For the first time baker, knowing what to do can be a little daunting. Especially if all you've got…read moreis a breadmaker, a bag of gluten-free flour and a desperate need to eat something toasted. This was the situation I was in a few years ago when I first discovered that I was a coeliac. Unfortunately for me "desperate need" doesn't translate into discovering a talent for dough. You know you've failed when your dog steals the bread only to return it once he tastes it. So it's lovely that there is a specialist baking shop that can help. There are classes available, a large range of specialty mixes and flours, advice, appliances, cake decorations, gizmos and whatsits galore. And at the end of it you have bread - now with pride at being self-sufficient.

Big ups to Brunswick Neighbourhood House for hosting Open Table!…read more What's Open Table? It's a monthly dinner for Brunswick folks and people from further afield (Northcote, Fitzroy, Abbotsford -- you get the idea. Northsiders, unite!). It's not an ordinary dinner, though: it's entirely free. Yup, you heard me. Free food. All donated by various local organisations and businesses. All prepared by volunteers. You'll sit down to a five-course meal, have great conversation with the mixture of people young and old (yes, there were even some infants at the one I attended). And you might just walk off with some leftovers! Open Table is expanding to Collingwood and Fitzroy. Look for them in a neighbourhood house near you, and thank your lucky stars for Brunswick Neighbourhood House being so welcoming.

Hand Maker's factory has recently moved from kensington to seddon and is situated atop a lovely…read morehousewares shop. It is a studio space that empowers people to confidently create in a sustainable way. Young teachers share their knowledge of sewing, knitting, screen printing, macrame and stamp carving amongst many other skills. Alongside their workshops, handcrafted tools, supplies and other items are also on offer via their online store. The studio space is run by the gorgeous entrepreneurial Nicola Prested. This morning I took a three hours long workshop in making a macrame plant hanger. I found free parking easily on a Sunday morning. Booking the class was easy via weteachme.com, and if you book with a friend you get a discount. You may think macrame is just about tying knots but it can be quite meditative. It was a small class of five women located in a bright homely space. We were greeted by two friendly faces, hot cuppas of tea, homemade chocolate zucchini cake and anzac biscuits. We learnt to tie a noose (definitely useful in getting out of life imprisonment) and square knots. Our arms hurt from all the tying but we were persistent. Lots of knots later and our bellies full of goodies, we had gorgeous maiden's fern pots sitting on top of our well tied ropes. We even got an instruction sheet to take with us. Hello etsy here I come. :) Definitely coming back for macrame part two.

Life changing ceramics store... Say what? Guild of Objects is an emporium of handmade homewares and…read morefor an avid tea drinker like myself, finding the right tea mug can change your life. I like to call it a 'hug mug' - it has to be the perfect circumference, texture, colour and height. Not an easy mission. I found an abundance of spirit mugs here! Melbourne is creative and proud of it - and this quaint ceramics shop celebrates local makers by exclusively selling Victorian goods. And good they are! Incredible actually. I fell in love with so many pieces that I bought 10 of them that I am prepared to cart home back to Perth. Turbulence, please be kind to my new ceramic friends. Located in North Melbourne, they also offer beginners workshops and community drop in days. Next door is a sunny cafe called Beatrix that looked to be brimming with delicious homemade cakes. Take one home as a perfect accompaniment for your first cup of tea in your spirit mug discovery.

Taking a class at the Humble Tumbler is the perfect opportunity to learn a lot about wine in a fun…read moreand friendly environment, similar to that of a dinner party. Each class takes place above The Kodiak Club, on Brunswick Street in a fitting venue. The room is set with one large table, four wine glasses awaiting your tastings and platters of appropriate cheeses, bread, olives and/or salami to match. However this all depends on the theme of your class (or course), with the Humble Tumbler now offering wine, craft beer, whisky and sake courses! I was lucky enough to take part in the Adventures in Food and Wine course recently and I was super impressed! To be fair, I should point out that I won the spot through a Yelp competition however I would genuinely recommend this course to anyone interested in learning about (and tasting some great) wine and the best ways to pair it with food. It was so well-done that I'm looking at my diary trying to work out what other course I could try, the French wine masterclass is looking pretty tempting. The four-week course is $300 with classes typically going for 2.5 hours each week - in my eyes, this is great value for money. All the notes are packaged really sweetly in a little take-home book for you to read through later (perhaps in a more sober state). If you're after a Masterclass or "the gastronomic equivalent of a one-night stand", you're looking at $95 - I think this would make a lovely gift and yes, you can purchase as a gift voucher. Clare is brilliant. She explains technical concepts that make sense to beginners but keeps it interesting with stories and anecdotes of her own experiences. This is not a pretentious or dry class, instead social conversations and your own opinions about how you find the wine are heavily encouraged. It's a small group setting and after a few tastes of wine, there's definitely no reason to feel shy about sharing your opinion (even if you're more on the beginner side in the world of wine).You'll learn far more in an evening at the Humble Tumbler than on one of those group bus wine tours, not to mention you'll have an excellent time whilst learning. All in all, a great experience I would highly recommend. Cheers!

