DIY DISCO

DIY Disco

Baton Rouge's new arts & crafts bar

Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

The back wall of Chloe McMahon’s newly-opened arts & crafts bar reads “Follow the Call of the Disco Ball”. It’s a siren song sure to be heard up and down Government Street, luring the residents and visitors who have made the corridor into Baton Rouge’s most eclectic, creative corner.

Opened officially on December 10, DIY Disco takes the popular “paint and sip” concept and opens the door wider: this isn’t just painting and this isn’t just wine. Inside the sleek, minimalist space warmed by the funky flare of vinyl records and mirrorballs, guests can choose to make their own luggage tags, or to try their hand at needle painting, or to make a macrame planter—out of a disco ball, of course. And starting in January, they can do their sewing or their weaving or their molding while enjoying a select menu of artisan, craft cocktails.

The idea was to create something that enticed a customer to keep coming back, a new experience awaiting each time. “I’m not particularly amazing at any one type of craft,” said McMahon. “I love pottery, and I love costuming, but I also love to sit down and make a Christmas ornament out of hot glue and pipe cleaners.”

Infusing the invitation to simply create with the free-spirited fun of ‘70s nostalgia, McMahon hopes to foster a rare solace with which to step out of our fast-paced, monetized, and screen-dependent world—and to encourage the act of making for the sake of making.

“I love that crafting can be an expression of yourself, or it can just be something you do because you don’t want to be looking at a screen for a few hours,” she said. “It’s such a non-competitive or intimidating activity. It literally just exists to bring joy and beauty into the world. And if your craft doesn’t bring beauty into the world, it will probably bring some laughs at least.”

DIY Disco hosts crafting sessions on Thursdays–Sundays, which you can reserve at diydiscobr.com. Visitors can choose from a rotating selection of crafts, and all materials and instructions are provided—with projects ranging from $30–$45. Starting mid-January, the DIY Disco bar will officially be open, but until then it’s BYOB.