Adult Crafting Workshops
Creativity and inspiration...
Hello! At Birkhill House, we know that crafting is therapy. But it also provides the opportunity to unlock whole new worlds by learning new skills. There is so much on offer here to help with this discovery - whether that be through attendance at one of our regular weekly groups, participating in one of our seasonal crafting workshops or scheduling something special for you and your group from our Crafting Directory. Have a browse and contact us if you would like more information.
Regular groups
We offer regular creative opportunities throughout the weeks and months. You can browse these below. Or you can skip down the page and find stand-alone scheduled workshops.
Open Crafting Sessions
Tuesday 6-8pm & Friday 10am-12noon
Free, no booking necessary - just drop in!
Please note: There will be no sessions on Friday 13th, Tuesday 17th and Friday 20th February 2026.
The open sessions are for members of our community who would like to bring along a crafting project to work on, share a laugh & a cuppa and generally soak up the creative vibe here At Birkhill House. We encourage attendees to breathe life back into neglected projects or take the plunge and start something new. Many people think it's only about knitting and crochet but we have had so many different mediums around the table: paint, charcoal, pencils, beading, embroidery, gem art, origami, stitching, woodworking, needle felting and more. Join us!
Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund
Makers Groups
Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 10am-1pm
Free, block booking necessary (see below)
The Makers Group was created in response to a need identified for opportunities to learn new skills and alleviate social isolation.
What we noticed about some visiting groups during the pilot period of our Makers Group in 2022 is that the social aspect of creating around the table and the skills developed during that process seemed equal in importance to the finished products themselves. Attendees were keen to soak up the relaxed atmosphere, share experiences and learn together - and everyone was delighted when they felt that work they had done here could also somehow benefit our project.
So we introduced five-six week blocks in which participants could learn two or three new techniques/skills together, create items that would end up on the shop shelves here and hopefully make new connections with like-minded folk. Our groups also help to prep and package kits and test-drive new products.
Tea/coffee and lunch are included and there is also a small bursary to help with travel expenses. Generally, groups have no more than six or seven people/block.
So successful was the uptake that we now have three groups meeting weekly!
The next blocks run from:
Fleece & Fibre processing:
Tuesday 24th February - 31st March 2026
Wednesday 25th February - 1st April 2026
Thursday 26th February - 2nd April 2026
Natural Dye Garden activities:
Tuesday 21st April - 19th May 2026
Wednesday 22nd April - 20th May 2026
Thursday 23rd April - 21st May 2026
Check back soon for details on future blocks.
Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund
Saturday Stitchers
Saturdays, every three weeks, 10am-1pm
£12 per person per session or £36 for four-week block
Saturday Stitchers takes place in a relaxed group environment loosely led by textile artist Mairi Flood and was born from a desire to stitch and experiment together as a group.
"While there is absolutely a place for contemplative stitching on one’s own, we feel there is equally a place for setting aside time to meet with other stitchers to sew and share knowledge & creativity around the craft table with a coffee in hand. The companionship of stitchers is powerful stuff!" says Mairi.
While Mairi is on hand to offer ideas and help when requested, this is not a workshop format. She can offer suggestions if you’re unsure about what to do but more often than not, this is provided through the group sharing ideas.
Everyone who comes along has their individual stitching story: some are skilled with patchwork, others enjoy mending & upcycling, some like to dabble in all kinds of stitching and others want to start at the beginning. What is special about the group is the alchemy that happens when everyone is chatting and stitching together. Sessions are punctuated with chat, laugher, the silence of busy hands and the buzz of sharing ideas and skills, creating possibilities along with encouragement to have a go.
Sessions happen around the large craft table At Birkhill House and the group also has the use of the sewing room and its machines. Alongside this, Mairi leads two or three "Demo Days" throughout the year. These are not workshops, per se, but days to experiment and play with a technique or idea that Mairi demonstrates at the start of the session. The Demo Days give you access to the tools you need and a materials pack, more of which can be purchased in the shop at Birkhill. Our first two Demo Days focused on Gelli Plate printing on fabrics and then weaving & embroidering on upcycled textile strips to create your own fabric and were priced quite reasonably at £40 per six-hour day. Ideas for Demo Days come from the discussions around the craft table. Whatever your sewing story is, you are most welcome to join us!
