<![CDATA[Eazicraft – DIY Crafts, Creative Supplies & Popular UK Workshops - Blog]]>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:16:59 +0000Weebly<![CDATA[From Stockroom to Showroom]]>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:00:00 GMThttps://www.eazicraft.co.uk/blog/from-stockroom-to-showroomWe like to keep busy here at Eazicraft and so we decided to have a move around in the shop Tissington Craft Corner to create a more spacious look and finally convert what we had used as a stockroom into our new Candle Corner.
Everything in Candle Corner is made exclusively here in Tissington by our sister company On a Wick & a Prayer. You will find a display of unique handmade Wax Hurricane Lanterns. These are made by our skilled artisans Sarah and Annie. With a single tealight placed in the middle they transform into a huge candle. They are everlasting, simply replace the tealight. Our Hurricane Lanterns are a beautiful way to bring relaxing candlelight into your home or garden forever.
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Handmade wax hurricane lanterns, all with decorative fabric set into the wax and a tea light inside to cast a warm glow.
Wax is such a versatile medium. Annie has been combining her artistic ability and extensive wax knowledge to create a beautiful selection of wax bowls. These unique pieces are truly original. They are fabulous as an attention grabbing piece of art in their own right but can also be functional in your home.
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Handmade wax bowls with copper coils encased
PictureA close-up of a limit edition wax bowl.
Also in Candle Corner we will be offering speciality candle ranges such as the Truly Natural range (made using pure soya wax, refined in the UK and pure essential oils), and unique small collections of candles not available anywhere else.
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We're open Wednesday-Sunday during peak season 11am-4pm. Head down to Tissington (sat nav DE6 1RA) to come and see us!
]]><![CDATA[Tissington Well Dressings 2024]]>Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:18:47 GMThttps://www.eazicraft.co.uk/blog/tissington-well-dressings-2024Step back in time
​Well Dressings are a unique form of folk art which dates back to ancient times. Communities throughout the world have decorated Wells and springs to give thanks for the clean fresh water.  Here in Tissington the tradition can be traced back to when the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) swept through the country from the mid to the end of 14th Century. The clean water in the Wells of Tissington kept the villagers safe and they began the tradition of Well Dressings to celebrate and be thankful.
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Experience the Art of Well dressings
The Well Dressings here in Tissington are truly amazing pieces of art that can be appreciated as you stroll around the picturesque village itself.  Every Well Dressing design is a unique original work of art created by a local artist. Each of the six Wells in Tissington has it’s own theme and these change every year. The skills of the villagers in transforming the artist's visions into the hand-crafted well dressings using elements from nature has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
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A painstaking process that involves the whole village!
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The Process
The creation of the Well Dressings begins with soaking the wooden backboards in the village pond for several days. This process ensures as much moisture can be retained as possible to preserve the well dressings.

A layer of clay is then needed to hold the petals, leaves and other natural elements to the back boards. This clay is dug out from local fields and then “puddled”, a process where the clay is trodden on to get it to the right consistency. Salt is then added to the clay to help it retain water. After these processes the clay can finally be plastered onto the back boards. 

From here the meticulous process of “pricking out” the designs onto the clay needs to be completed. This needs to be done accurately to ensure designs work correctly. Then the final process of applying the petals, leaves, beans and seeds etc can take place and the well dressings can truly come alive! 
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We think you will agree the craftsmanship and many, many hours of  time volunteered by everyone involved truly has to be admired.
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Join the Celebrations - Raising money for local Charities and Preserving the Cultural Heritage 
Your support helps to ensure that this cherished tradition continues to thrive for generations to come and that local charities can benefit from all the money raised. Last year over £10,000 was raised for local charities from the car parking fees and donations made to the Wells.
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Well Dressings are such an exciting time here in Tissington. There will be charity stalls around the village or in the Village Hall. The Church is open showing fascinating film footage of how the wells are made. Herbert's Fine English Tea Rooms will be open for refreshments, AJ Holmes traditional butchers will be open selling a selection of locally sourced meats and locally made pies. There will be a stall of handmade Raku bowls and vases made by renowned local artist Ian Palmer. And of course we will be open at here at Tissington Craft Corner, where we stock a range of Tissington Village and Well Dressings inspired products, alongside locally made homewares and gifts.
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Why not stay in the Village at Derbyshire Holiday Cottages | Derbyshire Holiday Apartments | Tissington Hall Village Holidays or bring your caravan or motorhome to Tissington Caravan and Motorhome site caravanclub.co.uk/certifiticated-locations/england/derbyshire/ashbourne

