The Beauty of Charcoal Part 1: Dave takes a closer look at the history of charcoal, and gathers willow sticks from Whitworth Park that will be used to make his own charcoal.

The Beauty of Charcoal Part 2: Dave continues his look into charcoal by firing the willow branches he gathered in Whitworth park and leading a workshop with the team.

The Useful and The Beautiful: Darning and Repair. Debra takes closer look at darning, and how repairing and reusing textiles is not only good for the environment, but has a myriad of other benefits.

Indian Ink: A Rich, Dark Concoction. Dave explores the origins of Indian ink and takes our audience through a workshop in which we made our own ink drawings.

Relax! Making Soothing Bath Salts. Steph shows you how to make your own bath salts using just a few ingredients. Perfect as gifts or as a treat for yourself!

Sew Easy! Making Reusable Makeup Wipes. Steph shows you a quick and easy way of making your own reusable wipes. You can use up that fabric you bought a while ago and haven’t touched or use an old item of clothing and help reduce waste!

Sustainable Regrowth: Spring Onions. Jason guides us through propagating spring onions, which you can do in the comfort of your own home, using supermarket bought cut-offs.

In Mint Condition. Jason teaches us how to propagate our own mint from a cutting and we find out just why we find mint so refreshing!

The Benefits of Eating Seasonally. Jason tells us about the benefits of seasonal eating and where to look for a tasty, late summer treat during our foraging adventures!

Mindful Weaving. Debra shares her method of weaving on a cardboard loom.

#WhiworthAdvent: Festive Crafts. Back in December 2020 under the gloom of another gallery closure and Tier 3 Covid-19 restrictions in Manchester, we decided to make the most of a blue Christmas for many and try to stir up some festive spirit. Here are the craft tutorials from the very first incarnation of #WhitworthAdvent. From air dry clay decorations to mulled wine, we hope you’ll find something to get you crafting through the winter months!

Slap My Ox Up, It’s Pomegranate Season Again!  Sue explores the significance of the pomegranate in many cultures and its significance for Epiphany, with a rather fun way to start off the New Year and beat the January Blues…

Sashiko: Simple Japanese Stitching. Steph looks at the beauty, origins and uses of sashiko, a simple and relaxing form of embroidery. Why not have a go yourself?

#WhitworthAdvent: Fun and Games: Upcycled Game Pieces. Kicking off #WhitworthAdvent 2021, Steph shows you how to transform old game pieces into festive decorations.

#WhitworthAdvent: Sweet Memories. Rebecca takes a delicious walk down memory lane and recommends a tasty recipe for coconut icing. Have a look at how hers turned out!

#WhitworthAdvent: Snowflake Christmas Coasters. Lucy teaches you a cheap and easy way to add some festive charm to your table décor.

#WhitworthAdvent: Whimsical Animal Decorations. Steph shows you how to breathe new life into old plastic animal toys and turn them into whimsical decorations.

#WhitworthAdvent: Hot Toddy to Keep You Warm and Cosy! Matthew’s mouth-watering recipe for an alcoholic and non-alcoholic hot toddy to keep you warm on cold winter nights.

#WhitworthAdvent: Chocolate Inspired Candy Canes. Jason’s recipe for a cheeky festive treat for all you chocoholics out there.

#WhitworthAdvent: Starry Night: Beaded Stars. Vicky teaches you how to make beautiful star-shaped accessories and decorations to help you and your home shimmer during the festive season.

#WhitworthAdvent: Curios and Keepsakes: Make Your Own Miniature Museum Case. Why not keep the curios you (or you little ones!) collect safe and use them to create a personalised miniature museum case? Steph shows you how in in this tutorial.

#WhitworthAdvent: ‘Twas Mine Own Heart That Told Me So: Making Lavender Hearts. Steph shows you how to make a gift that will keep things smelling fresh and add a lovely rustic touch to the home.

#WhitworthAdvent: Cut The Waste: Create Your Own Custom Crackers! Fed up with buying pricey shop-bought crackers? Tired of the same worn-out Christmas jokes that seem to make less sense with every year? Done with the tacky cracker gifts that never see it through to the end of the day? Harvey shows you how to do away with all of this by creating your own custom crackers.

#WhitworthAdvent: Make Your Own Fabric Bookmarks. A simple project and gift idea you can take with you and sew on the go. Slip one into a card as a standalone gift or use them as a nice handmade addition to a hamper.

#WhitworthAdvent: Make Your Own Delicious Mulled Wine! Follow Matthew’s easy recipe to make your own mulled wine. It’s delicious and guaranteed to help keep you warm during the winter!

#WhitworthAdvent: Very easy, No Glue Tree Decorations! Fed up of crafts that leave you in glitter and glitter up to your eyeballs? Follow Sue’s tutorial to create some easy, no glue necessary tree decorations that shine without any mess!

#WhitworthAdvent: Have Yourself a Preloved Christmas: Rescue Stuffies. Here’s a quick gift idea which is full of character and breathes new life into old toys whilst reducing waste. Make the festive season extra special for someone with the help of rescue stuffies! Plus; follow the free crochet pattern and tutorial to make your plush friend a cute crochet collar!

#WhitworthAdvent: Simple But Chic: No Fuss, Necklaces. Do you want to try your hand at creating a handmade gift but just don’t have the time or the will to stitch or bake anything? This easy method of creating a necklace is a lifesaver for adding a last-minute, personal touch to a gift with minimal fuss.

#WhitworthAdvent: Simple Pop Up Christmas Cards! More stuff to do this festive season because you’re not busy enough already! Follow Sue’s easy tutorial to make some simple but fun pop up cards!

#WhitworthAdvent: Will You Have A Date This Christmas? Follow Jason’s delicious recipe for chocolate covered dates stuffed with peanut butter and topped with pecans. A delicious and luxurious treat for you and your loved ones!

#WhitworthAdvent: DIY Trendy Marbled gift Wrap. Fancy gift wraps can be expensive, so why not create your own trendy marbled gift wrap?

#WhitworthAdvent: Colour Your Own Dala Horse! The wooden Dala horse, Dalecarlian horse or Dalahäst is a common sight during the festive season. After horsing around a little and in the spirit of festive fun, we’d like to present you with a free downloadable colouring sheet which you can use to colour in your very own Whitworth Dala horse!

#WhitworthAdvent: A Berry, Berry Good Pavlova! If you’re wishing for summer during winter, this Pavlova will definitely bring a little sunshine on a snowy day. The best thing about a Pavlova is that once you have your base, you can put whatever you like on top! So let your imagination go wild!

#WhitworthAdvent: Crispy White Chocolate Snowballs. Want to make some tasty festive treats with minimal mess and preparation time? Try this festive twist on a treat that we usually associate with Easter in the UK; chocolate rice crispy cakes!

#WhitworthAdvent: A Festive Family Tradition. Robin tells us all about her fun Christmas family tradition and how to start your own for the holidays!