Experience village life in Bali and learn about bamboo directly from Balinese Bamboo Masters… Our Bamboo Workshops are focused on learning skills for bamboo design, carpentry, and construction. Participants engage by working with bamboo and get to know the material practically…
Join our:
Bamboo Introduction Short Programs (1-10 days) Learn the Basics of Bamboo Carpentry and Design – as an individual or group, VIP and family programs.
Design and Build – 3 Week Course
Learn Skills and Techniques for Building with Bamboo with Balinese Builders – Design and Build a half-size bamboo structure in a small group (6-8 people)
Bamboo Builders – 3 Month Program
From Start to Finish: Bamboo Basics through to Advanced techniques. Take your skills to the next level and become an Unbeatable Bamboo Builder!
Resident Artist program
Join our Resident Artist – Bamboo4Life Eco-skills Program.
Now until October 7! Next 3 week Residency: November 9-29, 2026
We are launching an affordable basic residency and bamboo basics program for up to 4 people (at a time) interested in bamboo literacy from the ground-up – working on existing buildings and art pieces
OUTREACH
Preserving cultural knowledge and sharing bamboo skills
Documentation and Skills sharing from our Bamboo4Africa program!
Bamboo For The Future:
Made accessible for all the world’s people – means making it Affordable and Attractive to build with… Currently there are not many examples of modern Bamboo Structures that an average person could afford. Maybe we need to make Bamboo Building more of a Community-Orientated activity…. Bamboo is a material FOR the people, BY the people. Many societies have evolved WITH bamboo – So let’s get Together… And Build with Bamboo!!
Testimonials:
Empowering Communities: Skills, Incentives, and Outreach
Bamboo is touted to be the ‘sustainable building material of the future’. But if only a minority of people are able to afford to build with it, aren’t we just rearranging deckchairs on the titanic? we need to make bamboo building styles/techniques that appeal to and are ‘buildable’ for ‘everyday’ people’ – especially the majority of the world population who live on less than $10/day. Also, for people with “disabilities” can be more ‘naturally’ included in community-built construction activities – especially with making building components that are low-skill requirements, but lots of repetition…
We are currently building an Inclusive Bamboo Community Activity Centre in Belega (20-30 min from Ubud in Bali) as a model for developing Inclusive Circular Economy and Waste Reduction aspects of our Outreach program mission to make bamboo utilizable and affordable, attractive and accessible; Reduce plastic waste in the environment and transform our plastic problems into intelligent solutions in architecture; supporting authentic, locally-owned tourism through meaningful cultural exchange. We work with local Balinese craftsmen who directly share their skills and knowledge around bamboo construction through our workshop programs.
Developing practical, affordable bamboo design and construction methods to share at Community Build Projects, and Outreach Programs alongside Waste Management Initiatives is fundamental to our ethos and why we do what we do. Our Community Activity Centre will be an inclusive learning hub and demonstration site, hosting workshops that celebrate local culture while building practical skills across our diverse community.
Imagine if people saw the importance of nature and understood why many from the West pay to be in natural places. If we built a fairer economy, we could help create a healthier environment instead of harming it. We could design towns and villages full of activities and experiences, moving away from isolating consumer culture.
The greatest need for sustainable building skills is at the village level, where people have traditional lands and some farming knowledge, and skills for working with bamboo. Our goal is to make village life sustainable by keeping land ownership local and creating mutually beneficial enterprises that do not rely on the industrial complex. We want to blend modern and traditional skills and technologies to develop thriving community projects. By offering programs on bamboo treatment, modern building techniques, and using Ecobricks as currency, we aim to make building practices more sustainable, affordable, and attractive, while also reducing urban migration and unsustainable land development.
Our vision goes beyond bamboo construction. We are creating a circular economy model that includes waste separation, such as plastic recycling and organic waste management with Black Soldier Fly (BSF) systems. These systems turn organic waste into feed for chickens and fish, which helps reduce dependence on industrial/GMO feed and supports local food systems. We want to develop outreach projects that provide hands-on programs where participants can learn about bamboo building, plastic upcycling, and circular economy principles, while also cleaning up waste and using unrecyclable plastic to build community structures.
We are finalizing our Eco-school at Belega, featuring 5 prototype structures built over the past 3 years through our workshops. We are fundraising to complete these buildings and to further our vision of making bamboo construction inclusive, affordable, and accessible to more people worldwide.
