The best places in your local area for arts and crafts
Arts and crafts have existed alongside humanity since we could first hold a piece of chalk.
Whilst we have branched out in our crafting activities since people were painting on cave walls, the tendency to fall back upon dried-out acrylics, crayons, or sticking glitter to any tangible surface is a strong one. (Seriously, how does it get on the ceiling?!)
There are many paths of arts and crafts less ventured, so I hope that this list containing a range of activities suitable for both adults and children will ignite a new passion in you. (Or just keep you occupied for an afternoon).
1. Pottery Painting
Happy Glaze Ceramics, 41 Waterloo Rd, Epsom KT19 8EX
Pottery painting has received a surge of love recently, so join the newfound pottery fanatics in picking up a paintbrush and designing your own crockery! It’s a brilliant activity to keep the kids from bouncing off the walls, or for tired adults who’d like to get their creative wheels rolling for an afternoon (I painted a bowl last summer).
Happy Glaze Ceramics in Epsom has a wonderful atmosphere to sit and paint in. Not only is there an excellent range of bisque- everything between plates and animal figurines- but Happy Glaze also does baby footprints to give a plate that extra sentimental value.
2. Jewellery-Making
Pure Poppy Beads
Pure Poppy Beads, Chobham
Jewellery-making kits I used as a kid consistently disappointed me; the scratchy thread and mismatched glitter beads never made for an overly attractive bracelet.
Well, down with frail elastic and plastic charms, I say! With good-quality materials and proper clasps, allow your creative potential to be unleashed. Whether you’d like to pick out your own beads and charms to assemble at home, select a kit complete with detailed instructions, or go into a store and birth your beaded creations there, I’ve got you covered.
Whilst I’m sure Etsy has a variety of kits to spoil you with, we like to support local businesses at Essential Surrey. Pure Poppy Beads offers a range of jewellery-making kits- complete with full instructions- for something to keep your hands busy at home.
These are all made ‘with the young in mind’, so don’t fret over the possibility of your children’s frustration and tears (or your own) because that one bead just won’t cooperate.
For in-store jewellery-making, Busy Beading offers after-school clubs and weekend and holiday classes for children.
If you’d like to select your own unique range, Peppy Beads and Crafts in Kingston has a delightful selection of beads, clasps, chains, and tools suitable for everything from anklets to earrings.
3. Weaving
Willow and Yoga, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey RH4 3LN
Fancy crafting objects the way your ancestors did? Weaving willow is a meticulous skill that humanity has been utilising for centuries.
Now a lost art to the inventions of the modern age that replaced wicker baskets with plastic takeout boxes, reconnect with a piece of human history by handweaving your own vessel- (best not to use these as takeout receptacles, though, your tikka masala may slip through the gaps.)
Willow and Yoga offer weaving courses all year round, and you can check out their autumn term dates now.
4. Printmaking
Art Academy London, 165A Borough High St, London SE1 1HR
Printmaking is a wonderful art form; the various techniques offer something for everyone, and its versatility in detail and style awards it the perfect activity for adults and children alike.
You can try printmaking yourself at home; the most child-friendly forms are cyanotype printing- or ‘sun prints’ and gelli-plate printing, however, if you’d like something more advanced, dry-point printing and linocuts could be your new favourite past-time.
Equally, a workshop to guide you through the process is advisable, especially if seeking to tackle more difficult printing forms for the first time. Find a printing course at Art Academy London.
If you are confident in your skills, or cannot find a workshop that calls to you, the materials for printmaking can all be purchased online and indulged in at home.
Although not a locally-based store, I recommend Lawrence Art Supplies for its affordable prices and products for both children and adults.
5. Textiles
Strawberry Patch Crafters, The Mayford Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU22 0PP
Any textile skills I possess, I owe to my Granny. She taught me to knit and sew from a young age, and it has been a skill I am eternally grateful for.
From stripy scarves, Christmas decorations and soft toys to casual clothes and evening gowns, mastering textiles work is not only enjoyable for creative minds but also innately useful.
If you don’t have a grandparent proficient in textiles, however, do not fear.
Strawberry Patch Crafters caters to children and adults alike, offering informative and encouraging yet laidback sessions to cultivate interest and ardour for crafting. The sewing sessions involve both hand sewing and on a machine, and the crafts for adults offer a space to ‘make friends and share talents over a cuppa and cake.’
