Latest reviews

Irene Martin reviewed: Make a spindle-back chair

"Making my chair was a challenging undertaking as I had never done anything like this before. Peter was very patient in introducing and helping me with the new skills needed. It was inspiring to make a beautiful object starting from a log of wood and using traditional tools. The woodland setting is perfect for this course. I am delighted with my chair."

Julie Scales reviewed: Spring Cushion Crochet Workshop

"This course is great. I moved on to this from a beginners 10week course. The tutor Sarah is showing us how to do something different each week eg. a new stitch or pattern, how to join squares, creating a border around your work. We have new projects galore to then work on at home. Would recommend this course."

Tia Jordan reviewed: Learn to sew a reversible tote bag

"Attended this course with Judi and thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly liked the small group as this gave us all the individual help when we needed it. I love the finished bag and will definitely be using it and making more as gifts for my friends."

Sew Make it responded:

"Thank you Tia, so glad you enjoyed the course. look forward to seeing you for the PJ workshop! Judi"

Rachael Magson reviewed: Mosaic workshop at Jackie Nash Art

"We had a lovely time with Jackie - a very special day for me, my mom, my best friend and her mom to celebrate a 60th birthday. Jackie was friendly and her house is amazing! Such a pleasure to have a view into her world and to share her house and studio with us. More than that Jackie is a real expert and is a fantastic guide - she inspired our designs and helped us shape our ideas and gave us lots of tips. We were all amazed at the quality of what we produced in a day - and some things to really treasure. I would highly recommend."

Jennifer reviewed: Needle felting workshop - Create your own woodland creature

"I attended the course on Monday 12th February as a Christmas treat to myself, as I had always wanted to try needle felting. The venue (Bonds) is easy to get to with lots of free parking. Denise is lovely and very patient, the pace of the course is great and we were able to ask lots of questions about techniques and wool types. The day flew by and before we knew it we were taking home a lovely little felted fox :) And the food - oh my gosh it was the nicest soup and sandwich i'd tasted in a long while and cake and coffee in the afternoon! It felt like a real treat of a day! I showed a friend what I had made and she wants to have a go to, so I suspect we'll be booking on another course in the very near future! One word of warning though - if you attend this course (if you are anything like me) you will: a) Become addicted to needle felting b) End up spending some more money in Bonds as they have so many lovely things on sale (I ended up with a lovely new scarf to end the day! To sum up - if you are a complete novice and want to give needle felting a go, book yourself on this course - you won't be disappointed. See you again soon Denise!"

Tom reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"Great day and fantastic stool at the end of it!"

Tina Huber reviewed: Beginner hand spinning - 1 to 1 instruction

"I purchased a spinning wheel a while ago, waxed and assembled it, but could not get the hang of spinning despite many attempts and watching numerous YouTube How-To’s. Before frustration set in I searched for a course/tutor to give me a hands-on workshop. I found Paivi on Craft Courses and after looking at her website felt inspired by her creativity and range of skills and so booked the Beginner’s Workshop. I took along my own wheel as I wanted someone with experience to check that it was set up correctly. Paivi made some adjustments; explaining why the wheel would work better with some simple technical tweaks. Paivi introduced spinning very gradually; demonstrating herself then patiently watching me as I got to grips with the basics. Paivi’s knowledge of fleece and spinning meant that she could break the process down into smaller, manageable steps that slowly built up to spinning fleece. She offered explanations for what was happening; if the tension needed adjusting etc. as I worked. Paivi has a wonderful, well-stocked workshop not just for spinning but for dyeing and weaving too – this led to many interesting conversations. By the end of the workshop I had experienced a variety of wool – each having quite a different ‘feel’. I came away with a bag of things to try/practice with and feeling I had ‘made friends’ with my spinning wheel! Thank you Paivi!"

Paul and Shirley Edwards reviewed: One day pottery making course for 2 people in Norwich, Norfolk

"Had a fantastic day learning pottery skills with Pat. Started as complete beginners and managed some decent pots by the end of the day. It was informative and fun. Wear old clothes and be prepared to get mucky. Pat’s a great teacher and good company too. Thanks for an excellent day."

Sarah reviewed: Micro Macrame - Beaded Bracelet

"I really enjoyed my macrame lesson on Monday with Wendy. Definitely going to be making some bracelets for friends over the next few weeks. Thank you for the tea and biscuits."

Wendy reviewed: Macrame - Wall Art

"Thoroughly enjoyed the class, Wendy made it seem easier than I thought it would be. I just need to practice the knots before I forget how to do them :)"

Jenny Waller reviewed: Mosaic workshop at Jackie Nash Art

"What a fantastic day! It was so lovely to get creative and do something different. Jackie was so helpful and my mirror is something I can be proud of. I would definitely recommend this course and I will be back. Best banana cake ever! Thank you."

Emma Rowe reviewed: Mosaic workshop at Jackie Nash Art

"What a fantastic and very therapeutic day! Thoroughly enjoyed the workshop from beginning to end and Jackie made us all feel very welcome with an endless supply of tea and homemade cakes! Jackie provided excellent guidance and inspiration and I absolutely love my finished piece. Jackie had a huge range of mosaic tiles for us to choose from, meaning we all got to make exactly what we envisaged . The best review I can give is to say I will definitely be back!"