See more info on our Bamboo Packages Catalogue and pre-purchase your stay/workshop.
3 Week Bamboo Course
A hands-on experience – developing confidence around the most widely used concepts and techniques of working practically with bamboo. Through this program you will gain experience with bamboo joinery, carpentry and also the design process for making a bamboo building – guided by expert bamboo carpenters and master-craftsmen.
Learn about the practical aspects of bamboo building – from harvesting and treatment to design, carpentry and construction. Starting with the basics of carpentry techniques for furniture-making, modelling & functional design elements, getting hands-on experience in building techniques while living alongside local families and culture. We learn about traditional and modern techniques of bamboo building. We explore workshop design ideas. Then, we work on a build for a group build/ community project. You will gain experience in bamboo joinery, carpentry, and the design process. This will be achieved through a group project with guidance from expert bamboo carpenters and master-craftsmen. You will have the opportunity to contribute to the design of constructing a bamboo structure and build it at half-size scale in a group of 6-8 people.
In our 3-week program, you will learn:
- Bamboo Treatment methods and Low-Cost Set-up
- Basic joinery skills through building bamboo furniture
- Design principles through making design models
- Hands-On Live-build to learn bamboo construction skills
The program will cover various aspects of joinery, including:
- Carpentry for Furniture – Fish-mouth join, Y-join & Komodo-tongue join
- Bending Bamboo: Lidi (flexible bundled beam), Bamboo Lamination (using splits to make curve forms) & Arches (bending bamboo culms using rab rab technique – cutting “wedges”)
- Foundations for small buildings
- Frame Construction
- Bamboo Flooring
- Roofing construction
The 3 week program is held at Belega, between Ubud & Keramas, in the village of world-famous Bamboo Builders, Craftsmen, and Carpenters. We start at 8.45am (Prep work/briefing); start our learning session at 9.30am; Lunch is included – 12pm-1pm; and then an afternoon practical session – finishing around 4-4.30pm. The program runs Monday to Friday. We sometimes rearrange days according to the Balinese ceremonial calendar – and sometimes carry over into the ‘4th week’.
Next Program Coming Up: October 12 – 31 (2026)
Program Cost: Rp.19,350,000 / USD$1099
See the brochure online: https://canva.link/ba43xnl8pvwipol
3 Month Bamboo Builders Program – Become an unbeatable bamboo builder!
Bamboo Creative Bali offers a 3 month comprehensive program for those interested in delving deeper into the knowledge and techniques of bamboo building. It is designed to help you develop the necessary skills to become proficient in bamboo design, carpentry and joinery to build structures using bamboo as the primary material.
Throughout the program, you will work on practical projects, both individually and as a group, allowing you to apply your skills and creativity to real-world scenarios. The program runs in 3 x 3 week blocks with a week’s break in-between each block (total 9 weeks training + 1 bonus week). During the break weeks, you can continue working on your own project, book VIP classes, or take time to rest/sight-see.
Our 3 Month Program focuses on the fundamentals of bamboo construction and is led by Jaye Irving of Barefoor Sustainable Design (Australia). Participants will learn about the various types of bamboo, their properties, and how to select the right bamboo for different purposes. We gain hands-on experience in treating and preserving bamboo, as well as joinery techniques and methods for frame assembly to create bamboo structures and make a furniture piece. We focus on joinery, structural design and begin our main build – focusing on the processes of foundation placement, the building design and process/method, costing out a build.
We focus on the building techniques associated with Balinese bamboo architecture, bending bamboo, roofing design, material choices and also earth-building and plasters, railings, decorative elements and finishing. By the end of the program, you will have a comprehensive understanding of bamboo construction, along with the practical skills and confidence to undertake your own projects. The program caters to individuals with different levels of experience; whether you are a beginner, a builder, or an architect wanting to gain familiarity with this material, this training is an excellent opportunity to get hands-on experience designing and building with bamboo…
- Extended Practice and Knowledge through participation in our Live Construction Program
- Immersive Bamboo Building and Cultural Experience with in-depth Hands-on Building and Design practice over three months
- Collaborative Design Process
- In-depth Building Design, Model-making and Evaluation; Costing for building your own Design
- Comprehensive Carpentry and Joinery Hands-On Construction Experience building with bamboo
- Option to explore individual building/product design
- All the fundamentals contained in 3 week program
- Roofing Construction
- Window and Door Design
- Decorative Design Elements
- Finishing & Maintenance of Bamboo Structures
Our 3 month Internship program for bamboo builders is held once per year from May to July. We accept up to 15 people with 1 teacher for every 3-4 students.
