The city’s heat swelters outside, but inside the cafe, the focus is microscopic. Young professionals lean over their tables, swapping laptop screens for the precision of glue and tweezers. Pearls, gems, and rhinestones spill across the tabletops, transforming mundane aluminium drink cans into shimmering, bespoke works of art.With rhinestones back in vogue, bedazzling parties have become NCR’s latest weekend obsession, where attendees transform drink cans, keychains, books and bags into sparkling keepsakes. As hands-on experiences replace cafe catch-ups, Delhiites are embracing the craft as a way to unwind and make something uniquely their own.
With rhinestones back in vogue, bedazzling parties have become NCR’s latest weekend obsession (Pics: @doodledendelhi)
‘Everyone is looking for ways to express their personality and bedazzling fits the bill’There is a growing trend among Gen Z to balance digital fatigue with unique, hands-on creative outlets. Arunima Duggal, founder of SoLuv Events, says, “People don’t just want to buy things anymore; they want to make them their own. Be it wearing charms, the art they create, or layering jewellery, everyone’s looking for ways to express their personality. Bedazzling fits into this perfectly because no two pieces ever end up looking the same!”Hosts note that while the process can be time-consuming, attendees find the experience deeply relaxing. “This is perhaps the most unique thing about a bedazzling party – the room can be buzzing with music, laughter, and social energy, yet the person placing each stone enters a completely private mental stillness. The craft is repetitive in the best way – pick up a gem, place a gem – and that rhythm is deeply soothing,” says Vishakha Panchal from Leela Arts by Vishakha. “Participants share that the activity feels very therapeutic. It improves their concentration, patience, and creative thinking because they are fully involved in choosing the design, placing each stone carefully, and seeing the final product come to life,” she adds.
“Bedazzling fits neatly into the creative weekend sessions – it’s tactile, social, and produces something you take with you,” explains Vishakha Panchal from Leela Arts by Vishakha (Pics: @doodledendelhi, @leelaarts_)
‘The ‘let’s make things pop’ era is here’The Y2K aesthetic has made a comeback, and the city is all up for it – bedazzling everything from books to bags. Sona says, “The ‘let’s make things pop’ era is here. Colours and sparkles are everywhere. From popular clothing brands to the way restaurants and cafes are now decorating, the return of maximalism is obvious. In the age of Instagram, it really matters how it looks, and bedazzled items look great in pictures.”Niyati Nagpal, co-founder of DoodleDen, which hosts art workshops, shares, “They’re creative, social, and highly personalised. Everyone gets to make something unique and take it home. We have a lot of beginners, and bedazzling is one of the most popular workshops currently.”
The most common thing attendees tell us is, ‘I didn’t realise how relaxing this would be’
Arunima Duggal, founder of SoLuv Events
‘Everyone enjoys, takes home a personalised keepsake from the day’Sakshi and her friends decided to shake up their weekend routine by attending a bedazzling workshop. She tells us, “I thought it would be a nice break from the usual weekend plans. It was surprisingly engaging! I didn’t realise how much I’d enjoy it until I started. It’s something everyone can enjoy and you get to take home a personalised keepsake from the day!”
Attendees transform drink cans, keychains, books and bags into sparkling keepsakes (Pics: @girltalk_)
Suhana, a marketing professional, shares, “I wanted to try something creative, and it turned out to be much more fun than I expected. My friend and I bedazzled a canvas together, and we really enjoyed the process. It was a great way to relax, chat, and make something unique together.”More women participate: HostsSona Agarwal from UnClub Experiences notes the demographic participation and says, “Usually it’s more women, and that is the trend across art workshops, but for the can bedazzling workshop, some men also joined, even though most of them didn’t finish the entire can. In the 20-25 age group, men are much more open to joining art workshops.”
