Bring out the creative in you
Why not get hands-on and skill-up in an art and craft of your choosing? Put your very own initials or maker’s mark on something you can proudly say is ‘made in Carmarthenshire?’ Whatever your age, your ability, whether you’re in a group or one your own, Carmarthenshire’s got space and opportunity for your creative expression.
Potter's wheel pottery - half day course Siramik
Lanclynadda, Alltwalis Road, Alltwalis, Carmarthen, SA32 7DY
The Potter's Wheel half day course at Siramik Studio is a great fun skill to learn. The studio is light and spacious with 6 potter's wheels and set in the beautiful Welsh countryside.
The course includes : Preparing the clay, Learning how to centre the clay on the wheel, Creating a cylinder from this centred clay and Making shapes from the cylinder. You will happily make 4 to 5 pots during the half day.
Yoka Kilkelly, potter and pottery teacher has been making ceramics from a very young age. Siramik is now a long-established, award-winning teaching facility but also produces its own range of hand thrown and hand decorated domestic tableware for you to use, hold and enjoy.
Bronze casting weekend
Cilyrynys, Porthyrhyd, SA32 8PX
The weekend bronze casting workshop takes place at a specialist foundry set in the rolling farmland hills of Carmarthenshire.
The course includes tuition, materials and equipment to make a small object or sculpture in bronze up to 2 kg finished weight.
Groups and children are also welcome.
Experienced course leader, Mark Halliday RCA, will lead you through every stage of the process from modelling your wax, learning how to use a ceramic shell to make a mould and then witnessing the pouring of your sculpture or object.
2 day blacksmithing courses
The Croft, St. Clears, Carmarthen, SA33 4EJ
As featured in the Sunday Telegraph and The Guardian as well as magazines, including The Countryman, The Simple Things and Good Housekeeping.
On the two-day course you can expect to learn the following; different types of forges and how they work, basic smithing tools and equipment, basic metals knowledge, different types of heat and what they are used for.
You will make around 4 items to take home with you – a typical collection would be a simple rat tail poker, two hammer in beam hooks, two cooking hooks and one other larger item (either a hanging basket bracket or candlestick).
Aaron is an arts trained (BA hons fine art), time served smith who spent 6 years working as the demonstrating blacksmith at the Museum of Welsh Life.
Blacksmith's experience day
Mile End, Trevaughan, Carmarthen, SA31 3QL
Time to get your hands dirty and let the sparks fly. Take the chance to make some interesting bits and pieces to take home with you. A great experience for novices to try your hands at one of the oldest trades.
The course is open to all over the age of 16 and able to accommodate groups, couples, stag & hen do's. The day will be spent at the anvil working with hot steel, sparks and fire.
Over the day you will cover the basics and produce a range of items including hooks, keyrings, letter openers, fire pokers and many other bits and pieces.
The courses are run by professional full time blacksmith Will Holland AWCB of Phoenix Forge. The courses are run in a dedicated professional forge, which is a relaxed working environment.
Axe Making Class
Mile End, Trevaughan, Carmarthen, SA31 3QL
Your chance to forge & haft your very own hand axe!
There are few things more satisfying than thrusting a lump of steel in to the flames and letting the sparks fly under your hammer as you craft your very own hatchet.
Learn how to work smith and striker to forge hot steel in small groups to forge a hand axe each. This is an excellent course for groups and does require team work to move the metal where you want it to go. By the end of the day you have a fully working hand axe to take away with you.
Phoenix Forge is run by master blacksmith William Holland. With over a decade of teaching experience the classes are tailor made to suit every individual’s skill level and ability to ensure that you can craft your very own pieces to take home with you.
Bladesmithing / Knife Making Day
Mile End, Trevaughan, Carmarthen, SA31 3QL
Spend the day learning the tips and tricks of professional knife and blade making at Phoenix Forge.
Start out with a simple forging exercise to get you warmed up and used to working with the forge, before getting started on forging a true working knife. Typically, you will make something similar to a paring knife for the kitchen. You finish the day by making a suitable handle to fit your knife and hands. By the end of the day everyone will have forged a knife to take away with them.
The class is for over 18’s only or for under 18's accompanied by a guardian.
Phoenix Forge is run by master blacksmith William Holland. With over a decade of teaching experience the classes are tailor made to suit every individual’s skill level and ability to ensure that you can craft your very own pieces to take home with you.
Traditional cold process soap making course
Brechfa Church Village Hall, Brechfa, Carmarthen, SA32 7RA
This soap making course is designed to introduce you to the art of traditional cold process soap making.
