Local things to see, make and do this winter

There are tons of fun things to see, make and do in the East Midlands this festive season. My pick of activities (including a couple further south, in London) are the following...

 

I'm looking forward to taking a trip up the M1 to Nottingham next weekend for the Pretty Dandy Flea. Thanks to for Laura for bringing it to my attention: I'm looking forward to having a blogger meet-up with her for a cup of tea and some bargain hunting.

The Makers Mart comes to Curve in Leicester on Saturday 8th December, and will feature an array of interesting designers and artists selling their wares. I'm thinking an early Christmas present to myself of a Barry Bulsara print may be in order...

Leicester's Guildhall is a beautiful half-timbered building which plays host to some fantastic workshops and events.  Coming up soon are all sorts of Christmas craft sessions, including wood block printing on Saturday 15th December and, on the evening of 28th November, a wreath making workshop.  I love making my own wreaths, and doing it in the beautiful surroundings of the medieval hall would make for an extra-festive experience.

If buying rather than making is your bag, December 1st & 2nd is the Guildhall's annual craft fair, which is usually a cut above your average Christmas fair.  Past visits have seen me pick up gifts like handmade soap, African print purses, crochet brooches and handknitted gloves, for very few pennies.

I'm really looking forward to buying some last-minute gifts at the Bust Christmas Craftacular in London on December 16th. 

Also in London, I can vouch for the excellent workshops run by The Make Lounge (it's thanks to them I know how to make the super-duper-easy cushion covers I wrote about last week).  They have masses of great Christmassy events coming up, including hand-carved stamps and tags on December 1st or 13th, and a fun-sounding Christmas craft night on December 14th.