The Lauriston Castle events programme 2010

City of Edinburgh Council Museums and Galleries welcome you to LauristonCastle to visit our charming grounds or participate in our...
 
Adult and Family Craft

Workshop Programme

Booking Information
 
Adult Workshops and the Unique Family Learning Experience at Lauriston
The Lauriston events programme is open to everyone. We offer a separate adult craft programme which is very popular. Workshops which are labelled as ‘family’ have something to offer the full age spectrum - from toddlers to teenagers and grannies to grandpas! Occasionally, depending on the workshop, a minimum age limit is set. We try to encourage family members to work together and offer a unique family learning experience. Our artists are very experienced in working with a variety of age ranges in one workshop. We keep our charges as low as possible. Our workshops offer excellent value for money, and during each workshop you will use only the best quality art materials. A snack is also included.
Please note, that children under 8 years of age cannot be left unattended at our workshops.
Our workshops are hugely popular. Pre-booking and advance payment are NOW ESSENTIAL, unless stated otherwise. To secure your place, call Margaret Findlay on 0131 529 3963, or [email protected]
Please also note that people do book very early for events much later in the year, so if you fancy a particular Christmas workshop, book as soon as the programme comes out, because these workshops get booked especially fast.
Free car parking is available within the Castle grounds off Cramond Road South.
LauristonCastle is easy to reach and is just minutes from the City Bypass. It sits between Davidson’s Mains and Cramond. You can take buses to Davidson’s Mains, or Silverknowes Terminus, both are around 10 minutes walk from LauristonCastle.
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/lauriston
 
 
About LauristonCastle 
For more than 400 years, enchanting LauristonCastle has overlooked the River Forth near to Cramond. Set among 30 acres of woodland and beautiful gardens, LauristonCastle is a special place to visit. The splendid old glasshouse, set into the woodland, is the perfectly magical place to enjoy our programme of garden events, art activities and craft workshops organised by the City of EdinburghMuseums and Galleries. As the weather turns colder, we move indoors into the old castle kitchen where you will get a cosy welcome and lots of creative inspiration.
The castle itself has a beautiful Edwardian interior, from which we take inspiration for many of our workshops. Downstairs are the servants’ quarters, including the maids’ hall and the enigmatic old kitchen, where a warm welcome awaits you during the winter months.
 
LauristonCastle Tours
Visit Lauriston Castle and see one of the most extraordinary Edwardian interiors in Scotland.
Tour times:
Summer season
From 1 April–31 October 2.00pm every day except Friday
Winter season
From 1 November –31 March 2.00pm Saturday and Sunday only
Admission charges
Adult                                                     £5.00
Concession                                       £3.00
Family £12.50 (2 adults +3 children under 16)
Group rate £3.00 (for groups of 10 and over)
Out of hours group visits are £8 Adult and £5 Concession. Refreshments can be provided for pre-booked groups.
Special Tours and Events
We have one daily ‘no need to book’ guided tour at Lauriston. Just turn up at the times outlined above. You can however book tours at other times by phoning LauristonCastle. We offer a range of pre-bookable themed tours on subjects like; Edwardian Social History, the Furniture of Lauriston, the History of the Gardens and Servants’ Lives.
LauristonCastle is also the home of the Edinburgh Croquet Club. Free croquet taster sessions can be arranged by request. Why not combine a game of croquet with your visit to the Castle, along with afternoon tea? For croquet alone, phone 0131 443 1410 or go on line at www.edinburghcroquetclub.com.
Tales of Ghosts Past: A Journey Through Time
 
Saturday 20 March and Sunday 21 March 2010
10.00am–11.30am, 12.30pm–2.00pm
or 2.30pm–4.00pm on both days
LauristonCastle, 2a Cramond Road South, Davidson’s Mains
 
Visit Lauriston Castle and breathe in the unique atmosphere of the Edwardian era, as part of the annual Edinburgh Ghostfest. You will meet mysterious guides from the past who will entertain you with tales of those who once lived at Lauriston.
 
Special ghostly tales for this special ghostly event!
 
This Journey Through Time is free and is aimed at adults and children age six and over.
 
