For an anniversary date in Singapore, spend an afternoon making something you will use together: marble and terrazzo coasters. Choose colours with a shared meaning, try two casting techniques, and create pieces that can become part of your everyday coffee ritual.

At Concrete Everything’s Jesmonite Marble & Terrazzo Coasters Workshop, each participant makes one marbled coaster and one terrazzo coaster. With two coaster bookings, that gives you four pieces between you. There is room to coordinate a set, make something for each other, or let your individual tastes lead.

Make the Date Personal Before You Start

Decide what you want your coasters to remember. An anniversary gives you a useful starting point for the design: a place, a celebration, or a small habit that belongs to the two of you.

You could each choose a colour that reminds you of your first date, then explain the choice during the workshop. Perhaps one person remembers the green of a garden while the other remembers a blue shirt. Those different details give you a palette with a story behind it.

Another approach is to design for each other. Think about the mug your partner always reaches for or the colours on their desk. A coaster made with their daily routine in mind makes a thoughtful anniversary gift without needing an elaborate inscription.

Choose a Colour Palette With a Shared Story

Bring one or two reference photographs and use them as inspiration for the colours available during your session. A few deliberate choices will be easier to work with than a phone full of unrelated designs.

Try one of these anniversary themes:

• Your wedding day: Take inspiration from the flowers, outfits or table decorations. Choose one main colour and a quieter supporting shade so the reference feels subtle enough for everyday use.

• A favourite trip: Draw colours from a photograph you both love. A seaside memory might suggest pale blue, sand and white; a city break could inspire darker tones with one bright accent.

• Your next chapter: Design for a home you are furnishing together or a breakfast corner you want to make more inviting. Let the coasters be the first small detail you choose for that space.

If your tastes differ, agree on one shared colour and choose the rest independently. You can also reverse the emphasis: one person uses the shared colour prominently while the other includes it as an accent. The pieces can belong together while still reflecting who made them.

Enjoy Two Different Ways of Making

The appeal of the combined session is trying both techniques. Think about how you want to use the same anniversary palette across two patterns.

Let the marble pattern develop

Marbling keeps contrasting colours partly separate as the mixture is poured, producing streaks and swirls. These are marble-effect cast pieces, rather than coasters cut from natural stone. Too much blending can erase the colour differences, so follow the facilitator’s guidance on when to stop mixing.

For your design, consider a pale background with one stronger colour running through it. This leaves space for the pattern to be visible on a small surface. Treat your reference photograph as a colour guide; the pleasure is seeing what develops during your own pour.

Build contrast with terrazzo

Terrazzo uses coloured fragments within a contrasting base. Chip size and colour affect the appearance: smaller fragments can suggest fine speckles, while larger pieces create more obvious blocks of colour. Concrete Everything’s guide to marble and terrazzo designs explains these differences.

For an anniversary set, you might give each person’s chosen colour equal prominence. Alternatively, let one colour dominate and use the other sparingly. Ask the facilitator how to translate your preferred balance into the cast before you start adding fragments.

Give the process your attention

Save the longer photo session for a suitable pause. During instructions and pouring, keep your hands and attention available. Agree beforehand that advice between you should be invited: “Would you like a suggestion?” is more helpful than taking over your partner’s design.

Plan a Comfortable Anniversary Afternoon

The listed workshop runs from 2pm to 5pm at 37 Jalan Pemimpin, Mapex, #03-08, Singapore 577177. Participants are asked to arrive ten minutes early. Check your selected date through the workshop booking page.

Have lunch beforehand and leave enough travel time to find the unit without rushing. Comfortable clothes with sleeves that stay clear of your hands are a sensible choice for a making session. If dinner involves dressing up, allow time to change afterwards.

Keep the evening flexible until your session is confirmed. Then choose a dinner reservation with breathing room after the scheduled finish, allowing for packing up and travelling. You will have something specific to talk about over the meal: which decision worked, what surprised you, and which piece you would happily make again.

Give the Finished Coasters a Place at Home

Choose where the set will live before it becomes another keepsake tucked into a drawer. Put a pair beside your morning mugs, share them between your desks, or reserve them for weekend tea together.

Before using them, ask the facilitator about finishing, sealing and when they are ready for drinks. Concrete Everything’s coaster care instructions recommend several coats of sealant for protection and durability. Get advice for your actual pieces rather than assuming that a firm surface means every finishing stage is complete.

A photograph of the four coasters beside your anniversary card can also record the occasion without adding anything to the cast itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do we need any crafting experience?

No. Concrete Everything’s beginner’s workshop guide describes the session as suitable for first-timers. You do not need drawing or sculpting skills.

How much should we budget for two people?

The studio workshop collection currently lists the combined workshop from S$80 per person, or S$160 for two at that rate. Confirm the selected option’s price before payment.

Can we attend as a couple?

Each booking covers one person, so reserve two places. The session requires at least five participants overall; wait for the confirmation email before finalising other reservations.

Which coaster shapes can we choose?

The listing includes circles, squares and hexagons, with flat and walled options. Check the available moulds for your session.