On this traditional cold process soap making course, which is fully hands-on, you will learn how to make beautifully moisturising soaps using natural ingredients.
There is no need for you to have had any experience in soap making, this course is designed so that by the end of the day you will be confident enough to make soap in your own home.
You will be provided with a step-by-step soap making guide plus recipe sheets. Make soap for your own home as gifts for family or friends. Or, if you are thinking of starting a business then this course is a great way to start realising your dream. Take home your own soap creations.
Bath bomb course
Brechfa Church Village Hall, Brechfa, Carmarthen, SA32 7RA
This course will be a highly educational day because you will learn with, and have the opportunity to ask questions, with Wales’s number one soap & skin care specialist. Furthermore, you will learn with a group of like-minded people who like yourself, will certainly enjoy making all types of fizzy products.
As a result, you will finish the day creating, what may be your first fabulous range of bath essentials.
You will be using lots of natural ingredients to make your bath treats botanicals, salts, clays, glitters, and large selection of colours. Above all, probably, one of the highly anticipated features of this course will be the fizzy and the bubble bath bomb cakes with a piped topping, so that you can choose to finish it in many colourful and eye-catching ways. Hence it is a fantastic addition to your future bath treats.
Candle & diffuser course
Brechfa Church Village Hall, Brechfa, Carmarthen, SA32 7RA
Learn to make your own candles and room diffusers.
You will learn how to use a variety of soy waxes, essential oils and fragrance oils, plus colours and stunning finishing effects. You will learn what is necessary for you to sell your candles and diffusers. We will discuss the legal requirements of how to decorate and label your candle and diffuser. You can also create your own candle label design and print it yourself.
By the end of this course, you will have a good understanding of the diffuser types of vegetable waxes available and the best waxes to use for the different types of candles. You will learn how wicks colour and fragrance affect waxes and the difference between container and pillar candle wax. You will use only natural ingredients in making these products.
Wet-felting workshop with Fabulous Feltings
Abercamlais, Cilycwm, Llandovery, SA20 0SW
Enjoy a full day wet-felting workshop at Janes’ riverside cottage studio.
On the course, you will learn either: - 3 types of wet-felting (Basic, nuno, cobweb) and take home 3 samples - or a basic wet felting plus using a resist to make a 3D piece, fe a felt pot.
At the end of the day you will have learnt the magic of wet felt-making, re-connected with your creative side, and go home fabulous pieces of your work.
Sword Making Class
Mile End, Trevaughan, Carmarthen, SA31 3QL
Experience the ultimate blacksmithing course and learn the ancient art of sword making.
Over the 3-day you will have covered all of the techniques not just in theory but in practice, to come away with your very own fully functional sword or battle-ready re-enactment sword.
Under 18's must be accompanied by a guardian.
This course is best suited to people with some previous experience due to the amount of forging and number of techniques involved to produce your sword.
Phoenix Forge is run by master blacksmith William Holland. With over a decade of teaching experience the classes are tailor made to suit every individual’s skill level and ability to ensure that you can craft your very own pieces to take home with you.
Natural Skincare Creams and Lotions Course
Brechfa Church Village Hall, Brechfa, Carmarthen, SA32 7RA
The ONLY Natural skincare Creams and Lotions Course in Wales!
In this course, you will only be using natural ingredients and the right combination of oils, emulsifiers, and preservatives producing creams and lotions that will hydrate, soften, and moisturize your skin the natural way to make Cleansing lotions, Hand & Body lotion, Face creams, Body buttercreams, Foot Cream and Facial oils.
You will be learning how to combine oils to perform a task you will learn about heavy oils and light oils and also how certain kinds of butter such as Shea perform on your skin.
At the end of the day, you will take all your fabulous creations home plus recipes and step-by-step instructions. plus, a certificate for Completing the Skincare Course.
Peg loom weaving a seat pad
Pant, Meinciau Road, Mynyddygarreg, KIDWELLY, Carmarthenshire, SA17 4RP
Join Smallholding Secrets for a day of weaving and relaxation. You will learn how to prepare fleece, set up a peg loom and weave a simple seat pad to take home with you.
There will be a choice of fleece from different breeds of sheep so that you can add a variety of texture and colour to your seat pad. The fleece come from their own sheep (Ryeland x Kerry Hill, and rare breed Balwen) and from a local farmer who has several breeds.
With the alpacas and sheep grazing peacefully in the field ahead of you, this really is a serene environment to just 'be in the present'.