For essential pre-booking booking and further information call 0131 529 3963
or email [email protected]
 
FAMILY WORKSHOPS

Saturday 10 April, 10am–12.30pm

Amazing Easter Fun!
£4 per adult/child
Come along to our beautiful gardens and celebrate Easter with games and fun. Try our woodland egg hunt and trail, make an Easter Bonnet, try your hand at the egg and spoon race and hear about Humpty Dumpty and other Easter stories. With LauristonCastle Staff.
 
 

Sunday 11 April, 10am–12.30pm

Amazing Easter Fun!
£4 per adult/child
Come along to our beautiful gardens and celebrate Easter with games and fun. Try our woodland egg hunt and trail, make an Easter Bonnet, try your hand at the egg and spoon race and hear about Humpty Dumpty and other Easter stories. With LauristonCastle Staff.
 
 

Saturday 17 April or Sunday 18 April, 10.30am–12.30pm

Spring Bursts Forth
£4 per adult/child
Experience a fun environmental walking tour of the grounds of Lauriston as Spring bursts forth with colour and the wildlife wakes up from Winter hibernation. Create a decorative pot to grow your own plant from seed and make your own handcrafted clay tile inspired by the wildlife at Lauriston. With LauristonCastle Staff.
 
 
 

Sunday 2 May and repeated Monday 3 May, 10.30am–12   noon or 1pm– 2.30pm or 3pm–4.30pm

Garden Cottage Diaries
Free
Please note this event is free, and BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL.
Challenged to prove her claim that an 18th-century diet was better than today’s, for a full year Fiona J Houston recreated the lifestyle of her 1790s rural Scottish ancestors in a basic one-roomed cottage, cooking from her garden and the wild. She learned lost crafts and skills, making nettle string, quill pens and ink as well as cheese and ale, lighting her fire with a tinder box, and dressing in hand-sewn period clothing, with nothing but an old range stove and candles for warmth and light. As a result of this experience Fiona wrote The Garden Cottage Diaries: My Year in the Eighteenth Century which tells her extraordinary story, and is packed with historical anecdotes, folklore, practical gardening info, seasonal menus, recipes, wildlife notes and more. During these sessions at LauristonCastle, against the backdrop of the old kitchen, Fiona Houston will give us a resumé of her extraordinary year. During the Sunday sessions she will demonstrate various cooking lessons and talk about the kind of food eaten in the 1790s. She will cook kail and batches of barley bannocks. During the Monday sessions she will demonstrate how to make rush lights. Children
will get the chance to shape a bannock, ready for cooking on a girdle. During the rush light making the children will get a chance to strip the rushes and dip them in tallow. We will engage the children in direct discussion about the historic costume Fiona is wearing and discuss the collection of historical objects she will bring to accompany her sessions.
 
 
 

Saturday 15 May or Sunday 16 May, 10.30am–12.30pm

Akitsushima (Land of
the Dragonflies)
£4 per adult/child
Hear Japanese stories and legends in our beautiful Japanese garden. Use natural materials and dragonfly shapes to make impressions in plaster, which you can then paint and take home as a special keepsake to remind you of your day.
 
 
 

Monday 17 May, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Woodland Animal Finger Puppets
£4 per adult/child
Make a whole set of woodland creatures to play with in this fun family workshop. Using brightly coloured paper and crayons to decorate them, we will bring your favourite woodland animals to life. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
 
 
 

Wednesday 19 May, 11am–1pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Nature’s Casts
£4 per adult/child
Make a very special plaque for your home from plaster. Make a mould from clay in relief and you will then cast in plaster. You can press little daisies and grasses from the Lauriston woodland into your mould and take true inspiration from the surroundings of the glasshouse studio. With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Sat 22 May 10.30am–1pm

The Circle of Life
£4 per adult/child
All things in the environment are interconnected. Find out who eats whom in the woods with our Ranger. Afterwards make a fantastic food chain mobile for your room using lots of exciting materials.
 
 
 

Sunday 23 May, 11am–3pm

Full day class so bring a packed lunch.
SandyShores
£6 per adult/child
The glasshouse studio is a stone’s throw from Silverknowes’ shores. In this workshop you will get the chance to experiment with a variety of projects inspired by the seashore –
make a clay tile, create a seashore cushion and a stunning framed fishy picture. With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Sunday 6 June, 11am–3pm

Full day class so bring a packed lunch.
Comfy Cushions
£6 per adult/child
Design your own cushion from handmade felt. Be inspired by the LauristonGardens, and felt with bright, gorgeous, genuine sheep’s wool. With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Saturday 12 June or Sunday 13 June, 10.30am–12.30pm

The Weird and Wonderful Life
of Bugs
£4 per adult/child
Come along for a bug and insect hunt in the grounds of Lauriston. Try your hand at pond dipping for mini water beasties, play games and then create a colourful paper butterfly, dragonfly or creepy crawly and use willow and tissue to make ‘mini beasties’ kites. With LauristonCastle staff.
 