Firstly, I must confess, I love my wine. So this was always going to be something I would love…read more Over the years, I have done more than my fair share of 'masterclasses' and other wine tastings and always felt that I didn't learn much, or maybe I just didn't 'get it'. Maybe my palate was not refined and I should stick to the cheap stuff. After one night with Clare, I knew that this was going to be different. We started with the basics of taste and how it related to wine. Then onto how grapes and winemaking. All the while, with wine in our hands and some great cheese to boot! It is vaguely reassuring to hear that even as a wine maker, she freely admits that she is never quite sure how to describe a wine (we all had a giggle at one of her wine labels) There is no pretence, there is no fakery or tricks to get you to buy wine you don't like, or don't want. in fact there is no wine on sale at all. So sign up and come along for some laughs and some nice (and not so nice) wine and you might just learn a thing or two. Note: So far I have only done Clare's Wine Tasting course, there will be others, namely the sake course! Updates to follow!!

Ever pictured yourself as Demi Moore in 'Ghost' with the Potter's Wheel, Patrick Swayze's ghost…read morelingering behind you... Yeah, neither have i but at Carlton Arts you can pick up some skills on using the Pottwer's Wheel. At Carlton Arts, they have classes for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced individuals so get out there and give it a go, it's actually a lot of fun. I attended some classes and have to say i was over joyed with the experienced (i giggled a lot). At first it's hard to pick up the method of sculpting, but as your mum always said; "Practice makes perfect".

I think it was the movie Ghost which made working with clay so popular. If you have an interest in…read morepottery, then the Carlton Arts Centre provides friendly, relaxed classes that'll teach you the art of wheeling or hand sculpturing your very own ceramics. There's even an annual exhibition where you'll get the chance to display your work and hopefully even make a sale or two.

Tash as a teacher was great, and the space and teaching was really good. However, I can't recommend…read morethe full bar course for professional development as in its current disorganised state it isn't enough but full. Bar students are given select dates within the Certificate IV already existing course schedule. I don't know how these dates are selected but in my 4 classes I did not receive promised and crucial training for anyone wanting to work in a bar; these being training on beer reticulation systems or even the whole topic of wine knowledge. Beer, spirits and cocktails were taught and were great, but to forget perhaps the largest alcohol industry and crucial system knowledge makes me wonder what my money was for. It was not as promised when I registered for the course through the Victorian Bar School website.

Over my last two weeks at Victorian Bar School, I have gained so many new skills and…read morequalifications, and huge amounts of knowledge that will help absolutely anyone break into the hospitality industry. I have met some truly fantastic people, not only in my classmates, who made everyday an absolute blast, but also in our highly knowledgeable and definitely entertaining teachers, who drive you to succeed with whatever task is at hand. It was so great to get a real taste for the industry, with lots of practical and hands-on training in a very positive and encouraging environment. There was never a boring, slow or dull moment in those classrooms. I've gained so much confidence in my work skills, and would definitely recommend this course to anyone seeking employment in any part of the hospitality industry. HIGHLY RECCOMEND *****

If you like to sew, it is a place to do so. It is a place that teaches sewing in Melbourne etc…read more You will be introduced to sewing basics, learn to trace out dress patterns, use a sewing machine and then be taught how to sew etc. You will get to make an item of clothing, mostly using birda or vogue pattern. Pattern design is also taught there. Please do purchase quality pins, like singer.