Create your own enchanted woodland toadstool with expert needle felt artist Gretel Parker. Little hanging toadstools are the perfect Autumn decoration, or get ready for Christmas by making a festive one for your tree. All wools and extra materials are supplied, as are tools for use on the day. Gretel is the author of ‘Little Needle-Felted Animals’ published by Harper Collins and has a forthcoming book coming out later in the year ‘Decorative Needlefelting – 20 Seasonal Projects for the Home’ published by White Owl Publishing.
Explore the art of floristry with our Floristry 101 Workshop 1:1 or in groups Learn to craft beautiful, sustainable bouquets and foam-free arrangements in a natural style using seasonal and locally grown flowers. Perfect for beginners and those looking to enhance their floral skills.
Located between Canterbury and Ashford, join us on the beautiful Kent Downs for this introductory 1 day basket weaving course. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors were particularly skilled at making baskets using a host of different materials for a wide range of uses, from purely practical to ceremonial. We’ve put together this basket weaving course for anyone who would like to learn this fabulous skill. This day course will look at the ancient craft of willow basketry. You will be introduced to the materials and tools required and then be guided through the process to make your own round, handled, willow basket. About us and the venue: Jack Raven Bushcraft was founded in 2011 and we've been delivering bushcraft, craft and foraging courses since then from our 30 acre private ancient woodland on the Kent Downs in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Courses in the summer are held outdoors in our woodland camp complete with covered work areas, an outdoor kitchen and a composting loo. Courses in the winter are held in our workshop in a converted barn. Through the day we will also look at: - Alternative weaves such as randing and wailing - How to make oval and rectangular shaped baskets - Different border designs, - Collecting and preparing your own materials from the hedgerow. Time permitting we will also explore other methods of basketry such as coiled and rubbed baskets. What's included in the price? We will provide all tools and materials as well as a plentiful supply of tea and coffee. Cancellation policy Strict - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 8 weeks before the course starts
Working bone is a skill that was fundamental in our journey towards making evermore effective and reliable tools. Not only that, but making bone tools allowed our hunter gatherer ancestors to share a deeper connection with, and understanding of, the animals that they were so dependent upon. Bone is a versatile material that can be used to make all manner of tools and craft items ranging from simple designs to very intricate. The use of bone allowed us to create more effective clothing utilising tools such as needles and pins. In a recent find, 500,000 year old bone tools were found in Britain, highlighting just how far back in time they stretch. During this one day course you will learn techniques on how to work bone using other natural materials such as flint and abrasive stones, as well as selecting specific bones to create different tools. The day will start by discussing some of the points above and looking at a selection of bone tools such as: Needles, Awls, Harpoons, Spear tips and Arrow heads. After that it will be time for you to warm up those fingers and start shaping some bone! About us and the venue: Jack Raven Bushcraft was founded in 2011 and we've been delivering bushcraft, craft and foraging courses since then from our 30 acre private ancient woodland on the Kent Downs in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Courses in the summer are held outdoors in our woodland camp complete with covered work areas, an outdoor kitchen and a composting loo. Courses in the winter are held in our workshop in a converted barn. What's included in the price? We include all tools, equipment and materials. The kettle is always on for tea and coffee. Cancellation policy Strict - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 8 weeks before the course starts
Located between Canterbury and Ashford, join us on the beautiful Kent Downs for this introductory 1 day coiled basket course. Coiled baskets are baskets made from bunches of plant fibres such as straw or hay, Those fibres are wound in a continuous spiral around themselves. The coils are kept in place using thread, the work being done stitch by stitch and coil by coil. Coiled basketry was practiced by our hunter-gatherer ancestors all around the world. They were commonplace in the British Isles, although more so in Scotland; in England they were often referred to as lip work baskets. We’ve put together this coiled basketry course for anyone who likes to use their hands and would like to learn this fabulous ancestral skill. You will be introduced to the materials and tools required and then be guided through the process to make your own round, coiled basket. Throughout the day you will: Learn how to create all the