 
 

Saturday 19 June, 11am–5pm

Davidson’s Mains Children’s Gala Day
ALL Children FREE – £2 per adult
78th year of this famous local Gala Day held in our historic grounds. Arrive before 11.30am to see the Parade from The Green to Lauriston Castle, then at Lauriston Castle see the Gala King and Queen crowning from 12 noon; Pipe Bands; stage acts all day with community and children shows; major event arena; pony rides; steam train; historic displays.
See www.dmainsgala.org.uk
 
 
 

Sunday 20 June 10.30am–1pm

Forest Folklore
£4 per adult/child
Join our Ranger to discover the strange stories behind the trees and flowers of our woodland. Afterwards you will write your very own illustrated story or poem inspired by your findings.
 
 
 

Saturday 26 June, 10.30 am –12.30pm

If you go Down to the
Woods Today...
£4 per adult/child
Come for a Teddy Bear’s Picnic to LauristonCastle. Bring your bear for a best dressed competition, make bear crafts, hear bear stories and play games. Remember to bring a picnic!
With LauristonCastle staff.
 
 
 

Monday 5 July, 10.30am–12.30 pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

A Paper dressing up Box
£4 per adult/child
Use a variety of materials to transform yourself into a pirate, a princess, a knight or a dragon. Learn how to make amazing dressing up accessories including crowns and tiaras, pirate hats and dragon masks. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
 
 
 

Wednesday 7 July, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Fantastical Magic Wings
£4 per adult/child
Learn all about the moths and butterflies that populate the woodland. Choose your special wings to make and decorate them with colourful mosaic patterns. Try out your wings in Lauriston’s gardens. With Stephanie Walker.
 
 
 

Thursday 8 July, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Tree Crafts
£4 per adult/child
Learn how to craft the wonderful tactile quality of wood into simple toys such as boats, cars and games. Some use of tools. Suitable for age 6 plus only. With Stephanie Walker.
 
 
 

Sat 10 July 10.30am–1pm

Beasties Under our Feet
£4 per adult/child
Discover the fascinating world of mini-beasts, and then make a very fun creature collage to take home using material found on your walk with the Ranger. Your collage will be brimming with textures.
 
 
 

Monday 12 July, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Let’s get drawing!
£4 per adult/child
A fun session of drawing inspired by the gardens of Lauriston using exciting and quirky drawing techniques. We will construct our own sketchbooks then set off to discover some new ways of drawing in the castle’s lovely gardens or from natural materials indoors if wet. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
 
 
 

Wednesday 14 July, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Magical Fairy Books
£4 per adult/child
Make your very own miniature book and add pictures of wildflowers and leaves of trees. Learn the fairy folklore of the trees and wildflowers. With Stephanie Walker.
 
 
 

Saturday 17 July or Sunday 18 July, 10.30am–12.30pm

Honey Bear Bunting
£4 per adult/child
Bring your special bear friend along for a special art and craft teddy bear day. You will make beautiful bear bunting which you will decorate with fabric paints and ribbon. Age 7+.  With LauristonCastle Staff.
 
 
 

Thursday 22 July, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30 pm

Music of the Forest
£4 per adult/child
Woodland Craft. Make beautiful hand-crafted percussion instruments from wood and recycled materials. Age 6 +. With Stephanie Walker.
 
 
 

Sunday 25 July, Performances at 11am, 12noon, 1pm and 3pm

History with Puppets in the SummerGardens
£2 per adult/child
Special Puppet Shows in the Lauriston Castle Gardens with Alba Adventure Company. Come along and join the fun with the Alba Puppet Crew. Learn some tales from Scotland’s history in a new and fun way. You will have a chance to meet Eddie the Knight playing the part of the Black Douglas as he helps Robert the Bruce capture EdinburghCastle. Meet the Mad Monk of Old Edinburgh and see his antics as he prepares for the King’s arrival. The ever popular Hamish the Highlander will recreate the story of the Jacobites and the ancient legend of the Last Bear of Scotland will finish off the tales.
 
