Rattanhouse Workshop: We Made Crafts!

Stepping into a Creative Shift

Friday, June 13th, 2025, the AICREATIVV team swapped screens for seashells and traded digital tools for something more practical. We headed to the Rattanhouse showroom in Jerudong Sentral, unsure of what to expect but excited for something refreshingly different.

As we entered, the space welcomed us with textures and tones that already felt like art. Rattanhouse had prepared a workshop that was unlike any regular team activity—this time, it was all about making.

Dyed shell tiles tucked in woven baskets—materials as beautiful as the finished pieces themselves.

We weren't just guests; we were artists for a day. The task? Creating handmade coasters layered with dyed and sliced seashells over a glue base mixed with volcano ash. And later, adorning lampshades with strings of mother-of-pearl pieces. Before we got our hands busy, Maisarah Nguyen, gathered us for a quick grounding moment. With calm confidence, she said something that stuck with us long after the glue dried:

“Make sure you respect your product. Yours is the best, don’t think about the others.”

Slowing Down and Enjoying Process

As the workshop went on, the room began to hum—not with noise, but with quiet focus. People leaned into their own flow. Some went abstract with freeform seashell arrangements. Others took a minimalistic route, turning less into more. Every coaster began to reflect their aesthetic taste, and their personality. It was as if everyone was building their own little island on a square canvas.

Maisarah Nguyen and her team moved around the space like gentle guides—never rushing, always ready to help when anyone needed help. They were patient collaborators who really believed in the process. Even the more complex task—stringing tiny shells onto yarn for lampshades—had its own kind of joy.

AICREATIVV team threading shells onto lampshade frames at the Rattanhouse workshop—calm hands, focused minds.

At first, getting the thread through those fragile holes was fiddly and frustrating, but with a bit of patience (and a lot of laughter), we found our rhythm. It became a metaphor: sometimes what starts as fiddly ends up freeing.

"I am so calm right now. This is so therapeutic" - Hafiz Sulaiman

The AICREATIVV team with Maisarah and Rattanhouse crew, wrapping up a hands-on Brunei crafts workshop in Jerudong.

Time seemed to slow down. In an industry that often celebrates speed and catching up to deadlines, it felt good to honour the slow, intentional process of making something with your hands.

A Gallery of Coasters

There was no race, no pressure for perfection. In fact, it was the imperfections that made everything feel personal. One coaster had uneven edges; another had a misplaced shell—but those were the bits that carried the most story. Each piece held its own “how,” a visual journal of missteps, revisions, and final satisfaction. It reminded us that the process wasn’t just necessary—it was the point.

AICREATIVV team focused in their own rhythm. A snapshot of quiet joy and collaborative making.

Imamull Qhaeer carefully laying shell pieces for his coaster design.

Haziyah Azalmey and Hisham Firdaus prepping materials before assembling their coaster designs.

Final coaster designs take shape, one piece at a time. Each pattern told its own story.

By the end, our workspace looked like a gallery of possibility. We closed the day the way all good workshops should end—with warm plates of kuey teow, shared stories, and an appreciation for doing something offline, unfiltered, and deeply human.

A vibrant sea of finished coasters—each one a handmade expression of patience, play, and personal style.