Life
Learn a new skill and boost your wellbeing: 10 craft workshops to try this spring
By Helen Booth
9 years ago
If you've been meaning to take up a creative pursuit, there's never been a better time; studies have shown that crafting lowers stress levels and increases happiness, and working on a creative project can also help to ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
From patchwork to block printing, there are a number of skilled makers who teach others through in-person workshops and online classes. So, whether you prefer to learn a creative skill while having a glass of wine with friends and meeting other like-minded people, or want to pick up a new hands-on project while taking an online class at your kitchen table, there are opportunities to suit all tastes.
Ready to learn something new? We've rounded up some of the best classes on offer this spring (and beyond)...
Beginners patchwork
If you're keen to learn a needlework skill, patchwork is a great place to start. Learn the basics and you'll be knocking up quilts before you know it.
Location: Guthrie and Ghani, Manchester
Price: £32
Dates: 28 June and 23 August
The first steps of hand-lettering
SkillShare is an online learning hub with hundreds of video-based tutorials to choose from. We like this hand-lettering class, which will teach you how to transform your doodles or favourite quote into an artful drawing with just two hours of learning.
Membership from £5.50 per month; skillshare.com
Terrarium workshop
Get your hands dirty with Geo-Fleur's terrarium making workshops, which take place in the Tottenham Court Road branch of West Elm. You'll have to provide your own terrarium (which can be purchased in store or brought from home), but Geo-Fleur will provide three succulents or cacti and the other bits you'll need to make the perfect miniature garden to take home with you.
Location: West Elm, London
Price: £20
Dates: Various evenings throughout May and June
Block printing on fabric
Take Jen Hewett's online class and you will learn the simple but effective craft of block printing; from coming up with a design, to carving a block and printing repeat patterns. There's even a Facebook group to allow students to share their progress.
From £82; jenhewett.com
Organic bouquet-making
Head to Anthropologie in Edinburgh on the 21 May and learn how to create a hand-tied bouquet using organic flowers plucked from tutor/florist Dorothy Hardie's Victorian walled garden. A skill that's likely to come in handy this summer.
Location: Anthropologie, Edinburgh
Price: £20
Date: 21 May
Knitting socks
Knitting is the perfect craft to do while binging on Netflix, and much less distracting than scrolling through Instagram (as long as you don't drop your stitches). In this online class, super stitcher Vickie Howell will help you how to visualise and craft something that you'll actually be able to use: a pair of socks.
£20; creativelive.com
Wire hare making
For something a bit different, you could head to Drink, Shop and Do in King's Cross and learn how to make a delicate hare sculpture out of wire. Once you've mastered that, who knows where the skill will take you - check out tutor Zack's Instagram feed to discover his own amazing creations.
Location: Drink, Shop & Do, London
Price: £20
Date: 30 May
Nail art
Save money on manicures by learning to paint your own nail art. In this online class, you'll learn how to give your nails an ombré effect, master layering, and finish up by creating your own geometric designs.
£13; brit.co
Modern resin jewellery
Learn how to turn your tiny keepsakes into eye-catching pieces of jewellery in this two-part class. Over the two sessions you'll learn how to mix, pour and cast the resin, and will soon be able to make jewellery from tiny fragments of confetti, sequins or even Scrabble letters.
Location: Fred Aldous, Manchester
Price: £55.00
Dates: 24 Sept & 1 Oct (two sessions)
Sketchbook explorations
If you're ready to graduate from adult colouring books, Lisa Congdon's Sketchbook Exploration classes are a great way to pick up some freestyle doodling skills. Over the course of eight online episodes split into two four-part series, these classes will teach you how to sketch with purpose, using methods including watercolour, brush pens and collage.
Individual classes from £7; creativebug.com
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