We look forward to seeing you!
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]]><![CDATA[History of our 18th Century Building]]>Wed, 21 Feb 2024 10:31:33 GMThttps://www.eazicraft.co.uk/blog/history-of-our-18th-century-building
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The front of The Old Joiners Shop in Tissington.
Tissington Craft Corner - The Home of Eazicraft is run from a truly beautiful old building in the estate village of Tissington. After 25 years of running On a Wick & a Prayer, The Candlemakers of Derbyshire, from The Old Blacksmith's Forge building in Tissington, Annie wanted another challenge and a dedicated space where she could run her amazing candle making workshops. It was always a squash and a squeeze hosting them at the On a Wick workshop. 
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The old staircase, with the boards worn away and newer ones overlaid on top.
It would have been easy to look for modern premises to move the workshops into. However, Annie has always been passionate about keeping Tissington Village alive, and employing local people. So when Annie was approached by Sir Richard Fitzherbert, owner of Tissington Village, about an empty property, The Joiners Shop, at the other end of the village to On a Wick Annie decided to have a look at it.
The Old Forge and The Joiners shop are wonderful stone buildings built in the mid 19th Century, with traditional thick stone walls, stone floors and state roofs. The buildings have impressive large wooden doors where the horses and carts would have needed to enter.
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An example of the enormous thick walls here at Tissington Craft Corner.
In The Old Forge building the metal wheel trims for cart wheels were made. These metal wheel trims then went down to The Joiners Shop to be attached to the larger wooden trim to complete wheels. These handmade cartwheels were then attached to the cart bodies. Both will have been very busy businesses in the heyday of horse drawn transportation! Annie was immediately drawn to the fact that the buildings shared a historical past and loved the idea of her two businesses being linked.
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Looking up into the attic where the carts were lowered down onto the wheels.
The Joiners Shop has housed many businesses over its history. On occasions it has simply been used as a shop, but at times also maintaining its tradition in manufacturing.  Recently it was a busy sewing studio employing three seamstresses making curtains and soft furnishings. This business was run by Linda who now works at Tissington Craft Corner hosting workshops to pass on her seamstress skills and also advising customers in the shop.
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In a past era the attic of Tissington Craft Corner as a working sewing studio.
The building has needed quite a lot of work to keep it going for over 150 years. The building used to flood due to the rise and fall of the underground springs and so has needed specialist flood defences! These are the springs that fill the wells Tissington is so famous for (this year the Well Dressing is from the 9th-15th of May 2024).
When Annie first viewed the shop it had stood empty for nearly two years! Windows needed replacing, electrics needed re-wiring and flooring areas needed a lot of attention. So over a period of several weeks with lots of redecorating and repurposing the building was transformed from unused and unloved to a bright and airy dedicated workshop space upstairs and a beautiful shop downstairs. A browse around the shop will show you lots of original features and signs of times gone by. 
]]><![CDATA[Tutorial - How to Make Stripy Soaps]]>Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:59:46 GMThttps://www.eazicraft.co.uk/blog/tutorial-how-to-make-stripy-soapsSoap with Personality
We’ve been having loads of fun at our craft workshop in Derbyshire making bars of soap with tons of personality. We’re absolutely in love with this stripy effect, so here’s a little write-up about how to achieve this with your soap making at home. 
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You’ll need:
We used the Citrus Grove soap fragrance and for the colours we chose Sunny Yellow and Turquoise Blue. 
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Instructions
  1. Following the directions on the back of the soap pouch melt the soap chunks in a microwavable jug until fully liquid. 
  2. Add the full bottle of pre-measured Eazisoap fragrance and stir well to disperse the fragrance.
  3. Pour half of the melted soap mix into your second jug.
  4. Choose your first colour and add a few drops at a time into one of the soap jugs, stirring it together. If you’d like a stronger colour remember you can always add more drops but once they’re in you can’t take them out again. 
  5. Repeat with your second colour in the other soap jug.
  6. Spritz the silicone soap mould with the Isopropyl. This helps relieve surface tension, getting rid of bubbles on the surface of the soap.
  7. Pour a layer of your first colour into bottom of the soap moulds.
  8. Allow to set long enough to form a skin.
  9. Pour your second colour over the top. Remember if the soap in the jugs begins to set, you can just give it a few seconds in the microwave to re-melt before pouring. 
  10. Repeat the process to achieve as many stripes as you’d like.
  11. Isopropyl spritz the top layer to reduce any bubbles.
  12. Leave several hours to full set.​
Watch the 'How To' video below...
This is the method we use to make two-colour striped soaps but of course you can make as many different coloured stripes as you’d like!