Upcoming Programs
Our 3 month Internship programs runs 5 days a week (Monday to Friday) 8.45am to 4.30pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of bamboo building with Bali’s master-craftsmen!
12 – 31 October 2026 (3 week)
May 10 – July 24 (+1 bonus week) 2027 (3 Month)
Individual/ Family/ Group VIP Workshops:
CHECK OUT OUR PRE-SALE PACKAGES FOR SPECIAL WORKSHOP & ACCOMMODATION PACKAGES
Join us for Introductory Day Workshops in Basic Bamboo Carpentry skills, Bamboo Design and Model-Making Skills. We will share our experience about building with bamboo and share know-how about design of bamboo buildings…. Gain a basic understanding of both building and designing with bamboo!
Techniques for joinery/carpentry styles and model-making will be demonstrated and then we will work together to make a bamboo item of your choice. You can make a miniature/model of a bamboo building design or make a furniture piece. get into some more detailed construction, applying your new knowledge practically – and can take your creation home!
Bamboo Biasa
1-3 Day Programs:
Duration: 9am – 4pm; Booking/Availability: By Appointment
3 Day Bamboo Introduction Workshop
Basic Joinery & Carpentry
Basic Carpentry Knowledge and Skill Development through making a Furniture Piece
Bamboo Treatment Methods
Bamboo Treatment Knowledge, Low-Cost Treatment Set-Up & Bamboo Factory Tour
Design & Model-Making
Basic Design Principles and Understanding of making a Bamboo Model/ Miniature Structure
PROGRAM OPTIONS:
We tailor a 1-3 day program according to your needs, group size and current program schedules.
Location: Jl. Raya Belega No.50, Belega Village, Blahbatu, Gianyar.
1 – 3 Days Carpentry Skills (Make a Furniture Piece), Bamboo Treatment Practicalities and Factory Tour (Visit a Bamboo Factory and Learn about Treating Bamboo), Design & Model Making (Make a Bamboo Building Design)
Outreach Programs
Local & Remote – Bamboo4Africa
We are developing a programs to make bamboo a driving factor behind community-led environmental restoration, plastic waste reduction, circular economy and and community resilience. One locally in Indonesia, and one in Africa (Kenya and broader Africa). A key component of enabling grass-roots bamboo utilization is to set up a sustainable bamboo supply and treatment chain! Bamboo has incredibly diverse by-products from Biochar (usually made from harvest waste/thinnings) which can be utilized in low-cost water filtration, tree-free charcoal and organic fertilizer production… And that’s before we even get to the products that can be made from the bamboo earmarked for treatment!
Access our Video Documentation of the Bamboo4Africa Training (January-February 2025, Meru, Kenya)
Bamboo Creative wants YOU – to be the change!
We want to Be the change by living a low-consumption resource-friendly lifestyle and contribute to the proliferation of renewable innovative technologies… We aim to build a family more than a business, and to nurture relationships to create a strong foundation for the future collective of people to make strong communities and revitalise our culture and families together to restore our planet.
Yes, we all need money to live and make things happen, but it’s about working together, helping each other, and sharing the rewards. That’s real family. Overall, we need to find new ways to create and manage resources that benefit everyone. We can learn a lot from cultures that focus on community life and serving others, where everyone has a role to play.
We are creating a Bamboo Bank Note system to record contribution and recognise everyone’s part in the wholistic village system that is evolving. This system lays the foundation for a village economy where money isn’t the only thing that counts. Building a wall, cooking for the crew, teaching a craft, caring for someone, telling our story: all of it has value, and all of it earns its place. Bamboo Bank Notes can go towards programs, stays and workshops with us, or be passed on so someone who couldn’t otherwise afford it gets to join. Whatever the village makes stays in the village and goes back into the people who grow it. The old Norse stories had a name for gods like that, the Vanir, gods of the harvest and of enough. That’s the kind of economy we want to build.
Our Resident Artist Program will start in November 2026 and requires a minimum 3 week committment.
Bamboo Biasa
Biasa means ordinary, everyday. This is village life as it actually is.
You don’t need to wait for a program to start. I’m welcoming people one by one to come and live and work alongside us for Rp450,000 per day. You’ll help with the everyday jobs that keep the place running, and learn traditional crafts and bamboo skills from our team as you go. It’s hands-on and unglamorous, and it’s often where the best learning happens.