6. Pottery Making
Wildcroft Pottery, Wakefield, Wildcroft Wood, Witley, Surrey GU8 5RL
If pottery painting is simply not enough to quench your thirst for ceramics, then why not try making your own?
Whilst pottery making can be difficult to get the hang of, especially if using a pottery wheel, it's an incredibly enjoyable activity- albeit very slimy on the hands- and peacefully therapeutic (provided you’re not accidentally hauling clay across the room).
Whilst pottery-making requires a focused dexterity, especially in comparison to its pot-painting counterpart, if you are looking for a new hobby, business idea, or simply a new artistic experience, trying the pottery wheel is a much-recommended endeavour to embark on. Parkgate Pottery offers wheel-throwing classes all year round.
If the pottery wheel is not tickling your fancy, however, dainty and professional pottery can be achieved with just your hands and a few tools.
Wildcroft Pottery in Witley has brilliant pottery-making options for both adults and children (from 7yrs), as well as private classes and taster sessions (for over 17yrs) to ensure you like it before committing to a weekly course.
If you would like something more friendly for the little ones, air-drying clay is a brilliant alternative to try at home.
7. Quilting
Creative Quilting, 32 Bridge Rd, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9HA
Patchwork is a charming activity, and whilst it’s not the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions arts and crafts, this textiles technique that has stood the test of time is a wonderful way to spend a rainy afternoon.
Creative Quilting caters to all levels; whether you have already mastered the art and are seeking a space to weave your talents alongside others, are a textiles dabbler seeking to dip your toes into quilting waters, or if you’re a ‘patchwork virgin’ (as they say on their introduction course), this quaint fabric store in East Molesey will have something for you.
8. Candle-Making
Candle making
Photo by Vlada Karpovich
Since the world-changing invention that is electricity, the global use for candles plummeted.
However, in being as persistent and devoted as we are, candles found a new place in society as fun and calming decor- what’s even more great about them, though, is the chance to make them.
Experimenting with colours and scents, embellishing the wax with dried petals and ribbon, candle-making is the perfect activity for expressing creativity whilst producing something that can be used around the house.
Whether you’d like to pick up your own supplies and have a go at home (careful, hot wax is dangerous and this can be messy!) or sign up for one of the regularly hosted candle-making workshops at By Laura London in Walton-Upon-Thames, candle-making is a wonderful rainy day activity.
9. Wood-Carving
Joy Farms - craft ,woodcarving and art experiences - Surrey
Woodcarving, Spoon Carving
Joy Farms, Openview Farm, Epsom Rd, Surrey KT24 6AP
For those seeking a project, woodcarving may be your muse. There are numerous styles and techniques in woodcarving, each tailored to various creations. Whether you are wanting to carve furniture, decorative plaques, or little wooden animals, using this natural resource to craft to your heart’s content is an art well worth it.
Joy Farms in the Surrey Hills host woodcarving workshops all year round.
10. Flower Pressing/ Flower Drying
Dried flower wreath
Hedges and Hurdles, Burnley, Green Lane. Whitebushes, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 5LJ
This is a fun, easy activity for all ages- just as long as you have the patience for it! Pressing or drying flowers can take up to a couple of weeks to ensure they are properly treated, but there are limitless possibilities of things to create with them.
From patterns and pictures to coaster designs, flowers can be put into anything. For a more intricate activity, dried flower wreaths, such as this wonderful course with Hedges and Hurdles (in collaboration with Renee Canter @thegirlwhogardens) are a brilliant way to begin more advanced flower creations.
This is also great for preserving flowers gifted to you before they wilt to mulch in a vase, but if you decide to pick them yourself make sure they are not from protected areas (or anyone’s garden!)
11. Origami
Origami crane
Photo by Saeed Khokhar
The ancient Japanese art of Origami is well-loved by many, and before paper was popularised as an accessible material, it is believed this meticulous folding practice was conducted on cloth and leather.
What really lends Origami its favour as an art is its convenience; with no fancy materials needed, you can pick up a piece of paper that’s lying around the house and craft it into something beautiful in a matter of minutes.
For something a bit funkier than your usual printing paper, consider a kit complete with instruction manuals which are excellent for those starting their paper-folding journey.
