Hen Party Workshops with The Crafty Hen

Making craft parties and workshops a regular feature on the blog has given me the opportunity to engage with some inspirational, creative, and very fun businesses. This latest feature comes from Julie who is the owner and founder of The Crafty Hen. I asked Julie a few questions about her wonderful crafty hen parties to find out more. Julie even threw in a special offer for brides booking thier parties before July 15th 2014. What a lovely lady! Read on to find out more…

What inspired you to start The Crafty Hen workshops?

The Crafty Hen started quite organically. I’ve run craft workshops for a long time for different groups; demand for hen party workshops became more than one woman could manage. I ended up asking colleagues to help out, and The Crafty Hen hatched! Now we can offer our workshops all over the UK with experienced workshop leaders. My real passion is sharing crafty skills with others, and The Crafty Hen enables me to do this far and wide. I love seeing how pleased participants are when they make something wonderful.

Who do you cater for?

We mostly do hen parties, but can cater for any event. We can work with any group size and there is no upper limit for how large a group can be. We recently did a hen party with a whopping 34 hens. When it goes over a certain number, we always bring in assistants (with no extra cost to the party), to ensure that everyone gets the same amount of attention and help. We are used to catering for people, crafty or not. All our sessions are tailored to the individual groups, and we provide a range of options for the novice to the experienced crafter within each session. Our expert tutors will guide you along the way!

What is your favourite workshop or product to make and why?

I would definitely say knicker customisation – It’s a very popular session with hens, and it’s easy to see why. It’s great for all levels of abilities, you get to play with Swarovski crystals, ribbons, bows, fabrics and much more (my idea of haberdashery heaven!). You end up with something fun to wear afterwards, and its a great giggle along the way.

Knicker Workshop with The Crafty Hen

Our newest addition is the memory book session which has something very special about it. The hens are encouraged to bring along photos and other items that evoke memories that they share with the Bride-to-be. These are assembled and collaged into a beautiful book, along with lots of other crafty goodies including beautiful papers, vintage lace and printed letters. Added to this the leader brings along a Polaroid to capture the fun as it happens, which you can even include in the book!

Where are the workshops held?

Anywhere and everywhere! We are a mobile service and go wherever we are needed; we’ve held workshops on kitchen tables, and at remote cottages, and pretty much everywhere in-between. We often go to where the hens are staying (holiday cottage, town house etc) if it’s part of a weekend, or can arrange bars and restaurants for the workshop at either the hens’ suggestion or ours – we have a long list of suitable venues across the UK.

We encourage hens to have the sessions at the hens’ private homes or rented holiday accommodation, as it has a more intimate flavour to the party. You can arrange your own music, snacks and relax even more – so if you would like to try on your knickers, or even nipple tassels, there’s nothing to stop you! We have had some good laughs with the entire party dressed in their pants jumping about – should just be said – the knickers were worn outside their normal clothes…

What makes your workshops different from the other ones out there?

We spend a lot of time sourcing and putting together the loveliest fabrics and all other materials, tailored to each group. We also have a team of wonderful workshop leaders that are all craft experts, so they can help with whatever technical or creative advice is needed. Foremost we try to get the experience just right for the hens, exchanging emails and phone calls to make sure we have got it all just right.

We come to you and give you an amazing fun bonding experience that you don’t get in any other way. You get to take something away that you can cherish, use at the wedding and have a fantastic memento to treasure forever – This is something different from a bar bill and a hangover.

The Crafty Hen Garter Party!

What level are the workshops aimed at?

All levels – Our parties are usually a mix of people with different experiences, from hens who have never held a needle and thread to keen crafters, and we instruct them all! We provide techniques that inspire inexperienced crafters to try new things, and experienced ones to stretch their skills.

We often hear “I’ll never be able to make that” at the beginning of a workshop, and it great seeing people surprise themselves by what they have created at the end. Sometimes the hens are so inspired they go home and continue crafting (and that always puts a smile on my face).

We have had parties where they have all been experienced crafters, and in those situations we specifically gear the workshop towards challenging them with something exciting, and new.

Why do you think workshops are a good idea for hen parties?

Hen parties are constantly changing, and hens now want something they will remember, and be able to take with them, be that a self-made item or a fun memory. People want time to chat, relax, drink tea and bubbly, eat cakes, and do something which is fun and a bit different. You get to take away a fabulous handmade item and a lovely memory of an afternoon well spent with a Crafty Hen workshop.