Email Mairi Flood directly: meanderingyarns@gmail.com
Upcoming blocks in 2026:
2nd May, 28th May, 13th June & 4th July
25th July, 15th August, 5th September & 26th September
17th October, 7th November, 28th November & 19th December
Upcoming blocks in 2027:
19th January, 30th January, 20th February, 13th March
Spinning Group
Sundays, monthly 12noon-4pm
Free, no booking necessary - just drop in!
Join us for a monthly gathering of experienced spinners looking to bring their projects and spin in company. The group is drop-in but we do ask a donation (pay-what-you-can) for tea/coffee and snacks. Bring your own wheel and spinning project. Please note: this is not a teaching group.
Next dates:
19th October 2025 19th July 2026
16th November 2025 August - break
18th January 2026 20th September 2026
22nd February 2026 18th October 2026
22nd March 2026 15th November 2026
19th April 2026 13th December 2026
24th May 2026 17th January 2027
21st June 2026 21st February 2027
Scheduled workshops
Below you will find details of upcoming workshops and booking links to our Eventbrite.
Mindful Crafts for the Spring Equinox
Saturday 21st March 2026, 2-4pm
Celebrate the coming of spring in this creative wellbeing session, making bespoke collages using ink, natural objects and paper ephemera.
Join HCPC registered creative therapist Vicky Inam for this mindful crafts session designed to provide a space for connection, reflection and creative exploration. Vicky will lead the group in a walking meditation around the beautiful grounds of Birkhill House before guiding participants to collect natural objects to use in a mark-making exercise with ink. These intuitive artworks, combined with paper ephemera from Vicky's collection will be used to create collages for spring.
Vicky's Mindful Crafts workshops offer everyone from novice to expert the benefits of being creative in a welcoming and warm beginner-friendly environment. All crafts and art-making materials will be provided. No prior arts, crafts or mindfulness experience required.
Note: this session will feature the use of ink that can stain. Latex gloves will be provided but please wear clothes you don't mind getting messy. Part of this workshop will take place outdoors so please dress according to the weather.
£20/person
Age guideline: 16+
Intro to Wheel Spinning
Saturday 11th & 18th April 2026, 10am-3pm
Learn to spin your own yarn in this intensive two-day introduction to wheel spinning.
This two-part workshop is for crafters who are serious about learning how to spin their own yarns. It is a comprehensive introduction to the spinning process, spinning equipment and natural fibres.
You will learn to spin initially on a drop spindle, using the park-and-draft method and progress through plying and treadling all the way to spinning on the wheel. Sessions are designed as a mixture of theory and practice to ensure that you have hands-on experience as well as a good understanding of the spinning process to continue on your own.
All equipment and a selection of fibres with which to learn and practice will be provided.
Wear comfortable clothing and shoes and tie your hair back. Tea/coffee & biscuits provided but please bring your own packed lunch.
Dates: Saturday 11th & 18th April 2026, 10am-3pm (with half hour break for lunch)
Ages 16+
Length 9 hours (2 x 4.5-hour workshops)
£150pp
Wet Felted Vessels
Saturday 2nd May 2026, 10am-5pm
Create your own vessel/bag/basket using the wet felting process with expert guidance by local felt artist, Marnie Collins.
This is an introductory to intermediate level wet felting workshop where you can create your own large vessel/basket/bag to take home with you, show off and use. In this workshop you will learn 3D Wet felting, which is an immersive process transforming wool fibres into a durable 3d form, using water, organic soap and abrasion.
Other information:
What you’ll need to bring: stamina, good stories to share, your own lunch and water bottle. You may wish to bring a colourful image for inspiration, a hand towel, and a change of clothes is a good idea as you may get wet.
What you should wear: comfortable shoes, comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting messy in. No manicures please, you will be using your hands all day!
£75/person
Age guideline: 16-70
** this is a strenuous process, therefore you must be fit and healthy enough to participate
Embellished Tool Holder Workshop
Sunday 28th June 2026, 10a,-4.30pm
Choose from an assortment of gorgeous Harris tweed and wool felt to create this ornate embellished tool holder - with textile artist Mairi Flood.
This workshop spans a full day, giving you time to choose from an assortment of Harris Tweeds and wools to create your very own tool holder with unique embroidered design.
Once made, they can hold all manner of tools – from leather making tools to felting implements, knitting needles to crochet hooks. Feedback from customers is excellent, with many saying they would never be without their tool holder!
All materials and tools provided. Tea/coffee and snack provided but please bring along a packed lunch.
£55/person
Ages 16+
Five participants needed for the workshop to go ahead, maximum of eight round the table.