We’d love to see what you make, be sure to tag us on social #eazicraft so we can take a gander. 

​Have fun, Abby x
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]]><![CDATA[Soap Making in the School Holidays]]>Wed, 26 Apr 2023 14:29:00 GMThttps://www.eazicraft.co.uk/blog/soap-making-in-the-school-holidaysEleanor's Review

It was raining and I was stuck indoors with a petulant teenager and a lively 5 year old. I was facing the classic dilemma of what to do in the school holidays.
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I wanted something we could all do together, something that would be fun, quality family time. The 5 year old is my great niece so I wanted to be the impressive and fun Great Aunty. I am always on a mission to get the teenager (youngest daughter) away from her phone for a while AND I wanted to create something practical we could use. A tall ask you might think!
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I am not crafty and I’m always sceptical of anything that is described as “easy”. I've bought craft kits before which claimed to be “easy”, started them and now they lie unfinished at the bottom of my wardrobe.

Still the idea of making soap at home was appealing, something useful, not a craft project that would create something that needed dusting (I hate dusting). As the teenager lives in the shower, Great Niece loves bathtime and hey we still need to wash our hands regularly, a Soap Making Kit sounded like a win-win idea.
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The Eazisoap set contains everything you need to create beautiful hand made soap at home “no mess, no fuss”. Well me, the teenager and the 5 year old should put this to the test! 
I chose the Eazisoap Clear Soap Making Kit in Amberwood Fragrance. This set appealed to me as I love a classic clear soap and the fragrance sounded lovely, warming and relaxing.

You can also buy Eazisoap colours to add colour to your soaps and the “Butter Yellow” colour sounded like it would go well with the warming Amberwood fragrance so we went for that one. Our excited 5 year old wanted to add the colour, she put quite a lot in! But this isn't the kind of craft kit where things can go wrong, oh no instead of a butter yellow our soaps turned out a beautiful deep Amber colour, just perfect. We also got the Cornflower Blue colour as it's the little ones favourite. 

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As well as colour you can add sparkle to your soaps and as we were having girly family time, how could we resist? We got the Easisoap Precision Mica Powder in “Bright Orange” and once again my great niece went crazy with it! But, like I said earlier this really is a no-fail kit, and our soaps turned out with a beautiful tasteful shimmer.

Each kit makes around 6 soaps, so there was enough for us to use at home and for my Great Niece to take home with her. She was so very proud of her creations and her mum was thrilled too. 
We had a wonderful family afternoon, the Great Niece concentrated, the teenager did smile and laugh but obvs this couldn’t be caught on camera. We will all remember the rainy day we made soap and even the teenager is up for doing it again.

Eazisoap is so easy, and mess free. It was great not to have to use one of our normal kitchen jugs (which of course we use with food) when making the soap and adding the fragrance. We also have it to use again next time, along with the mould so we won't need to buy the full kit again, just the Soap Base and a fragrance. The Easisoap sets really do work, the fragrance is beautiful and the soaps give a rich lather that cleanses delicately. 

Easisoap kits are perfect for those days when you are stuck at home and need something to occupy everyone. For when you fancy trying a new craft, or when you are wanting to make beautiful homemade gifts that  everyone will enjoy.

Finally a craft project that worked really, REALLY well.

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]]><![CDATA[DIY Sew a Christmas Stocking]]>Thu, 10 Nov 2022 14:46:06 GMThttps://www.eazicraft.co.uk/blog/diy-sew-a-christmas-stockingWe love the tradition of hanging-up a Christmas stocking for Father Christmas to come and fill with pressies. As far as we're concerned it's an absolutely vital part of our homemade Christmas decorations. If you're looking to DIY a lovely Christmas stocking like these (or even one each for the whole family) then read on. Many of you will know we also run 'Learn to Sew a Christmas Stocking' sewing workshops in our craft studio upstairs at Tissington Craft Corner, Derbyshire.
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 You will need
• Sewing pattern in the shape of a stocking
• 1 piece of Christmas cotton fabric (65cmx65cm)
• Lightweight wadding/batting (65cmx65cm)
• Plain cotton fabric for lining (65cmx65cm)
• Embellishments such as any ribbons or glitzy decorative pieces for the front of the stocking. Many people like to personalise this part with the recipients initials. 

