Craft corner: A guide to DIY in Belgium

Whether you’re trying to remodel a bathroom, decorate your bedroom or give some old furniture new life, if you're the do-it-yourself type, it's handy to know where to look for what you need. 

Let’s start with the basics. For almost any do-it-yourself project, you will probably need to take a trip to your local Brico, Belgium’s largest chain for home improvement, decoration and gardening supplies. There you'll find tools, lighting, paint and can order wood and other build matierals to measure. With 143 stores in Belgium, you’re almost guaranteed to be able to find what you need, especially at the giant Brico Plan-It store in Anderlecht. In the event that Brico doesn’t have the supplies or appliance you’re looking for, other general hardware and home renonvation stores include HandyHome and Hubo.

Sewing and textiles

There are several options for those interesting in textiles, whether its to sew your own clothes, reupholster furniture or pick out the perfect curtains. Maison Dorée near the Porte de Namur metro is a good place to start for beginners because besides a good selection of fabrics, they also have pattern books and how-to guides on garments and textiles.

For cheap of cheap, head to Berger Ets, a warehouse-like operation off the Boulevard d’Anspach. It’s hit or miss whether you’ll find what you’re looking for, but they’re the best deal in town. For fabrics for home-related projects like upholstering, you can find good deals at Mondial du Textiles in the Marolles.

However, the reigning king of all fabric suppliers in Brussels is Les tissus du Chien Vert along the canal in Molenbeek. Actually two stores down the street from one another, Chien Vert is an enormous space, filled to the brim with fabrics of all kinds and qualities for garments, upholstering and beyond.

Finally, once you have your fabric, you’ll have to learn what do with it. Luckily, Brussels has the adorable Les Midinettes near Matonge, where the café meets couture. You can stop in for a coffee and end up signing up for a sewing course. If you’re worried your French isn’t up to snuff, there’s also an English-speaking Meet Up group for aspiring seamstresses to exchange tips and tricks.

Gardening and plants

Les Pépinières de Boitsfort has 1600 square-metres of nursery where you can buy all your gardening needs including plants, fertilizer and seeds. Another excellent source for plants and seeds is the Nos Pilifs farm. Not only do they have a lovely assortment of plants for you to choose from, but they also putemphasis on hiring people with disabilities in order to give people who are normally overlooked in the workforce a chance to earn money, learn skills and gain independence.

Crafting and scrapbooking

Are you the type to turning an old wastebasket into a cool new lampshade? Or are you simply determined to catalogue every year of your beloved dog’s life? You’ll need Schleiper, an comprehensive art supplies store with three Brussels locations. Be Creative by Schleiper near Flagey and the main shop on Chaussée de Charleroi are sprawling affairs filled with every type of glue, paper, pen and frame your could imagine. A third store, down the street from Be Creative, is dedicated to framing and home décor.

Of course, part of the fun of craft is often turning something old into something cool and new. Take advantage of Brussels large second-hand and flea market scene to “upcycle” old items for new purposes. For example, cheap teacups and saucers found on the Marolles’ daily flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle can make perfect pots for kitchen herbs.