Nine Crafty Classes to Make a Handmade Valentines
When you're all out of ideas, a handmade gift is a failsafe way to ensure that - if nothing else - they'll know you tried.
Silversmithing and Silver Clay Jewellery at
Maggie Read Jewellery
As well as selling her own handmade jewellery, Maggie Read offers the opportunity to learn to make a whole range of shiny gifts from her studio in the Scottish Borders (Cornhill to be precise). Whether you think they’d like a set of handcrafted stacking rings or a gem-encrusted necklace, there is a workshop that will deliver a gift they can wear with pride.
maggiereadjewellery.co.uk
Up-Cycle Furniture with
The Furniture Painting Company
Why not surprise your loved one by breathing fresh life into a favourite piece of furniture this Valentine’s? These workshops run by The Furniture Painting Company in Darlington will teach you the essential techniques you need to know to execute up-cycling projects that you’ll want to keep around for the long term.
thefurniturepaintingcompany.co.uk
Stoneware Pottery Workshop at
Ravn Clay
Handcraft your own stoneware pieces in one of the three-hour workshops at Ravn Clay, a pottery housed in the beautiful setting of Ford & Etal Estates, that can help you realise your vision in clay. From a sturdy mug, to a candleholder perfect for a dinner for two, their age-old techniques and beautiful glazes promise a piece that your loved one will (genuinely) treasure.
ravnclay.co.uk
Woodcarving at
Northern Wood Monkey
If you are lucky enough to count a keen chef as your other half, show them your appreciation by injecting some beauty into the everyday with bowls and spoons hand-whittled with wood from Northern Wood Monkey’s own coppice. These workshops will take you through the skills and tools necessary to keep you whittling away long after the workshop is done.
northernwoodmonkey.com
Candle Making with
Notes of Northumberland
Notes of Northumberland use the local area as inspiration for the scents in their candles, bath soaps and home fragrances. Join one of their beginner candle-making classes in Alnwick to create a gift that reminds the person you love of the places they love.
notesofnorthumberland.co.uk
Galentine’s Chocolate Making at
La Chocolatrice
This February, the expert chocolatiers at La Chocolatrice in Coxhoe know that the love you have for your gal pals is just as much a cause for celebration as any romantic relationship. Their Galentine’s chocolate-making experiences promise an hour and a half of deliciousness and plenty to take home too (but that doesn’t mean you have to share).
lachocolatrice.co.uk
Lino Printmaking Workshop for Two at
The Peacock and The Printmaker
If your partner also has a creative streak in them, why not share the fun? In these two-hour workshops in the centre of Newcastle, expert printmaker Heather Moore will guide you through the process of creating lino prints inspired by the North East coast.
thepeacockandtheprintmaker.com
Throw Your Own Pottery at
Amy Rutherford Ceramics
Join ceramicist Amy Rutherford at her studio in West Boldon where she will teach you how to throw your own small pot or bowl, and then glaze and fire your most successful piece to give as a gift on Valentine’s Day. You can also find her running workshops in other venues across the North East.
amyrutherfordceramics.com
Make a Picture from Sea Glass at
The Sea Glass Company
The sea glass used in the creations at the Newbiggin-based Sea Glass Company has been decades in the making, but in only two and a half hours they will teach you how to transform it into a completely unique piece of art to hang on the wall.
craftcourses.com
