Shop, Eat, Play, and Create at Ward Village

Our family loves going to Ward Village.  We shop there a lot, we eat there often, and we love to play there - whether by going to the movies, Dave & Buster's, or events.

Last night I attended a Ward Village Shop-Around that introduced me to a new facet of Ward Village - Create!  I had no idea that there were so many retailers that offer a variety of workshops at which you could create everything from greeting cards to clothing!

To start off the Shop-Around we met at Kahua Cafe (located in the rear of Na Mea Hawaii/Native Books), where we dined on nibbles made by Owner/Operator Po`ai Lincoln.

From top left clockwise: Mini Raspberry Scones; Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes; Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich; Brownies

The cozy shop also offers Ka`u Coffee, `Awa, and more!

Once we fueled up, we started the Shop-Around!

CHAI Studio
At Chai Studio you'll find beautiful clothing and home decor from all around the world, including many one-of-a-kind pieces, and they also offer workshops so you can make one-of-a-kind products too!

At CHAI Studio we made our own Indigo Scarves.  We participated in an "accelerated class" of 15 minutes (normally takes 2 hours), where we folded up a plain white scarf, clamped it between two discs, soaked it in water, and dipped it in all natural indigo dye.

Due to time constraints, owner Amerjit Ghag and her team from CHAI Studios had to assist with the remaining steps, but in the end we all were rewarded with beautiful, unique, indigo-dyed scarves!

From this...

to this...

to this!  No two scarves are alike!

At the Indigo Workshops, guests can also make beautiful Dream Catchers and Slip Dresses. Meditation and other types of workshops are also offered.

Click here for their upcoming DIY Studio workshops.

Clay Cafe
At Clay Cafe, guests of all ages can let their creativity shine as they paint dishes, mugs, animals, characters, and more!

We painted a plate using a Bubble Technique. In a cup was a mixture of soap, paint, and water. With a straw, we blew some bubbles and let them fall onto the plate.

After popping the colored bubbles, which left behind pretty hues, we repeated the steps with different colors.

I can't wait to see what the final product will look like (it takes about 7 to 10 days to be ready for pick up).

Clay Cafe is a great place for playdates or parties!

Na Mea Hawaii
For the past 10 years, guests have been attending Na Mea Hawaii's lauhala classes, making everything from bookmarks to hats!

At Na Mea Hawaii, we took two pieces of lauahla, some raffia, and ribbon, and transformed them into a cute angelfish ornament!

The lauhala weaving is a great class for all ages! In addition to such cute ornaments, you can make purses, bracelets, and more! They also offer a variety of other classes, such as lei hulu, net making, and chanting.

Click here for the event calendar.

Two strips of lauhala turned into...

Angelfish ornament!

Mori by Art + Flea
Some of you may have been to the monthly Art+Flea events, which showcase wares from local designers and artists.  Mori, the retail space, offers the same types of products you'd find at the monthly market.

At Mori we were able to make adorable potted succulents with Luna Amante.

We also made a fun Sunday Funday greeting card using a Japanese Woodblock Printing technique with EngiNERDart.

Sunday Funday!

Click here for upcoming workshops at Mori.

At the end of the Shop-Around, we dined on popular dishes from Kincaid's.

Oysters

Spicy Ahi

Furikake Ahi

Crab and Artichoke Dip

Teriyaki Tenderloin

Key Lime Tarts

Kincaid's is a family-favorite, and they'll have an upcoming Honolulu City Lights Trolley promotion, so be sure to follow them on Facebook for updates!

Speaking of the Honolulu City Lights Trolley, Ward Village has many more holiday events coming up, so check out their events page for details on the latest happenings.

And yes, the holidays are just around the corner, so don't forget to stop by Ward Village for great gift ideas, including many that you can create yourself!