The countdown to the holidays and summer break is on and we’re sharing some projects, prompts, and ideas to get you festively and creatively inspired and curious about the courses you can enrol in for next year!
The holidays are a busy time for many but also a good opportunity to take stock and make plans for the year ahead. If diving into a hobby or learning something new is on your radar for 2025 then read on for our 12 days 12 ways of creativity and wellbeing suggestions.
Day 1 – Patchwork tree
Make these delightful and unique ornaments using scraps of fabric and small embellishments to hang on your tree or around your home. As with many handmade things, you can totally customise the details like colour combinations, beading, ribbons, and fabric choice and patterns. This one was made by our Patchwork tutor Ruth and we love the mix of icy blues that bring a touch of winter cosiness (even in the heat of summer!)
Ruth has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to quilting and patchwork, and her classes are always popular (some are already full for next year!). If you’re interested in learning more or enrolling in Patchwork and Quilting then click here
Day 2 – Zentangle
The meditative and relaxing nature of Zentangle makes this a great activity to try as you wind down for the year. You can tangle with any shape but if you’re looking for a festive theme consider tangling a wreath like these ones here.
Begin with a doughnut shape, segment it using lines to create the different sections of the wreath. Working one section at a time begin tangling. Stay inside the lines for a more structured look, or move beyond them with twists and flairs mimicking foliage. Once you’ve finished tangling you can leave it as a pen outline for a bold look or add colours and shading to brighten the design and add further dimension.
If you’re interested in learning more about Zentangle, we offer introductory and intermediate workshops throughout the year.
Day 3 – Creative Writing
Summer outings, bustling Christmas parties, and the suite of people you encounter during the social season can all become inspiration for turning memories into creative stories. Perhaps there’s a short story in the carnage of getting the Christmas tree up while getting tangled in lights and swimming through boxes of baubles. Or maybe you feel inspired to write a poem about the ebb and flow of the crashing waves on the beach. Take a moment and note down some thoughts and observations down as these can all serve as creative prompts to get you into writing.
Whatever your inspiration, there are some fundamental building blocks that all aspiring writers need to know that can help elevate your creative writing into a coherent and effective narrative. Our creative writing courses can help you on your writing journey and help you turn that idea into print.
Creative Writing Introduction | Creative Writing Advanced | Writing for Children Workshop
Day 4 – Caprese Torte
Summer is a time for entertaining and perhaps a time to try experimenting with new recipes you can take along to BBQs and share with family and friends.
Our Italian Cooking tutor, Brunella, always has an array of delicious recipes prepared for her course and suggests making a Torte Caprese for an authentic and tasty sweet treat over summer.
Torta caprese is a traditional Italian chocolate and almond or walnut cake named for the island of Capri from which it originates. As it is made without flour, it can be eaten by those following a gluten-free diet, such as those with coeliac disease. Traditionally, the torta is served on the 15th of August (a public holiday in the Naples area), but the cake is also typically served in the summer as a dessert, along with a bitter, black espresso or with lemon tea.
Day 5 – Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a form of lettering by hand that has a long history and remains popular today. It’s a form of creative handwriting that is both beautiful and legible. In our calligraphy courses, learners are first exposed to the basics of letter formation, using repetition to build confidence and clarity in their strokes before taking on more decorative and complex projects.
The art of calligraphy is all around us, particularly during the festive season where beautiful handwriting is often used to adorn labels, cards, and party invites.
Why not have a go yourself, we have a beginner’s course starting in Term 1 next year followed by an intermediate course in Term 2
Day 6 – Pottery
How about some holiday pottery inspiration from our very own learners. These were some of the festive makes from our Term 4 Pottery courses. Little ornaments featured strongly and made good use of all the bright glazes to bring them to life. It’s not uncommon for our pottery learners to use the course to make gifts for others. The bonus, of course, is that they too get the gift of knowledge in learning how to make pottery!
Our pottery courses are some of the most popular so if you’d like to enrol it’s best to do so earlier rather than later. Take a look at dates and times for courses here.
Day 7 – Crochet
Brighten up your summer and flex your crochet muscles by having a go at crafting some crochet flowers. Their small size makes them quick and satisfying to make and gives you lots of options for what you can do with them. For a summery and festive flair, you can combine individual flowers into a wreath, add a stem and collate them into a bouquet that wont ever dry out, or even keep them as individual pieces to add to things like hats and clothing.
Our Crochet course will help you to understand the basics as you work at your own pace with guidance and support from our tutor. Take a look at the course times for Crochet here
Day 8 – Sewing
With a bit of fabric, some basic sewing supplies, and a sewing machine (or your hands if you prefer sewing by hand) you can create these nifty and thrifty bunting decorations to hang around your home. Using sewing techniques like basic straight stitching, clipping, and applique you can customise the bunting shapes and add text for a more personal touch. Bunting is a great beginner sewing project as it uses a simple pattern to follow with minimal materials whilst giving you the chance to get familiar with stitching and different fabrics.
If learning to sew projects like these and more is on your to-do list, consider our Sewing Skills for Beginners course which gives you a great foundation to take on future sewing projects.
Day 9 – Picture Framing
Custom framing goes a long way to making your artwork or photographs stand out. As a bonus you also get the satisfaction of having made it yourself! Once you know the basics you can apply similar construction techniques to create shadow boxes which make for great gifts and keepsakes.
Our Picture Framing course will teach you the basics of framing as you’ll be guided through how to make a picture frame and mat and then apply these skills to your own chosen project.
Day 10 – Collage
Collaging is a fun and easy activity to try no matter your skill level. At this time of the year it’s also a great hands-on project that makes the most of the inevitable Christmas wrapping scraps that you can’t reuse.
You can chop, change, and layer already existing prints and patterns, or use basic drawing and stamping methods to make some yourself. Once you’ve stuck down your design you can keep it as an original work or scan it and make a series of cards to gift to loved ones this Christmas.
Our tutor, Meg, is a whizz at paper-based collage and is offering a Collage for Beginners Workshop in Term 1 and 3 next year.
Day 11 – Watercolour
Summer is often a time when many people hit the beach or the road to make the most of the lovely weather. As well as snapping lots of photos of your travels, perhaps consider capturing these summer memories in a different way by drawing them instead.
The fluidity and translucent nature of watercolour makes it the perfect medium for capturing the natural world in motion – from lapping waves, rustling trees, to the heat haze that you see as you drive along the roads.
Why not have a go at painting you own summer memories? We offer a Watercolour Painting Introduction course where you will learn basic watercolour painting techniques through examples and demonstrations.
Day 12 – Te reo Māori
For many, Christmas eve carolling is a bit of a tradition and celebrates the power of song. Beyond entertainment though, songs are also a great way to familiarise yourself with a language by increasing your vocabulary, improving your pronunciation, and enhance your verbal memory.
Click on the videos below and listen to some te reo Māori versions of your favourite Christmas carols.
Ngā mihi o te wā – Season’s Greetings from the Risingholme team.