Me, brush pens and starry skies: creative time in a bubble tent
14/8/2026
Translation: Elicia Payne
Pictures: Anna Sandner
I’ve got my bags packed with arts and crafts and the sky above is full of stars. It’s time to test whether you can really switch off when you get creative in a unique atmosphere.
I just wanted to take a quick break from everyday life, be in nature, put my phone away and create something. And do it all in a unique setting: in a bubble tent. So that’s exactly what I did. I spent a night under the starry sky.
Let me start from the beginning. It’s 2:30 p.m. on a cloudy afternoon in Hamburg when I pick up a friend and drive north with her. Less than an hour later, we get out of the car and are welcomed with clear sky. Birds are chirping, and we can hear horses galloping close by as we follow the signs that say «To the bubbles» along a small path.
Creativity inside a giant bubble
And just like that, we’re standing in front of where we’ll stay for the night. Like a giant soap bubble, the transparent structure stands in the middle of the picturesque landscape. Inside, there’s a bed, a table with two chairs, and an unobstructed view of the vast sky. There’s also a huge parcel that includes brush pens, craft books, yarn, origami and mandala supplies, Katsuki jewellery and more. Our crafting hearts sing – there’s plenty to try out here.
But what’s really behind this unusual idea?
The experience was formed from a collaboration between the publisher TOPP and Book a Bubble. The latter is a platform where hosts in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France supply bubble accommodations. These are then set up in special locations, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, surrounded by nature. From 4 September through 18 October 2026, TOPP, together with other partners such as Staedtler, Ohuhu, Addi and Gründl, will be providing a selection of tents with a comprehensive creative kit. This way, guests can discover new hobbies together, unwind, and get creative.
How the dome stays in shape – and yet almost collapses
We take a quick look around the attached garden shed, which has a kitchenette, a sink and a toilet, and then we crack on with our crafts and painting. Before that, though, I was close to bringing the entire see-through shelter crashing down. The giant bubble isn’t kept in shape by pegs or fixtures, but by pressure: a blower constantly pumps air into it. When getting in and out, an airlock is designed to prevent the bubble from collapsing. In my excitement, however, I open both zips at the same time – and suddenly the bubble starts to shrink. Fortunately, once quickly sealed again, it props itself up just as quickly. Phew.
Camping vibes with jewellery kits and origami
Since it’s too hot inside the transparent bubble – even though it’s a pleasant 24 degrees outside – we set up outside first and dive right into our craft projects there. To get in the right frame of mind for a break, we reach for the box for more calm to begin with. Inside we find cards with clever sayings on to help us relax and rings for a little finger massage. We’re soon done with that and prefer to find the calm by doing a creative activity.
Next, we get stuck in to the Katsuki bracelets. The set includes various beads, rubber bands and clasps. The only issue is, it doesn’t come with scissors (to cut the elastic) or pliers to attach the clasps. So we use a knife from our camping gear as a substitute for scissors, but we have to improvise for the squeeze beads. In the end, I just tie the ribbon in a knot and skip the clasp — for the sake of peace of mind.
We’re thrilled with our results – the bracelets turn out really pretty. Slowly we get into the spirit of things.
It’s now evening. Our attempt to quickly fold something using the origami box fails because we’re impatient and don’t read the instructions carefully enough. Instead, we make dinner first. Since the second tent at the campsite is currently unoccupied, we have the kitchen, restroom and barbecue area all to ourselves. In fact, we don’t see a single soul during our stay and are truly undisturbed in nature.
Drawing until the lights go out
After dinner, we move on to the next projects: we tackle the Mandala set and use the Ohuhu markers with it.
That’s the moment when, for the first time, a real sense of creative relaxation sets in. We get into the flow and colour one mandala card after another. We both agree on how good the brush pens are.
Now it’s dark. Our bubble sits in the landscape like a glowing sphere, looking almost surreal. With the lights on inside, it’s cosy, even though August means the temperature starts to get a little chilly. In fact, it’s only 13 degrees outside and no warmer inside either due to the constant air exchange. Time to snuggle up in a cosy bed. If we get too cold at night despite the thick blankets, the bed’s equipped with electric blankets.
Lights out, stars twinkle
At first, there’s no sign of the starry sky. The fogged-up dome makes us feel as if we’re sitting behind frosted glass in a brightly lit storefront window. Does this mean we have to give up on our long-awaited stargazing? No, when we finally put away our pens and paper and turn off the lights, our vision clears. Suddenly, a sea of stars stretches out before us and above us. We fall silent and marvel at the sight. It’s as if our bed were floating freely in space. We gaze at Cassiopeia and look for other constellations until we fall asleep.
Waking up under a vast sky
After falling asleep under the stars – a truly magical experience – waking up is also pretty special. When I open my eyes, I see the sun peeking through the trees; a light mist hangs over the meadows around us and the sky is bathed in a clear blue.
I draw a few more flowers with the Staedtler watercolour set. But as the sun climbs higher, it soon gets warm again inside the tent, so we head over to the garden shed and make ourselves some coffee.
For breakfast, we sit outside with a view of the bubble and bring out the supply box again. I start working on a little crocheted croissant (that is, a crochet kit that I can use to make a cuddly croissant), and my friend designs a few folding cards with the Ohuhu pens before we finally say goodbye to our special tent.
Needlework sets
Quantity discount
EUR14,27 per piece for 2 units
Amusing Lovables crochet croissant set
Notebooks + Notepads
Quantity discount
EUR12,84 per piece for 4 units
Blum:Design Paper Mindful Flow A5
A5, Plain
A night that will stay with me
My hope that this short trip would allow me to unwind and find new inspiration for DIY projects was fully realised. After trying it out for the first time, we got into a real flow while drawing, enjoyed the tranquillity and, under the starry sky, experienced the special moment we had been hoping for. The wide variety of creative activities offers plenty of entertainment, even for a longer stay. One night is wonderful, but for a full getaway, I’d recommend at least two. That would give you plenty of time for a full-sized crocheted croissant, more boxes and most importantly: looking up at the sky.
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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