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Do red roses and romantic proclamations give you the ick? You're in good company. Over the years, my husband and I have enjoyed our fair share of cringe-free Valentine’s Day gift experiences in Sydney. And while we love thinking up fun date night ideas, exchanging giant teddy bears is seriously not our style. (But hey, no judgement if it's yours.)
Gushy gestures at romantic restaurants? Negative. Matching pyjamas? Unthinkable. Personalised poems? Please no. As cute and cuddly as these couple gifts are, we find always find ourselves gravitating towards the more low-key Valentine's Day ideas come February 14th. If this sounds like you and your boo, you're in the right place. From wheel throwing workshops in Artarmon to burrata-making with a glass of bubbles, these hand-picked these couples’ activities in Sydney make it easy to celebrate your connection sans cringe.
Try wheel throwing for couples
Best for: Couples who don't mind a bit of mess
If you’re looking for a memorable date idea, you can’t go wrong with a Valentine’s Day Wheel Throwing class at Print Paint Pot. After donning your apron, you’ll learn to spin clay on the wheel (using your foot) and shape it into a bowl, cup or plate (using your hands). Equal parts messy and mindful, the pottery making pottery is impossible not to enjoy – even if the end result is a little wonky. After the class, your clay creation will be fired in the kiln and ready for pickup in a few weeks.
Learn to make perfume
Best for: Couples who appreciate the little luxuries
Sure, you could gift your significant other a bottle of perfume – but where’s the fun (and creativity) in that? Instead, opt for a different kind of date night: a perfume making class. Under the guidance of an experienced perfumier, you’ll learn about fragrance notes, blending and bottling and create a scent that’s uniquely yours. Consider this popular pick in Marrickville by the team at Kiss Ready Lips. After the class, head to The Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre for dinner and drinks. With a fragrance so fine spritzed on your skin, you’ll be turning heads at the bar.
Get creative with clay and sip
Best for: Couples who want a date night with a difference
Clay and sip is the perfect Valentine’s idea for couples who like to keep it wholesome. Using simple tools and clay hand-building techniques, you’ll learn to build a mug, bowl or vase. After the class, your piece will be bisque fired, making it fully functional for eating, drinking or displaying flowers. Our top reco for Valentine’s day in Sydney? This Camperdown clay and sip class by Posy Ceramics. Enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbles on arrival and BYO wine, beer or bevvy of choice to keep the good times flowing. After the class, head to nearby Newtown for lunch or dinner.
Roll pasta at an Italian cooking class
Best for: Foodie couples and MasterChef fans
If you’re the kind of couple who loves going out for a bite to eat, consider swapping your usual restaurant reservation for one of our Sydney cooking classes. We love this Introductory Pasta Making class in Surry Hills, where you’ll learn to make delicious handmade pasta as well as any nonna. (Just don’t tell her we said that.) For $150, you’ll enjoy a 2.5 hour pasta-making experience before sitting down to a meal complete with salad, two types of pasta and a complimentary glass of organic wine. Buon appetito, lovers!
Discover the art of Ikebana
Best for: Couples with a serious case of wanderlust
Love Japan? You’ll love this ikebana class with Setsuko Yanagisaw. A traditional Japanese flower-arranging technique, ikebana emphasises harmony, mindfulness and balance, making it one of the most relaxing Valentine’s Day ideas in Sydney. After carefully arranging your unique flower display, you’ll leave the workshop feeling zen. This cute couples’ activity might just be the closest you’ll get to Japan without jumping on a plane.
Get cosy with candle-making
Best for: Couples who love to Netflix and chill
If you live with your partner, candle making classes are the perfect Valentine’s Day activity, allowing you to bring chill vibes into your shared space. For a quintessential Sydney experience, make your way to nf!Provider Store in Darlinghurst, where Tara and her team will lead you through a calming DIY candle workshop. You’ll work with natural soy wax, Japanese ceramic cups and premium fragrances while enjoying cheese and wine as you go. Bliss.
Shake things up at a cocktail workshop
Best for: Couples with a taste for G&T
Ever tried to recreate a fancy TikTok cocktail at home, only to end up with something that tastes like cough syrup? (Guilty.) This Valentine’s Day, learn from the pros at one of our cocktail making classes in Sydney. From beachside bars in Bondi to Surry Hills distilleries, our harbourside home is full of top-notch watering holes. One of our faves? This cocktail masterclass at Cardea in Barangaroo. Enjoy nibbles on arrival to whet your appetite before the shaking, stirring and sipping begin. You’ll be learning from one of the team’s award-winning mixologists, so expect to pick up some serious skills.
Make rings at a silversmithing workshop
Best for: Sentimental couples
One of the more romantic couples activities in Sydney, silversmithing is a fitting date idea for Valentine’s Day 2025. Cute but not cringe, learning to make rings is a sentimental date idea that breaks the mould. Whether you’re looking for Vday gifts for him or romantic gifts for her, you can’t go wrong with a silversmithing class at TUTU Studio. With locations in Haymarket and Chatswood – and endless dates to choose from – the fine folk at TUTU make planning Valentine’s activities easy. After the class, why not head to Chinatown for a feed?
Build a tiny world in a terrarium
Best for: Couples who can barely keep a succulent alive
If your idea of gardening is forgetting to water that sad basil plant on your windowsill, here's a date idea that's impossible to mess up: terrarium making. Akin to creating a miniature Jurassic Park in a bowl – minus the dinosaurs, obvs – terrarium making is one of the most unique Valentine’s ideas in Sydney. With the help of an experienced florist, you’ll learn to layer stones, soil and succulents in a glass container, creating your very own low-maintenance ecosystem. DIY terrarium making is perfect for couples who want to create something cute for the dining table or home office. (Just look at these magical moss-filled creations.)
If you’re the kind of couple who'd rather die than do the traditional dinner-and-roses routine, check out our hand-picked Valentine’s Day gifts in Sydney. Whether you’re crafting cocktails in Potts Point or playing with clay in Marrickville, you’ll enjoy all the fun of February 14th – minus the faff and fuss. Just remember: Whatever date night activity you choose, the key to a cringe-free Valentine's Day in 2025 is keeping it real, raw and fun. Gushy Instagram post, optional.
Runs regularly
Willoughby
1 to 14 guests
$75 - $85
4k followers
1k likes
