Anyone for a crafty surprise?

Craft has become cool again. What was once resigned to the classroom has been reinvented and given a grown-up twist thanks to the likes of Drink Shop & Do, I Knit London, Print Club London, Homemade London and co.

For those wanting to dip their little toe in the craft revival, Homemade London has recently unveiled a string of £10 ‘Mystery Workshops’.

What sets these sessions apart is their spontaneity – you won’t know what you’ll be making till you arrive on the day! Each hour-long event takes place on a weekday evening, and in that time you’ll create something to take away with you, no matter what your skill level.

I’m allowed to divulge that the first few workshop activities have included jewellery making, personalised mugs and drawstring bags and machine-stitched notebook covers.

Founder and owner of Homemade London, Nicola Barron, says: “It’s a pleasant, intimate evening with a party spirit. People love the sense of mystery and the workshops provide instant gratification as you come away with something you’ve made with your very own hands. It’s a 60 minute session, so it’s not full-on, either.”

Nicola is very hush-hush about what the coming workshops will entail, so I can’t give you any clues, but each week there is a different activity and theme, and dates for future sessions are only released a couple of weeks in advance.

What started off as an experiment, Nicola says, has turned into something quite popular. “On the whim I just posted on our website that we’d be doing a few mystery workshops and within two days they were fully booked, so we started to arrange a few more! It’s great because we can trial new craft techniques – we even test new cocktail recipes so people get drinks, and they come away with something they’ve made.”

A mid-week pick-me-up, and something to take home and show off to friends? I’m in.

Find out more and book a place here.

This article is also published on Londonist.com.