 
 

Monday 26 July, 11am–1pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Rainbow Glass Panels
£4 per adult/child
Make a stunning stained glass effect panel for your window inspired by the LauristonCastle gardens and woodland.
With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Wednesday 28 July, 11am –3pm

Full day class so bring a packed lunch.
Glittering Mosaic Bird Baths
£6 per adult/child
Make a stunning bird bath for your garden for your little feathered friends to refresh themselves. Use sparkling mosaic tiles and fractured glass. This is for 7+ only due to the technical nature of the class. With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Thursday 29 July, 11am–3pm

Full day class so bring a packed lunch
Kaleidoscope of Colour
£6 per adult/child
Make a glowing mosaic panel for your garden/room from rainbow Mexican mosaics. This is for 7 + only due to the technical nature of the class. With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Monday 9 August, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

My Favourite Animals Kitbags and Pencil Cases
£4 per adult/child
Go back to school with the best bags and pencil cases by decorating your own! We will use lovely cotton bags, stencils, fabric crayons and lots of pictures of woodland creatures for inspiration. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
 
 
 

Saturday 21 August or Sunday 22 August, 10.30am–12.30 pm

Walking in the Steps of
our Ancestors
£4 per adult/child
Explore the historic grounds of Lauriston and discover its notable inhabitants from the Romans to the Victorians and the marks they have left behind. Make your own Roman sandals, coat of arms and sword and shield. With LauristonCastle staff.
 
 
 

Sunday 19 September, 10.30 am – 12.30 pm

Games of Summers Past
£4 per adult/child
Spend a morning at Lauriston playing games! Try your hand at using a gird and cleek, and other toys of the Edwardian period. Learn all about how Edwardian children would have lived. Make a Thaumatrope – the earliest sort of moving picture! With LauristonCastle staff.
 
 
 

Saturday 2 October or Sunday 3 October, 10.30am–12.30pm

Glowing Autumnal Jewellery
£4 per adult/child
Be inspired by the glorious colours, patterns and textures in the magical grounds of Lauriston. Collect objects from nature and create your very own badges, brooches and jewellery. With LauristonCastle staff.

Tuesday 19 October, 10.30am–1pm

Go wild in the Woods
£4 per adult/child
Learn wood-craft skills like shelter building with our Ranger. Then try your hand at some woodland art to leave in the woods or take home.
 
 
 

Thursday 21 October, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Precious Little
Woven Baskets
£4 per adult/child
Create a beautiful willow basket to collect your wild foods of autumn, or just to put in your room for your special things. Make some pot-pourri from natural materials in the autumnal gardens. With Stephanie Walker.
 
 
 

Friday 22 October, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Whizzing Witches and Scandalous Skeletons
£4 per adult/child
Make your very own fabulous Halloween costume from a variety of fabrics and embellishments in the atmospheric old kitchen at Lauriston. With Stephanie Walker.
 
 
 

Saturday 30 October or Sunday 31 October, 10am–12.30pm

Creepy Times at Lauriston
£5 per adult/child
Come along to the scary interior of LauristonCastle and participate in some spine-tingling activities! Hear spooky stories, search in the grounds for clues and make some scary crafts. With LauristonCastle staff.
 
 
 
 

Sat 13 November 10.30am–1pm

Christmas Animals
£4 per adult/child
Join our Ranger on a frosty winter environmental walk and hear all about winter animals. Some animals hibernate, some store food, some migrate and some change colour. Then make your own Christmas cards based on the animals you have learned about.
 
 
 

Saturday 20 November, 10.30am–12.30pm

Pretty Paper Dolls and Dapper Paper Gentlemen
£4 per adult/child
Design your very own paper figure just as children did 100 years ago. Learn about which sort of clothes you would wear for different occasions. Using fancy ribbon and special fabrics, create a unique piece of art.
 
 
 

Saturday 27 November, 10am–12.30pm

A Family Edwardian Christmas
£6 per adult/child
Come along and see the Castle all decorated for Christmas, learn about how Edwardians lived, see Edwardian toys and hear Christmas stories. In the Old Kitchen, make a craft and enjoy steaming hot chocolate and marshmallows. With LauristonCastle staff. This event is specifically designed for families with children under 12 years.
 
