Melanie Jensen While a girl’s night out can be fun, crowded bars and dimly lit restaurants may start to feel a bit repetitive. Swapping dinner and drinks with creativity and crafts can be a refreshing way to connect and unwind while making memories together. Whether it’s jewelry design, candle making, or pottery painting, there are plenty of local spots to spend quality time with your friends. Plus, everyone gets a keepsake to remember the day. Read on for a list of fun, hands-on activities in and around Fairfax for a girl’s day out.
Bloom Bar with Old Town Flower Gal | mobile
Alexandria resident Maryam Bami started Old Town Flower Gal as a way to spread joy during a dark period. Literally, it was wintertime, Maryam was at home on maternity leave, and experimenting with flowers was a way to brighten things up. Maryam started off with pop-up ‘flower bombs’ in the streets of Old Town, handing out small bouquets to neighbors as a way to bring a smile to someone else. Now, Old Town Flower Gal is a full-service florist offering flowers for special events, just because, and flower bars. Maryam will work with the host to set up a fun flower bar and help the crew assemble beautiful arrangements. Maryam also frequently hosts events at other Old Town businesses so follow her on Instagram for the latest.
Sip and Paint with Angelica Boleta | mobile
Reston-based painter Angelica Boleta teaches watercolor workshops throughout Northern Virginia and can teach a private event. Every participant will go home with a hand-painted, nature-inspired creation. Angelica is inspired by the seasons and local flora and fauna.
Pottery Painting and Wheel Classes at Kiln & Custard | 115 Church Street NE, Vienna
View this post on Instagram
Combining the concepts of hands-on creativity and enjoying a sweet treat is what Kiln & Custard does best. Guests can choose from a variety of pottery pieces like mugs, plates, and decorative objects to paint and personalize, all while enjoying house-made frozen custard. The menu features classic flavors like vanilla and chocolate, along with more unique flavors like apple cinnamon fireball. For celebrations and private events, they offer pre-made custard cakes. Beyond painting, the Vienna studio hosts pottery wheel classes by reservation, giving guests the chance to learn how to craft their own ceramic pieces.
Read more: This Singer-Songwriter is Inspired by Virginia’s Beauty
Curating Scents and Candles at District Candle Lab | 2910 District Avenue, Suite 130, Fairfax
Whether it’s for a thoughtful gift or just a fun activity with friends, District Candle Lab delivers a unique and memorable experience. This Fairfax lab specializes in customizing scents for soy wax candles. Guests can choose between an 8-ounce, single-wick candle or a 12-ounce, double-wick candle. After narrowing down to four scents from the dozens of varieties on the scent wall, staff members help balance and perfect the scent combination before mixing it with soy wax. Once the candle and scent are combined, the wax takes about two hours to set before it’s ready to take home.
Jewelry Designing at Fawne | 2910 District Avenue, Suite 130, Fairfax
While waiting for their custom candle to set, guests can browse District Candle Lab’s sister business, Fawne. In the same storefront as the candle lab, guests won’t need to travel more than a few steps to see Fawne’s curated jewelry collection available for purchase, along with a charm bar to create personalized jewelry pieces. At the charm bar, customers select a chain for a necklace or bracelet and choose their favorite charms to arrange along the chain. A staff member then helps finalize the design and attach the charms, creating a custom piece of jewelry ready to wear or gift.
See more: This Chantilly Flower Market is a Year-Round Eden
Creating Freely at Craftspace | 3675 Concorde Parkway, Chantilly
At Craftspace, creative minds looking for a chance to explore will find a variety of paints, stamps, ink pads, ribbons, and scrapbooking materials. The workspace offers monthly subscriptions for frequent crafters, as well as hourly rates for those who craft more casually. Craftspace also hosts local artists and instructors for classes that range from guided art projects to hands-on tutorials for specific tools. While the space welcomes all ages, it also offers summer camp activities for kids.
Matching Permanent Jewelry at Golden Bond Jewelry | 731 Walker Road, Suite # F, Great Falls
For those who want to permanently match with their best friend, mom, or sister, Golden Bond Jewelry offers permanent, hypoallergenic jewelry. Guests can choose between a necklace, anklet, ring, or bracelet, with the Great Falls-based shop offering a selection of 14k solid gold, gold-filled, and sterling silver. The welding process is quick and painless, and each piece is custom-fit to a person’s exact size. The Golden Bond team can also travel to your location – contact the team directly to coordinate.
Making Mosaics with Mizz Mosaic | Herndon
For homebodies planning a girls’ night in, Mizz Mosaic makes crafting fun and easy. Based in Herndon, this small business offers mosaic kits filled with colorful tile pieces that can be arranged into personalized designs. The crafting kits can be purchased online and come with everything needed for the project, including a surface to build on, tiles, glue, grout, and step-by-step instructions. Kit options range from picture frames and coasters to fridge magnets. Mizz Mosaic can also lead a workshop at your location. Get in touch for more information.
Follow @thefairfaxgirl on Instagram + TikTok for the latest Northern Virginia updates, and check out our events calendar, which has over 100+ events weekly to peruse.
