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Spin, stitch and strum: Fun ways to spend your CDC vouchers

Spin, stitch and strum: Fun ways to spend your CDC vouchers

Straits Times24-05-2025

Consider spending your CDC vouchers on new experiences, from picking up a new dance move to trying your hand at crafts. PHOTO: ST FILE
Spin, stitch and strum: Fun ways to spend your CDC vouchers
SINGAPORE – Got your latest tranche of CDC vouchers and not sure where to use them besides your go-to hawker stall?
Consider spending them on new experiences , from picking up a new dance move to trying your hand at crafts.
All Singaporean households have received $500 in CDC vouchers, with $250 earmarked for use at participating heartland merchants till Dec 31.
Here are some fun, offbeat ways to stretch your vouchers.
Dance it out
Cindini Dance International accepts CDC vouchers for dance essentials.
ST PHOTO: SRINIDHI RAGAVENDRAN
Ever wanted to try Latin or ballroom dance? Cindini Dance International in Upper Cross Street offers Latin and social dance classes.
CDC vouchers can be used to purchase dance essentials such as shoes, dresses and other apparel at the studio . Dance shoes start at $128 .
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned dancer, your vouchers could be your first step onto the dance floor.
Where: Cindini Dance International, 03-47 Hong Lim Complex, 531 Upper Cross Street
Open: Mondays and Wednesdays to Saturdays, 11am to 5pm; closed on Tuesdays and Sundays
Info: cindini.com.sg
Get hands-on with crafts
GentleHands studio offers candle-making workshops.
PHOTO: GENTLEHANDS CRAFT CANDLE STUDIO
At Choo-P Leathercraft, you can browse a wide range of leather or sign up for a leathercraft workshop .
The studio i n Kreta Ayer Road accepts CDC vouchers for products and classes.
Standard workshops are priced at $135 and include crafting a small namecard holder. This is a beginner-friendly project that teaches the basics of leather cutting, hole punching and hand-stitching. Classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 10pm.
For those looking to take on more advanced projects, such as larger bags, prices go up to $600 , depending on materials and design.
If you have a nose for scents, consider making your own candle at GentleHands .
The craft candle studio in Kreta Ayer Square offers workshops to create your own message candle or room diffuser. Prices range from $39 to $58 a person for a one-hour session.
Ms Christine Lim, 50, founder of GentleHands , said that in the past year, at least 30 people have used CDC vouchers to pay for the workshops.
Where: Choo-P Leathercraft Singapore, 01-08, 334 Kreta Ayer Road
Open: Mondays to Saturdays, 11am to 8pm ; closed on Sundays
Info: choopleather.com
Where: GentleHands, 01-32, 333 Kreta Ayer Road
Open: Tuesdays, 11.30am to 4.30pm; Wednesdays to Fridays, 11.30am to 5pm; Saturdays, 1 to 4pm; closed on Sundays and Mondays
Info: gentlehandscraft.com
Lose yourself in a book
Basheer Graphic Books in Bras Basah Complex has a wide collection of magazines.
ST PHOTO: SRINIDHI RAGAVENDRAN
Trade screen time for page turns at indie bookstores that accept CDC vouchers.
At Jing Si Books & Cafe in Geylang East, browse titles on mindfulness, spirituality and personal growth while enjoying a peaceful reading nook and a cup of tea. The space doubles as a quiet retreat, perfect for unwinding after a long day.
Over at Basheer Graphic Books in Bras Basah Complex, you will find a treasure trove of art and design books, photography collections, architecture magazines and graphic novels. It is a go-to for creatives and curious minds.
Whether you are into visual storytelling or philosophy, or just looking for your next paperback , these bookstores are a haven for book lovers seeking something special .
Where: Jing Si Books & Cafe, 01-219, 134 Geylang East Avenue 1
Open: Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 6pm; closed on Mondays
Info: str.sg/A7qU
Where: Basheer Graphic Books, 04-19 Bras Basah Complex, 231 Bain Street
Open: Mondays to Saturdays, 10am to 8pm; Sundays, 10am to 7pm
Info: basheergraphic.com
Strike a chord
Pick up Chinese instruments at Eight Tones Music School.
PHOTO: EIGHTTONESMUSIC/INSTAGRAM
Whether it is a Chinese instrument like the erhu or a Western one like the guitar, your CDC vouchers could help kick-start your next musical chapter.
At Xin Yue Music Studio in Bras Basah Complex, you can use your vouchers to purchase instruments such as the guitar and ukulele, as well as beginner-friendly music gear.
Over at Eight Tones Music School in North Bridge Road, which specialises in Chinese musical instruments, you can pick up the erhu, guzheng and dizi flute, along with accessories such as strings, rosin and padded cases with your vouchers.
Where: Xin Yue Music Studio, 02-85 Bras Basah Complex, 231 Bain Street
Open: 11am to 6pm daily
Info: xinyuemusicstudio.com
Where: Eight Tones Music School, 02-5041, 465 North Bridge Road
Open: Weekdays, 12.30 to 8.30pm; weekends, 10am to 6pm
Info: eight-tones.com.sg
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