Stay a few days or a few weeks. Get in touch and tell me a bit about yourself and when you’d like to come.
Outreach projects create the foundations to seed/enable the development of local Regenerative (Collaborative) Village and Shared Farming models where you may come and attend your Internship and contribute collectively through our upcoming special workshops and collaborations… The Internships Level of Bamboo Creative Bali contributes to local Regenerative projects and enables local communities access to explore renewable and affordable building methods.
It is local people in developing countries (making up 70% of the world population) whose impact and choices in lifestyle/s in the next 20-30 years is going to have the greatest impact potentially on climate change and/or its mitigation… Presently an average person in a developing country uses around 20% of the fossil fuels compared to people living in “developed countries” but as people move into cities and become more modernised and “educated”, cultural and traditional skills are generally lost, and people’s energy and waste footprint increases dramatically. This trend towards non-sustainable urbanisation needs to be addressed urgently.
Through our Outreach Programs we bring together western and eastern elements for all our participants to experience the ‘best of both worlds’. We aim to ensure that remaining natural communities survive and thrive – and to collectively achieve a societal balance. We are exploring and developing sustainable affordable design techniques with bamboo and Natural/Earthen Materials to contribute to make learning and inclusive spaces for sharing time, knowledge and culture, traditional arts and crafting techniques (of Bali & Greater Indonesia… and beyond).
Through developing programs in local communities with a system of transparency – including everyone in Ecologically Intelligent Economy – and attaining fair financial recognition, our projects encourage environmental responsibility and best practices for managing waste, nurturing innovation and creating circular economies.
You can support our Outreach Projects by pre-purchasing our bamboo programs and stays to attend at a later date as well as in-kind/financial contribution options for membership in our community programs. We offer special discounts and bonuses for our Outreach supporters!
Your contribution helps towards building our Bamboo Bank which is a fund to support local projects to build their own sustainable Home-Stay/Bamboo Community Project & Cultural Tourism programs (also where our members can come and stay…) thereby helping to build our network and to diversify income options for local peoples – enabling them to elevate their financial dignity through maintaining their connection to knowledge of traditional crafts and artisan practices such as carving, weaving, musical instrument creation, natural medicine, painting and art/drawing techniques and on and on.
We are developing a circular economy system for offering economic incentives for plastic waste reduction – where local communities can collect plastic waste and make Ecobricks. At one level we plan to bring our Outreach Build Programs to communities showing their commitment to plastic waste reduction and at another level, enable local value exchange and commodification of Ecobricks, and remuneration/exchange within a retail system using reusable containers for “refills” of goods commonly purchased in single-use plastic.
Resident Artist Programs
Through our Resident Artist, programs, you can contribute to the “ground-zero” level of our projects. For those who have skills and creativity to offer our projects as a co-contributor, we accept those willing to commit their time to help building and developing this project physically / professionally and/or assisting our Special Needs Program involvement. Participants learn bamboo skills and contribute to the construction of our Bamboo Skool projects.
We aim to implement practical up-cycling programs that encourage communities to enhance their waste management systems by providing incentives for proper/efficient waste separation and sequestering plastic waste into Eco-bricks. This includes offering our build programs to community locations integrated with language exchange and natural learning programs to create inclusive environments where individuals with disabilities, like Freyr, can participate within a supportive community setting.
My Story
Initially my vision was shaped by volunteering on the first Earthship build in Tacloban after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. With a background in Environmental Studies focusing on Community Development, Resource Management, and Agroforestry, I became disillusioned with how environmental degrees are marketed to change-makers but lead to employment in bureaucratic systems that lack genuine motivation for environmental change. After becoming a mother in 2001, I ran my own massage therapy business (2009-2015).
My perspective transformed during extended stays in the Philippines, where I learned about family, slowing down, and holistic living. In 2016, I lived there for nearly a year with local families who helped care for my intellectually disabled daughter Freyr while I assisted with small building projects to support their livelihoods. Witnessing untreated bamboo’s vulnerability to insects firsthand showed me why bamboo has negative perceptions as a building material.
This experience led me to Bali for the last 8 years, where I’ve developed hands-on expertise in bamboo building and treatment through my project “Freyr’s Bamboo Home/Sky-Kubu.” I’m passionate about creating sustainable communities where I can contribute meaningfully while caring for Freyr, and I’m working to make bamboo knowledge and techniques accessible and affordable for communities in the Philippines, Bali, and beyond.
