have attended their fun spin on traditional painting classes, a 'painting with coffee' class paired with coffee tastings.

BYOB and Beverage Themed Painting Classes

Pinot's Palette in West Loop include painting, classes for kids, and private events. Painting it Forward® Fundraisers support local non-profits such as Project Pet.  Arts and Spirits in Wicker Park holds boozy paint nights as well as family nights in their storefront. Vino Van Gogh hosts pop up wine and paint night events and will arrange private painting classes around the Chicagoland area and suburbs.
Creative Sippin takes wine and painting classes further with themed events.

One Strange Bird (above) hosts BYOB painting, paint your pet, and art classes for kids. Surreal Rabbit (formerly Sip and Splash) describes their offerings as BYOB Painting for beginners, idiots and/or drunks.

Dancing Lessons in Chicago

If you love dancing, check out MaZi Dance Fitness in Wicker Park, where you can have a dance party and fitness class all in one.

Whether you want to explore new moves or prep for a wedding dance, Chicago Dance has group classes as well as more casual social dance nights involving wine.

Photo posted by Malgorzata Werner (@maggosia) on Instagram

Choose from a variety of dance genres including Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Cha Cha and other ballroom styles. Ballroom Dance Chicago also has BYOB dance classes in (you guessed it) ballroom, salsa and swing.

Nacional 27 in River North has free salsa dancing lessons Wednesdays at 7:30pm.

Tuesday nights learn Argentine Tango dancing moves at Artango Bistro's free intro classes at 7:30. If you're thirsting for more, join their weekly beginner or guided practica classes, taught by Hernan Prieto and Daniela Roig, professional instructors from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Photo by @Spanos311 on Instagram