Haji Lane Leather Crafting Workshop in 3 Hours: Crafune

Crafune runs its Haji Lane leather crafting workshop from 38A Haji Lane #02-01, Singapore 189231, a second-floor atelier above a shop called Simplicity, and every seat has to be booked in advance. A Cardholder Workshop costs S$95 and lasts 3 hours, the quickest projects take 2 hours, and the longest wallets can stretch to 8. There are no walk-in sessions or posted shop hours. You choose a date and start time on each workshop's booking calendar.

Crafune started in 2018 as a small leather crafting atelier in the corner of Haji Lane, set up by a team of two local craftsmen who wanted to bring the therapeutic side of leathercraft to Singapore. The name borrows from the Brazilian Portuguese word cafuné, which the studio translates roughly as running your fingers through a loved one's hair, and that idea of making something for someone shapes the whole class menu.

The road since then has not been smooth. During the pandemic the team pioneered virtual leather crafting workshops in Singapore and stopped producing finished goods when demand fell, then revived production in 2023. A flagship at New Bahru followed in 2024 and a mall studio at Funan in 2026. Haji Lane remains the original room, and the homepage still pitches it as a place to take a coffee break and look down on the lane between steps.

Every Haji Lane class has a fixed price and uses the studio's vegetable-tanned leather. The Cardholder Workshop is S$95 for 3 hours and teaches scoring, cutting, gluing, saddle stitching, edge finishing and burnishing, plus how to care for the leather afterwards. The Basic Bi-fold Wallet costs S$99 and also fits into 3 hours, while the 3 Small Accessories Workshop at S$89 produces a keychain, coin pouch and card sleeve in one sitting.

Bags are the bigger draw upstairs. The Kumo Phone Bag is S$115 for 3 hours, the Pippa Bag S$145 for 3 hours, and the Portia Bag S$210 for 4 hours. The Selene Bag at S$180 takes 5 hours and includes hardware assembly. At the top sits the Short Zipper Wallet at S$245, which the listing says runs 6 to 8 hours depending on how quickly you work, with zipper fitting added to the usual stitching.

Most Haji Lane projects set the minimum age at 12, but two shorter classes accept children from 8. The No Stitch 3 Accessories Workshop costs S$85 for 2 hours and makes an envelope card case, a key holder and a cable tie, using hole punches and snap buttons instead of needle and thread. The Moneta Mini Wallet, S$89 for 2 hours, has a magnetic closure and holds notes without much folding.

Those stitch-free options suit a parent and child sitting side by side, and the FAQ confirms that two people booking two different workshops will be placed at the same table. The Kendra Tote Bag at S$135 and the Cross Body Bag at S$110 are also non-stitch projects for ages 10 and up. The Cross Body Bag comes with a metal chain sling, so a teenager leaves with something that looks shop-bought.

For a first booking, the S$95 Cardholder is the best introduction because it covers every core technique the studio teaches, finishes inside 3 hours and still leaves time for personalisation. You can deboss or hot-stamp initials, names, dates or a short phrase onto the leather, which turns a plain card slip into a gift. Colours are chosen at the start of the class, usually from a selection of 3 to 7.

Skip the S$189 Bifold Wallet Workshop unless you have done a class before. It has 8 card slots and a cash compartment, and Crafune itself says it takes about 6 to 8 hours, with breaks built in because the session is so long. First-timers tend to run out of patience somewhere in the card slots. The S$99 Basic Bi-fold Wallet gives you a usable wallet in 3 hours instead.

The FAQ is blunt: booking is required because the team prepares materials for each seat, and there is no discount for first-time participants. Couples get a weekday bundle instead. A friend who only wants to sit and watch needs an Extra Seat at S$60, and the same product page lists a S$60 Rescheduling Fee. SkillsFuture credit and SingapoRediscovers vouchers cannot be used, and bringing your own leather does not earn free bench time.

Listings that spell out terms are strict. On the Watch Straps page, a cancellation made 1 week or less before the class gets a 50% refund, rescheduling is accepted only when requested at least 1 week ahead, and arriving more than 10 minutes late counts as a cancellation, with late-comers turned away. Treat that as the house standard. Book weekend seats well ahead, because Haji Lane is the smallest of the three Crafune rooms.

If every Haji Lane slot is taken, Crafune's Funan Mall studio runs a Basic Cardholder Workshop for S$75 in 2 hours and a Luggage Tag Workshop for S$55, which suits a rainy day or a lunch-break visit. Outside the Crafune network, Maketh Project in Bukit Batok is the closest like-for-like backup, with request-to-book leather classes, so send a request several days before the date you need.

Bugis MRT station, on the Downtown and East-West lines, is the nearest stop, and from there Kampong Glam is a short walk on foot. Haji Lane itself is narrow, lined with two-storey shophouses covered in murals. Look for Simplicity at street level: Crafune is on the floor above, at unit #02-01, so the way in is a staircase rather than a shopfront window.

Weekend afternoons bring crowds of photographers working the murals, which slows the last few metres. Arrive 15 minutes early, since the 10-minute late rule on some listings leaves no margin. Morning classes get the calmer lane and better light through the windows for checking your stitch line. Eat before an afternoon session, because a 3-hour class leaves little room for a proper lunch break.

Masjid Sultan is the landmark at the heart of the district, its golden dome visible from the ends of the neighbouring lanes. Walk down Bussorah Street, the palm-lined pedestrian stretch that leads to the mosque's front, and dress modestly if you plan to step inside, avoiding Friday midday prayers. Arab Street, one block over, still has textile and carpet shops that sell fabric by the metre.

A good loop starts with a coffee on Haji Lane, takes in the mosque and Bussorah Street, and ends with Arab Street's fabric shops before you climb the stairs to class. After a long bag or wallet session, the cafes and restaurants on Kandahar Street and Baghdad Street are close for dinner. Carry your finished piece in a tote bag, since edges burnished minutes earlier can still pick up marks.

Address: Crafune, 38A Haji Lane #02-01, Singapore 189231, on the second floor above Simplicity. Classes: booking only, with start times chosen on each workshop's calendar and no walk-in sessions. Prices: Cardholder S$95, Basic Bi-fold Wallet S$99, No Stitch 3 Accessories S$85, Pippa Bag S$145, Short Zipper Wallet S$245, Extra Seat S$60.

All tools and materials are included, and you take your piece home the same day. Initials or names are debossed or hot-stamped during the class. Most projects require age 12 and above, while the two 2-hour stitch-free classes take children from 8. The Karpo APP can plan a Kampong Glam route from Bugis MRT that fits a coffee stop and Masjid Sultan around your class.