elements of a coiled basket, so the base, the sides, stitching and how to finish it all off with a border. We will discuss care of your basket, making different basket shapes, and alternative materials that can be used as well as hay. At the end of the day you will come away with the satisfaction of having created a wonderful basket that’s unique and has a wide range of practical uses. About us and the venue: Jack Raven Bushcraft was founded in 2011 and we've been delivering bushcraft, craft and foraging courses since then from our 30 acre private ancient woodland on the Kent Downs in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Courses in the summer are held outdoors in our woodland camp complete with covered work areas, an outdoor kitchen and a composting loo. Courses in the winter are held in our workshop in a converted barn. What's included in the price? We'll supply all tools and materials for the course. We'll make sure the kettle is on the go and supply tea, coffee and biscuits. Cancellation policy Medium - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 4 weeks before the course starts
A Day in Wales. Join me for this fantastic photography workshop of woodland, lakes and waterfalls.In this course we cover all of the above. What do you need to bring with you?Camera/lenses/Spare memory card/batteries/tripod - A digital camera with "semi-automatic/manual" controls (Aperture and Shutter priority) is recommended to get the most from the course. Filters (if you have them) A packed lunch/snacks The relevant user manual for your camera Warm/waterproof clothing and suitable footwear - weather can be unpredictable all year round in Snowdonia. A notepad and pen What happens in bad weather?I monitor weather forecasts and if conditions are predicted to be completely unsuitable, to ensure both your safety and enjoyment of the day, it may be necessary to cancel a workshop. I will endeavour to provide at least 24hrs notice, although this cannot always be guaranteed; you will be offered either a full refund or a place on a future course.
An amazing art holiday with cultural visits, food tasting, drawing en plein air... and a complete course to discover the secrets of oil painting.
Fish and small game made up an important part of our hunter gatherer ancestors diet, meaning that hand knitted net making was a crucial skill to master. A net is an openwork fabric in which threads are fused, looped or knotted at their intersections at regular intervals and have long been used for fishing and trapping animals, as hammocks, or simply as a means of carrying things around. So we’ve put together this net making course to show you how to make your own net from entirely natural materials so that you can go away and make your own net for a variety of situations. You’ll start the day by looking at natural cordage as you’ll need cordage to make your net! We’ll discuss various plants and trees that can be used to make cordages, such as nettles, brambles, lime bast and the inner bark of sweet chestnut. With the materials prepared, we’ll show you how to make a simple 2 ply cord and then, How to plait, braid or ply them. From there you’ll move on to net making itself and will cover: The various netting tools available and different materials they can be made from, How to begin a net, How to change the size and shape of your net, How to finish off your net, How to join nets together to make a bigger one. By the end of this net making course you will have the skills and knowledge to make your own nets from scratch, either for fishing or trapping small game, or even to make your very own net bag! Jack Raven Bushcraft was founded in 2011 and we've been delivering bushcraft, craft and foraging courses since then from our 30 acre private ancient woodland on the Kent Downs in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Courses in the summer are held outdoors in our woodland camp complete with covered work areas, an outdoor kitchen and a composting loo. Courses in the winter are held in our workshop in a converted barn. What's included in the price? We'll supply all tools and materials for the course. We'll make sure the kettle is on the go and supply tea, coffee and biscuits. Cancellation policy Strict - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 8 weeks before the course starts
Youth Options offers bespoke programmes of learning for children and young people (either 1:1 or in groups). Our aim is to support children and young people to feel inspired and capable to achieve something worthwhile, address issues they are facing, improve mental and physical wellbeing whilst appreciating the importance of the world we live in.
A standalone 10 week/session course that will introduce you to the basic materials, tools, equipment and techniques used in paper crafting and mixed media work and to Craft4Smiles C.I.C and our tutors. You will be sent all the materials and equipment needed to complete the course. At the end of each lesson you will have a crafted item to take away to keep or show family and friends. You will be told about the other courses you offer so that you can make an informed choice about further learning.