Dom Rudd reviewed: Skills - Ultimate power tools

"So glad I spent the time with David learning about how to use so many power tools, some I'd used before but obviously did not fully understand! Some I'd looked at before and thought that I'd never want to or be able to use but I now have the confidence to do so. And I learnt so many extra tips and tricks of the trade from David. It was a very comprehensive, information packed day which was also very understandable, allowing me to put the use of the tools into perspective. It was well paced allowing me to absorb the information but allowing me unhurried time to practice using the tools. David has a good teaching style and I never felt rushed or hurried. David stuck with us until our objectives had been achieved. I highly recommend this day and would be really happy to work with David again."

Chris Horsewill reviewed: Lino printmaking in the Dales

"This course was really good fun, Penny was an excellent tutor and we went home with some lovely prints too!"

Upholstery reviewed: Upholstery and upcycling furniture and interiors

"Spent a day with Lucy recently in her lovely home on an upholstery project. As someone relatively new to this Lucy proved to be an excellent teacher and I learned lots of new skills. The day was informative, interesting , enjoyable and productive and I achieved what I hoped to on the day. Thank you also for the lovely lunch and cakes!"

Tania reviewed: Skills - Ultimate power tools

"As an enthusiastic DIY-er, who also completed an introductory woodworking course (elsewhere), I've been looking at upgrading my collection of power tools in order to complete woodworking projects faster and to a higher standard. While I've had some idea what tools to look for, I wasn't necessarily confident in choosing or using them. In addition, due to a very limited working space, getting the right mix of multitasking and more specialist tools was of the essence for me. Yes, there're numerous guides and tutorials online nowadays but for me nothing beats 'try before you buy' approach coupled with a competent advice from a real person and this is why I opted for this course (and I wasn't disappointed!). David has a fantastic workshop equipped with every imaginable power tool you would need for a woodwork project. At the start of the day, he checked what each of us needed to get out of the course and made sure the agenda was tweaked accordingly. The class that followed was structured but flexible at the same time. David has provided a comprehensive overview of features, set-up and safe operation of each tool we covered, peppered with invaluable tips, all in a very friendly and professional manner. We've had plenty of opportunities to try each tool and ask any related questions. I would highly recommend this course."

kaylon burns reviewed: Knife Making and Bladesmith Classes: Hand-Forged Viking Knife

"I'm 14 years old I stared making things when I was 11 years old and I still do it now but I have been wishing to do it properly making knifes arrows I would say I'm good at blacksmithing but not an expert at it that's why I'm want to work as a blacksmith ."

Sandra reviewed: One-to-One Private workshop

"I have just attended the valentines stained glass workshop. As a complete novice I was a bit nervous but had a blast, I feel I am now totally hooked. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher, Gigha was amazing showing us step by step and very patient going over things. Everyone on the workshop was very friendIy and we all, made lovely glass items which we could take home. Can't wait to go to my next workshop with Gigha. I would highly recommend this workshop. Sandra"

Simon reviewed: Firebird Forge Blacksmithing School

"I've always wanted to have a go at blacksmithing. My wife got me a day at Firebird forge. What a great day. Simon made me feel at ease with emails prior to meeting. There was two of us, both beginners and Simon went through all the processes and kept an eye on us. I made a candle holder and was so amazed in 1 day what I learnt. It is hard work but so enjoyable. I would do it again. If you ever fancied it definitely try this place."

Liz Edwards reviewed: Needle felt workshop

"A fantastic way to spend a day learning how to needle felt a realistic felt animal in a relaxed and friendly environment. The standard of tuition is excellent, allowing beginners to learn a new skill, or more experienced felters to develop their techniques. The venue is great and if you can drag yourself away from the felting, it is well worth taking a stroll round the beautiful gardens at Mount Pleasant. Refreshments were plentiful and the scones delicious! I can highly recommend Louise's courses."

Tracy WB reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"A lovely day- highly achievable goals and beautiful things to take home, making this course excellent value for money- I must have come home with getting on for £40 worth of candles. Topped off with a simple, tasty lunch. Highly recommend."

Alison & Peter Woodman reviewed: Two leather long stitch journals in a day

"I cannot rate this course highly enough. Lynne is a superb teacher with so much patience and kindness when sharing her skills. We came away as promised with 2 journals each and we had an amazing memorable day that we are still talking about. If you want to learn something new then this course is wonderful. The cake added to the day as it was delicious and we were made to feel so very welcome. Just a truly remarkable day. Thank you Lynne"

Emma reviewed: Blacksmithing Introductory Workshop - One Day

"We came on the course on 5th Feb and had such a fantastic day. Stuart was fab, really knowledgeble and made us feel at ease and have a lot of fun. Highly recommend this day course to everyone."

Grant Searson reviewed: Small Leather Goods Workshop

"I received this workshop day as a Christmas present. I found it very interesting to find out how to work, cut, stitch and finish the leather. As well as finishing up with a belt of my own, it was really nice to meet Richard who teaches the course, he has a clear passion for the craft and is very good at explaining the processes involved. Over all I would highly recommend this class."