Ways to Join Us…
Video Training Membership
Support our Mission:
USD$1-75
✓ Premium Blog & Website Video Content
✓ News Updates & WhatsApp Design-Mind Group Membership
✓ Special Discounts Access
✓ Bamboo Handbook Access
Next 3 week Program
Bamboo Builders Program
USD$1070 / IDR 17,600,000
✓ Premium Blog and Website & Video Content
✓ News Updates & WhatsApp Design Mind Group Membership
✓ 3 week program ticket (for use now or up to 2 years forward)
✓ Bonus One week stay in our Bamboo Creative International Eco-roomz
Plant it Here
Unique Stayz and Workshop
Presales & Memberships
✓ Pre-purchase Bamboo Workshop – Stay – Experience
✓ Accommodation and Workshop Package Discount Rate for Individuals, Groups or Families
✓ Tailored Workshop Topics and Duration
✓ Premium Stay Membership – one month a year stay for 10 years (usable at once or at custom times)
Become a member of Bamboo Creative Bali to receive lodging and discounts for specialised family, group, and VIP programs:
Become a Member!
Recent blog news
Family Revivement and Inclusive Activities for ALL Abilities
Would you like to be part of a community culture while taking part in Natural Learning activities, and experiencing/regain a sense of belonging, help to restore environmental health, and include people with disabilities in daily life?
Find your own Zen learning to Craft with bamboo… Bamboo and Small Craft, Weaving … Product Design & VIP Workshops
Join our community builds in Belega – Bali’s village of world-famous bamboo builders – where we aim to make bamboo-building programs accessible to everyday people, retain traditional skills and knowledge of Bali’s artisans, and uplift rural folk and collaboratively create meaningful enrichment by spending time in community… while developing your bamboo skill!
Get in touch . find the latest updates on our BLOG. Contribute to our Outreach projects !
Become a Member… You can choose how much you wish to pay/contribute AND we offer special partner sponsorships for those who’d like to co-develop their own bamboo/regenerative project or signature bamboo product design.
Kids Workshops
Working with bamboo, making toys and up-cycling materials; We offer in-house and mobile workshops for regular in-house programs with local schools/ homeschoolers by appointment and also one-off events. See our Kids Club Page for more information – we have topics suited for age groups: 3-6 and 7-12 years with in-house and mobile workshops for regular programs with local schools/ homeschoolers by appointment and also one-off events. … All our programs are Inclusive with special needs support available for groups and individuals.
Make a time to chat with us (Calendy)
Ways to Join Us…
Video Training Membership
Support our Mission:
USD$1-75
✓ Premium Blog & Website Video Content
✓ News Updates & WhatsApp Design-Mind Group Membership
✓ Special Discounts Access
✓ Bamboo Handbook Access
Next 3 week Program
Bamboo Builders Program
USD$1070 / IDR 17,600,000
✓ Premium Blog and Website & Video Content
✓ News Updates & WhatsApp Design Mind Group Membership
✓ 3 week program ticket (for use now or up to 2 years forward)
✓ Bonus One week stay in our Bamboo Creative International Eco-roomz
Plant it Here
Unique Stayz and Workshop
Presales & Memberships
✓ Pre-purchase Bamboo Workshop – Stay – Experience
✓ Accommodation and Workshop Package Discount Rate for Individuals, Groups or Families
✓ Tailored Workshop Topics and Duration
✓ Premium Stay Membership – one month a year stay for 10 years (usable at once or at custom times)
See the latest activity on our blog
Join our:
1-3 Day Bamboo Introduction & Group Programs
Learn the Basics of Bamboo Carpentry and Design
3 Week Design and Build Course
Learn Skills and Techniques for Building with Bamboo with Balinese Builders – Design and Build a half-size bamboo structure in a small group (6-8 people)
3 Month Bamboo Builders Program
From Start to Finish: Bamboo Basics through to Advanced techniques. Take your skills to the next level and become an Unbeatable Bamboo Builder!
3-12 Day Bamboo Carpentry & Build Programs
Learn the Basics of Bamboo Carpentry and Design
VIP Programs, Family & Kids Workshops
Learn Model-making Skills and Carpentry Techniques for Building with Bamboo
OUTREACH
Preserving cultural knowledge and sharing bamboo skills
Documentation and Skills sharing from our Bamboo4Africa program!
Bamboo Creative Bali 