Five of the Best Experiences for National Craft Month

Did you know that March is National Craft Month? First established by the Craft and Hobby Association in 1994, it is an annual month-long celebration of all things crafted and handmade - which has grown exponentially in recent years.

According to findings from the Craft Council, crafts contribute £3.4 billion annually to the UK economy, with over 10.3 million Brits buying crafts online through sites such as Etsy and Folksy - that's triple the number it was a decade ago.

Furthermore, 20% of British consumers have cited that they would pay to attend a craft workshop, with popular TV shows such as The Great British Sewing Bee helping to fuel interest in crafts as a relaxing pastime to do at home.

So, it's with this in mind that we've hand-picked five of our very best Arts and Crafts experiences across the UK that you can try turning your hand to…

• Pottery and Painting Workshop (£29, London)

Pottery is perhaps one of the best crafts you can try out. And this exclusive workshop, hosted in groups of up to 20 near London Bridge station in the capital, will be the ideal introduction to making and painting your own pot.

You'll learn how to make a lump of clay come to life on the potter's wheel, and how to fire it in the kiln, and master hand-building techniques if any modifications or additions are required such as handles.

Plus, you'll get the opportunity to make your piece totally bespoke as you explore the range of paint colours and glazes. All this, and your apron, tools and materials all provided, with the option to take your piece home or collect it at a later date for an additional fee, adds up to what promises to be a very satisfying experience!

• 3 Hour Blacksmith Experience for Two (£195, North Yorkshire)

The ancient centuries old tradition of blacksmithing is still highly valuable today, and this three hour workshop at a forge in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales will give you and a friend, family member or loved one the chance to get an insight into the daily life of the blacksmith.

Under the tutelage of Richard, a traditionally trained blacksmith, you'll be getting to grips with heating and forging metal, and the various techniques that are utilised in the process of forging to become all manner of interesting and useful objects, from a fire poker to a bottle opener - which you will get to take home with you!

• Group Glassblowing Workshop (£190, Bedfordshire)

Dating back to the 1st Century BC, glassblowing - or glass forming - is the intricate process whereby molten glass is inflated via a blowpipe, usually to make either a decorative sphere, or objects such a vase or a paperweight.

This group workshop is hosted by artist and glass smith Ricky Keech at his studios in Bedfordshire, available in either half day sessions for 1 - 2 people or full day sessions for 3 - 4 people.

You'll have a full safety briefing at the start of the workshop, to ensure safe practices are followed at all times, and you'll get to learn how to use the different glassblowing tools to gather the molten glass in the furnace.

Working with Ricky, you'll get to choose the different types of colour, rod, powder and grit to help form your beautiful final piece, and you can arrange either delivery or collection of this at a later date to suit you.

• Taxidermy Classes - Silver Workshop (£80, London)

Taxi what now, we hear you cry? Taxidermy is one of the more unusual crafts around, as it is the practice of stuffing and mounting deceased animals as a means of preservation. One example that might immediately spring to mind, for instance, is that of say, a deer head on the wall of a drawing room in a country manor or estate.

There are a number of workshops available at this dedicated studio in London, which are graded according to the difficulty of the animal you'd be stuffing, with the Bronze Workshop being the easiest, this workshop - the Silver one - being tailored for intermediate level, and the Gold Workshop being the most advanced.

You'll gain an introduction to the basic skills of the taxidermy process, including how to skin, prep, preserve, mount and position the animal. And not only are all your tools, materials and specimens provided, you'll also get to take your completed piece home, as well as have the choice of whether you'd like to mount your animal in a natural setting, or to utilise the Victorian art of anthropomorphism, where they are in all manner of quirky poses!

• Bonsai Jurassic Terrarium Making Workshop (£95, London / Manchester)

A very contemporary craft, the intricate Japanese art of bonsai is about growing and shaping miniature trees in containers - usually glass ones, but not exclusively.

At this exclusive half day group workshop in either London or Manchester, you'll get the opportunity to build your own terrarium, which will be housing a beautiful Ficus Ginseng Bonsai tree. Which sphere or shape you choose will ultimately help decide the overall look of your terrarium.

One of the great things about this workshop is that not only are your tools and equipment all provided, but you'll also get to take your completed terrarium home, and have access to ongoing online support after the workshop if you're needing further guidance and input.

There's so much pleasure to be gained from building your very own little ecosystem, and watching it slowly come to life as you care for and maintain it, whether you choose to have it in your workspace or in your living room as an attractive feature.

What's your favourite art or craft to unwind with? Let us know over on our social media channels, which you can find links for at the bottom of this page. Better still, if you're a bit of a dab hand with paints or needlework, crochet or just about anything we'd love to see what you've created or you're working on!