£25 per person, or two for £35 – price includes a glass of wine/tea and coffee and nibbles. Get in touch with Kate to book.

Join us at this creative writing workshop for adults; a space in which to explore storytelling, learn new techniques, stimulate ideas, channel your creativity – and put some words on paper. Open to all levels and experience, the session will include exercises, prompts, activities and discussion to help get your imagination and pens flowing.

Crafting with Feminism: 25 Girl-Powered Projects to Smash the Patriarchy, Bonnie Burton’s latest book, takes it one step further. This is making with a message, and features 25 projects that overtly send out messages of empowerment and challenge that are impossible to ignore. Feminism is about getting your voice out there, and these projects are a way to do so.

There’s the Huggable Uterus Body Pillow, Pizza Not Patriarchy Lunch Bags, or craft heroine finger puppets in the shape of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Frida Khalo. You might like to make some Feminist Badges of Honour in order to express whatever you feel like, regardless of norms, or a Nope Necklace – because you have the right to say no. Especially when rocking Power Pussie Panties. And when things seem tough, reach out to those who have been before you with these Strong Female Prayer Candles.

To help you connect with fellow feminists, she includes a feminist music playlist, suggestions for films and books to discover, holidays to celebrate and the perfect party planning. An enthusiastic and irreverent approach to craft, activism and creativity, it’s the perfect accompaniment to winter evenings.

The incredible talent that fills the shop (they have collaborated with over one hundred designers and offer space for makers to sell their wares) is both inspirational and intimidating. Led by Jude, and kept hydrated by Alice, we pretty soon relax, and get ready to become one of those makers, however briefly.

So step by step silver jewellery goes something like this….

After learning how to thread a saw – surprisingly difficult – we get stuck in on a piece of copper. Much cheaper than silver, it’s an ideal way to practice those straight lines, changes of directions and curves, and the process definitely informs the designs for our own pieces. Once we produced our stencils and stuck them to the silver, it was time to saw away. It’s easy to cut, or at least more so than I anticipated, and fairly fast once a decision has been made as to exactly what you’re trying to create. After sawing, it’s down to filing and sanding, an almost therapeutic job, watching your square of metal become a smooth shape that you created. Once the pendant is ready, it’s a case of drilling a hole somewhere in it and attaching a jump ring then a chain.

If it all sounds surprisingly simple, that’s because it is. What makes Turpentine unique (and awesome) is the clear passion that they have for what they do. At the same time is being in awe and respect of the makers they work with, they set up a feeling of accessibility and inclusivity. From describing their education – ‘St Martin’s, yeah, it’s just an art school round here ‘ – to the equipment needed – ‘don’t spend a fortune, find an old scrap of wood somewhere’ – and the cosy warmth of the shop and space, they clearly want to bring their craft to everyone. As well as one off workshops they run 6 week courses, graduates of which have gone on to do great things.

Handmade to the high street is their tagline, and they’ve succeeded in creating a brilliant shop space with workshops, that is ‘accessible, catchy, gender-neutral, art-based’ – and most of all fun.

The BUST Craftacular London summer session brought some of the best in the capital together to share their skills and wares at York Hall in Bethnal Green. Nearly seventy stalls filled the Bethnal Green venue, including wooden jewellery from Lucie Ellen, quirky postcards by Lucy Wilkins, lovely sewn bags by East London’s Olive Road, some organic haircare courtesy of Glasshouse and prints on offer from Su & Miah.

As well as all the opportunities to part with your cash for something beautiful, workshops throughout the day let participants try it out themselves. London Craft Club set up plant pots for individuals to paint, the colourful thumbs being a giveaway as to who had given it a go. The retro art of friendship bracelets was there with Mollie Makes and The New Craft House, and Live It. Love It. Make It. has brightened up homes (including my own!) with some paper cut wall hangings.

Tatty Devine is one of the success stories of the homegrown creative business. Started by best friends Harriet and Rosie in 1999 as a panicked reaction to a Vogue buyer asking Harriet to see her collection after spotting on her wrist the leather cuff she had made, it’s now a global jewellery range, specialising in bright and bold design. Using acrylic I was taken through the steps of making a bunting necklace, that will jazz up even the blandest of black work outfits.

Most of the designers and makers at BUST Craftacular sell and run workshops throughout the year. From the oooohs and smiles around the fair, it seems like new and old crafters alike will be sampling what’s on offer, and joining the cool crowd.

‘A craft workshop.’

He rolled his eyes. Craft has an unfair (although shifting) reputation as being old fashioned and irrelevant, more WI than people of the world.

‘We burned wood and drank wine.’

Now he was more interested.

Pyrography literally means fire writing, and is one of the most enjoyable, accessible and accessible crafts I’ve explored. With origins dating back to cavemen and the Chinese Han Dynasty, it involves using a heated tool to burn the surface of wood and leather to create patterns. Nine of us gathered together with London Craft Club to learn how to do so, trying different techniques, drawings and tools to embellish the goods provided. Although not easy to create beautiful designs, it’s pretty simple to get somewhere in just a two hour workshop, and whilst some of us stuck to stencils and patterns, others got more artistic and drew entire scenes. The smell of autumn bonfires was soon enveloping the room and the satisfying images began to appear.

The other awesome benefit of pyrography is that what is produced is often very practical. I’m now the proud owner of kitchen spatulas, pegs, a chopping board and a key ring – handcrafted versions of which I would not be able to buy for the workshop price, let alone be taught how to do. The only danger is how I’m eyeing up everything I see as a potential canvas. Doors, watch out…

London Craft Club run workshops all over the city, featuring a range of different tutors and activities, for all abilities.

Photos from London Craft Club.

So why spend a Sunday learning how to upholster a chair? Well, why do anything at all except for enjoyment and enhancement. Crafting something yourself, even – perhaps especially – recrafting and honing something already existing and providing new life into it, is immensely satisfying.

The Goodlife Centre run practical courses in DIY, woodwork, upholstery and more.

Read more here.

There’s also a hell of a lot of frustration – what to make, which fabric to choose, how can wools be so different, why are there multiple different needles, what is that proddy thing and for god sake why won’t this bloody sewing machine just sew?!

But that’s all part of the fun! At Craft Heaven: The Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycrafts Show they hope to inspire and inform with a whole host of demonstrations, workshops, stalls, experts and events to get you started or keep you going in the world of making. Running from Thursday 7th – Saturday 9th April, tickets are only £10 in advance, and available here.