A therapeutic evening of craft, creativity and cocktails at Homemade London

Craft salon Homemade London has unveiled a string of new workshops for the coming season – and I went down there to give them a try. What followed was a therapeutic evening of crafting and creativity, while sipping on swoon-worthy cocktails (recipes below) and munching on yummy treats.

We created embossed greetings cards (a really simple concept, with a professional-looking finish), Homemade London’s expert perfume tutor Nicola taught us about aromatherapy-based perfume blending – an intriguing insight into base notes, middle notes and top notes – and we even got to make and take away our own perfume.

General manager Nancy helped us make pretty crepe paper flowers, and finally we made block-printed cocktail napkins – perfect for all those Christmas parties coming up in a few months.

The Homemade London team made us feel right at home, and it was fantastic to mingle with the other ladies who had also turned up for the workshops, to reconnect with my inner crafty side, and to spend an evening free of ‘screen time’ from smartphones, iPads and computers.

What I love most about going to Homemade London is that you always come away feeling like you’ve accomplished something – and you have the finished items to prove it. Read about the time I attended their Mystery Workshop.

You can find exclusive recipes for three cocktails we enjoyed throughout the night below – we couldn’t get enough of them. (The Strawberry Cooler was a personal favourite.)

Click here to view all the new workshops at Homemade London.

 

Cocktail recipes

Rose and Thyme Mule recipe (for 10 people)

• 1 tablespoon of rose syrup
• Lemonade
• Vodka to taste
• Squeezed fresh lemon
• A few springs of thyme

Pour all the ingredients into a jug and sprinkle a few springs of thyme on the top.

When serving make sure each glass has its own sprig of thyme.

Earl Grey Gin Fizz recipe (for 10 people)

• Cloudy lemomade
• Gin to taste
• Squeezed fresh lemon
• Cold Earl Grey Tea

Make a strong pot of earl grey tea and leave to cool. Pour the lemonade and lemon juice into a jug and add the tea, ice cubes and gin.

Strawberry Cooler recipe (for 15 people)

• Punnet of strawberries
• Lemonade

Blend the strawberries with a food processor until smooth. Add the lemonade and stir.

Enjoy!