 
 

Sunday 28 November, performances at 11am, 12noon, 1pm and 3pm

History with Puppets
at Christmas
£2 per adult/child
Special Puppet Shows in the Castle with Alba Adventure Company.
Come and join in the antics as the Alba Puppet Crew prepare for Christmas. Eddie the Rat-catcher is hard at work trying to catch all the rats at the castle before Santa’s arrival. Hamish the Highlander is off to see his grandfather’s sword at the great hall at Edinburgh. The Mad Monk is up to his usual mischief and mayhem. Meet these and other characters as they prepare for the festive season.
 
 
 

Sunday 5 December, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30pm

Scandinavian Christmas Decorations
£4 per adult/child
Make beautiful decorations, inspired by Scandinavian designs, using exquisite natural materials like wood, willow and motifs like hearts and stars. With Stephanie Walker.
 
 
 

Saturday 11 December, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30 pm

Glistening Snowmen and Sparkling Angels
£4 per adult/child
Create the most beautiful three dimensional Christmas decorations for your tree, and to use as little presents.
With Stephanie Walker.
 
 
 

Sunday 12 December, 11am–3pm

Christmas Dreams
£6 per adult/child
Come along to the cosy interior of LauristonCastle and explore lots of Christmas projects together as a family.
 With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Saturday 18 December, 10.30am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–3.30 pm

Sparkling Snowmen and
Cheeky Robins
£4 per adult/child
Make a big crepe paper-decorated snowman for your Christmas table, complete with a secret compartment to hide special presents for your Christmas party! Make him a little robin friend using handmade paper and lovely collage materials. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
Our adult classes are also suitable for children over 16 years. All of our classes are very informally taught, and our artists will make complete beginners feel very much at ease.
 
 
 
 
 
ADULT CLASSES

Saturday 19 June, 10.30am–3.30pm

Stormy Seas
£15
Our artist will teach you clever techniques to paint skies and seas in the thick tactile medium of oil. Inspired by views of the sea from our gardens you will experiment with colour and texture on a variety of canvas. Suitable for complete beginners, with Lynda Frame.
 
 
 

Sunday 27 June, 10.30am–3.30pm

Watery Rainbow Flowers
£15
Watercolour and mixed media class. In our idyllic glass studio, experiment with large loose watercolour and mixed media under the guidance of artist Jacqui Pestell. Suitable for complete beginners.
 
 
 

Saturday 3 July, 10.30am–3.30pm

Printmaking Workshop
£15
Learn simple printmaking techniques in this exciting workshop designed to show you some of the wonderful effects you can achieve using mono-printing, press-print and simple etching using Rhenalon. We will take inspiration from LauristonCastle’s beautiful Japanese garden and create small hanging scrolls and individual prints. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
 
 
 

Saturday 24 July, 10.30am–3.30pm

The Lady and the Maid
£15
Upstairs and Downstairs cushion covers and bags. A day of fabric painting and stencilling onto lovely natural cotton cushion covers and bags, with embellishment using decorative ribbons, buttons and lace. We will take inspiration from elegant 19th century designs suitable for the lady of the manor, or more homely designs for the housekeeper’s parlour. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
 
 
 

Saturday 31 July, 10.30am–3.30pm

Japanese Blossom Trees in Silk
£15
Take inspiration from our spiritual Japanese garden and create the most delicate and beautiful panels in silk and silk cushions for your home. With Lynda Frame.
 
 
 

Saturday 7 August, 10.30am–3.30pm

Magical Felt Slippers
£15
Come along to this fun class and make a pair of quirky colourful slippers from hand-made felt. With Jacqui Pestell.
 
 
 

Saturday 14 August, 10.30am–3.30pm

Handmade Felt Bowls
£15
Make wonderful bowls from colourful felt, and sew on little embellishments like beads, sequins and buttons. You can make a big bowl, or a series of small ones for your jewellery and accessories. A wonderful addition to your bathroom or dressing table. With Jacqui Pestell.
 
