Get crafty with your wrapping

Saturday 21 December 2019

It’s a wrap! Islanders are invited to come and make unique prints out of wrapping paper to get into the festive spirit.

The workshop, led by the Luddite Press - Tim Le Breuilly and Tom Parker - is taking place tomorrow (22 December) between 11:00 and 16:00 at the Make Space at Jersey Museum.

For those for whom the consumerism of the season feels too much, a creative darning workshop is being held today between 11:00 and 16:00.

Beverley Speck from the Jersey Embroidery Guild will show participants how to make do and mend this Christmas, teaching them how to creatively fix holes and tears in favourite pieces of clothing.

Pictured: Beverley Speck from the Jersey Embroidery Guild will lead the Creative Darning workshop.

Participants are also invited to bring something along to repurpose and give it a new lease of life as the perfect sustainable gift.

The workshops are two of many events that took place this year as part of the 'Handmade Jersey – A Work in Progress’. 

The exhibition held at Jersey Museum aimed to shine a light on the talents of local makers. From Neolithic artwork, to 18th century samplers and cosplay costumes, ‘Handmade Jersey’ celebrated "humanity’s instinct to create" while inviting visitors to create something themselves within the ‘Make Space'.

Pictured: The Handmade exhibition aimed to shine a light on the talents of local makers.

"The exhibition features a selection of objects and activities that add personality and pleasure to our lives and the world we live in, exploring the social, personal, economic and political conditions that inspire or nurture creative expression and innovation," explained Curator Kaspar Wimberley.

"In addition, we were particularly interested in resourcefulness. Central to the exhibition was the Make Space, which was kindly sponsored by the Association of Jersey Charities and Channel Islands Lottery.

"It provided an opportunity for islanders and visitors to lose themselves in the act of making and creating, or engage with local makers using the space."

Pictured: Oliver Le Gresley taught a weaving workshop.

The Make Space itself saw local makers, craft clubs, school children, international artists and over one thousand visitors and participants get crafty together.

"We've had a wonderful range of people coming into the space and engaging with the programme of community events and activities," Mr Wimberley added.

"From pottery to willow weaving, hares-tailing, felting, loom weaving, straw crafts, instrument making, embroidery, printmaking and model making, new skills and a wealth of knowledge has been shared with young and old, to inspire maker cultures and creative expression in Jersey.

"The response has been really positive. Once people start to focus on the act of making and exploring a new material or craft they often stay a lot longer than they intended and go home excited and energised."

The Handmade exhibition is open until 30 December.