Jaine Blackman takes a look at courses on offer to create some festive gifts and goodies

Are they joking? I won’t have time to BUY a Christmas wreath let alone make my own,” said a busy colleague passing over a press release as she dashed out to pick up her children from school, before heading for the tile shop.

With work, four children and builders to juggle, it’s no wonder she was feeling a bit frazzled: but for those with more time to spare what better way to get in the festive spirit than to have a go at creating a very personal Christmas.

There is plenty of advice online for everything from making your own cards and crackers to decorations and gifts.

But sometimes it’s nice to get a bit of personal instruction, especially if you are new to crafts.

Here are some of the places you can go to indulge your artistic leanings in Oxfordshire:

* The Story Museum, Oxford, storymuseum.org.uk, 01865 790050

Hand-printing short course: Christmas cards. Thursday, November 27, 6pm and one other dates.

Visitors can design and create their own completely unique Christmas card.

On a two-day course, participants will learn the art of hand-printing on the Bodleian’s antique printing presses, machinery dating back 200 years. The course will be led by Dr Paul Nash, the Bodleian’s printing expert. Those who take part will learn about the history, machinery and methods of hand-printing, before making their own card using lino-cuts and typesetting.

The course is £80 for two three-hour sessions, and up to 50 cards. The second session will be booked at participants’ leisure.

* The Quorum, Oxford Business Park North, Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2JZ

On Tuesday December 2 and Wednesday 3, people who work at Oxford Business Park can take part in free wreath-making workshops run by landscapers Intregitas. All materials, such as seasonal and festive plants and decorations, as well as refreshments, will be provided and there’s free parking too.

Sessions will run at various times.

* The Women’s Institute’s college Denman in Marcham, Abingdon, offers a wide range of courses which have been selling out fast. Those still with places (at time of going to press) included Christmas wrapping with the wow factor (November 25, £99), Christmas cards Chinese style (December 1, £74) and the residential course Let’s make cheese for Christmas (Dec 3 to 5, £335).

See denmancollege.org.uk for full details of courses or call 01865 391991.

* There’s also a full Christmas programme at Ardington School of Crafts including making Christmas cards using linocut (Nov 26, £75), festive felted robins (November 19, £75) and making stained glass decorations (November 21 or 28, £75).

See ardingtonschoolofcrafts.com or call 01235 833433 (Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm) for full details of courses.

If you want your festive craft items ready made, there will be plenty of Christmas fairs offering artisan goods.

One of the largest, and offering the chance to shop in a majestic setting is Living Crafts for Christmas at Blenheim Palace from Thursday November 20 to Sunday 23.

Around 150 designer-makers from across the UK will be showcasing British craftsmanship, together with food and drink producers. Tickets in advance are £10 adult, £4.80 child, £7.30 senior and £28 family.

See livingcrafts.co.uk

Unique greeting on the cards

Oxford Mail:
Dr Paul Nash

I learned two major things when I got a taster of the hand-printing short course at Oxford’s Story Museum.

The first may not mean much to you but after more than 30 years as a journalist, with first-hand experience of hot metal printing, I was genuinely surprised to discover that upper and lower case letters were so called because in the old days, when words had to be compiled with individual letter blocks, the capitals were kept in a case on top and the others below.

Yes, I didn’t think you’d be as excited as me!

The other thing I discovered was I’m pretty rubbish at lino cutting. 

In mitigation, I was trying to fit a six-hour course in to 90 minutes and I like to think my “Oxford skyline in the snow” has a certain naive art charm.

The course, under the knowledgeable Dr Paul Nash, would be of interest to anyone who’d like to know more about the history of printing while creating some unique cards to send this Christmas. 

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