 
 

Sunday 5 September and Monday 6 September, 10.30am–3pm

Mexican Mosaic Panels
£20
Over two days make a colourful mosaic panel for your home using glittering mosaic tiles and broken glass. With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Sunday 12 September, 10.30am–3.30pm

Stencilled Velvet Cards and Panels
£15
Spend a relaxing day learning the lovely old craft of stencilling on velvet, a technique that produces beautiful, rich results. Cut your own stencils to your own designs or use some old favourites. We will use rich colours, glitter and metallic paints and decorate our creations with tiny beads. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
 
 
 

Saturday 18 September, 10.30am–3.30pm

Folk Art Paper Sculpture
£15
Wreaths, bunting and pictures. Make beautiful Folk-Art inspired paper decorations including a heart-shaped leafy wreath, a string of pretty bunting for your next party and box-framed birds, flowers and hearts to bring some country charm to your kitchen or bedroom. We will construct our creations using beautiful handmade papers and decorate them with pretty checked ribbons, buttons and beads. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
 
 
 

Friday 24 September, 10.30am–3.30pm

Willow Garden Sculptures
£15
Come and make wonderful sculptures for your garden like grazing pheasants. Place them in your garden and train plants to tumble over them. With Jacqui Pestell.
 
 
 

Saturday 9 October, 10.30am–3.30pm

Woven Rush Baskets
£15
Make wonderful little precious baskets for your home, so handy for keeping your special stuff in. You will weave in some extra special embellishments. With Jacqui Pestell.
 
 
 

Saturday 16 October, 10.30am–3.30pm

Starry Starry Night
£15
Learn how to paint like Vincent van Gogh in our stunning gardens. Our artist will take inspiration from the woodlands and the gardens and show you how to represent fast changing skies and the feeling of the wind and elements running through the landscape. You will experiment with oils and acrylic and be taught simple techniques to represent texture and movement. Suitable for complete beginners. With Lynda Frame.
 
 
 

Saturday 6 November, 10.30am–3.30pm

A Myriad of Tropical Colour
£15
A bright and exciting exploration with acrylic paint. You will get the chance to paint with thick textural paint, taking inspiration from gorgeous tropical fruits and ethnic fabrics. A real celebration of texture and colour. With Jacqui Pestell.
 
 
 

Sunday 21 November, 10.30am–3.30pm

Felt Christmas Decorations
£15
Make a very special collection of Christmas decorations from felt for your tree and your home. This Scandinavian inspired class will produce some very precious Christmas decorations and will fill you with Christmas spirit. You will felt from scratch, and will embellish your designs with unusual ribbons, designer buttons and little beads. With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Friday 3 December, 10.30am–3.30pm

Glittering Christmas Bowls
£20
Make a stunning stained glass bowl for Christmas with lead strips and vibrant colour. You will also get the chance to make a stunning small stained glass panel. With Lynda Frame.
 
 
 

Thursday 9 December, 10.30am–3pm

Christmas Fibres
£15
Come along to the Old Castle kitchen with its old range and sparkling brass pans and make a variety of Christmas projects inspired by textiles. Projects will include delicate Christmas fairies, angel cushions and Christmas boxes with silk painted inserts. With Margaret Findlay.
 
 
 

Monday 13 December, 10.30am–3.30pm

Victorian Christmas Decorations
£15
Step back in time in our Maids’ Hall decorated for the festive season and create some lovely home-made decorations based on 19th century examples. Make a charming felt robin, a tiny peg doll fairy and magical miniature slippers using simple sewing and decorate them with lovely beads, glittering fabric paint and ribbons. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.
 
 
 

Thursday 16 December, 10.30am–3pm

Homespun Christmas Wreaths
£15
Make an enchanting little festive wreath with country fabrics and unusual little embellishments like wooden hearts, cute buttons and designer ribbons. You will also get the chance to make some other decorations. So cute! So Christmassy!
With Margaret Findlay.
 
 

Friday 17 December, 10am–12.30pm or 1.30pm–4pm 

Green Wreaths
£15
Make a magnificent natural Christmas wreath with greenery grown in our gardens. You will embellish your wreath with beautiful ribbons and other decorations.
With Jacqui Pestell.   
 
 
 

Sunday 19 December, 10pm–12.30pm or 1.30pm–4pm 

Fresh Wreaths
£15
With fresh yew, holly and ivy from the Castle grounds make a huge Christmas wreath for your home. You will embellish it with beautiful ribbons, little cinnamon sticks and fruit slices. With Jacqui Pestell.