Method
1. Draw and cut-out a Christmas stocking / boot shape to act as your sewing pattern. Top tip: We find if you don't have gridded pattern-making paper, using a large sheet of newspaper works really well too.
2. Place the pattern on your Christmas fabric and draw around it. Flip the boot over so it's toe is pointing the other way and draw around again. Be careful not to make two pieces facing the same direction as the patterned side of your fabric needs to face outwards on both pieces when the stocking is finished. Cut out your fabric.
3. Cut out the same shapes from the wadding and lining fabrics. 
4. Sew the wadding to the wrong side of the Christmas fabric, close to the edge on all sides. 
5. Choose which side will be the front of your stocking and decorate/embellish as you'd like. 
6. Put the two 'boots' right sides together and stitch around the boot leaving the top open. Turn it the right side out.
7. Stitch the cotton lining pieces together, leaving a large gap (approx 10cm) down the straight side for turning inside out later. 
8. Put the stocking inside the lining with the wrong side of the lining facing out.
9. Machine sew the lining to the fabric around the top.
10. Pull the stocking out through the hole in the side of the lining. 
11. Top stitch across the hole in the lining and push lining down inside the stocking.
12. Make a hanging loop with ribbon and sew to the top of the stocking.

And MOST importantly... remember to leave it out for Santa.
If you'd prefer to come and learn to make a DIY Christmas Stocking with us, we're running classes in December. They include tuition from the lovely Linda who will help beginners get set up on their sewing machines and teach you step-by-step to make your Christmas stockings. All the materials will be provided and you'll also get a copy of the sewing pattern to take home so you can continue making stockings at home! Click here to book 

Good luck with your stockings, we'd love to see what you create. Tag us @tissingtoncraftcorner in any photos you post on Instagram and use the hashtag #eazicraftcreations Alternatively send any photos to us at info@eazicraft.co.uk. We'd absolutely love to see them!
]]><![CDATA[Arm Knitting an Autumn Blanket]]>Wed, 12 Oct 2022 13:14:09 GMThttps://www.eazicraft.co.uk/blog/arm-knitting-an-autumn-blanketHave you ever seen these absolutely huge knitted blankets around and thought how gorgeous they look? I've had my eye on them for ages but had no idea how they were made (are there really knitting needles big enough for that?!). Then I heard it was called 'arm knitting' and knew I had to give it a try. 

Luckily at the time I was looking for makers to come and share their skills in craft workshops at our shop Tissington Craft Corner in the Derbyshire Peak District. Searching for arm knitters I  found that local crocheter Sophie James (check out her social media @jamesandco.artisandesign) was also a fabulous arm knitter!

So I have my teacher, Sophie now runs regular Arm Knitting craft workshops for us where guests can make a gorgeous chunky blanket to keep them cosy this winter.
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To make a chunky blanket you will need:
  • Arm knitting wool - 2kg bundle (we absolutely love Woolly Mahoosive's Mammoth chunky yarn which we stock in Tissington Craft Corner)
  • And your arms - yes that's all!

Using 2kg of yarn makes an arm knit blanket approximately 5ftx5ft depending on how loosely you stitch. Of course if you'd prefer a bigger blanket then you can use 2 yarn balls where you tie the ends together.

Method:
Make sure you're wearing something short-sleeved  as you will need your arms clear for the wool loops. Importantly make sure you go to the loo beforehand because you'll likely be tied up (literally) for an hour or two. If you're a knitter you'll know how your needles work passing the loops from one needle to the other to build your blanket. This works in exactly the same way. 

Start with a slipknot on your wrist, continuing to loop the yarn and pull loops through, creating your cast-on stitches. You'll need about 15 cast-ons. Using the same method as knitting with needles proceed to knit one, pearl one. This can take some getting used to but stick with it and you'll get there. There are many videos online which can demonstrate the movement. 

If you're a knitting beginner or you'd prefer to learn arm knitting in-person book onto one of our workshops and make your beautiful, cosy blanket in a friendly group with the help of Sophie.

Join us for an Arm Knitting Workshop
We run regular workshops for Arm Knitting in our upstairs craft studio. If you'd like to join us we'd love to have you! Please check our Workshops page for the latest listings. Coming up in November 2022 we have Saturday 5th 10am-12pm, Sunday 13th 2pm-4pm, Saturday 19th 2pm-4pm and Sunday 27th 10am-12pm.
]]><![CDATA[WE'RE LIVE]]>Wed, 21 Sep 2022 23:00:00 GMThttps://www.eazicraft.co.uk/blog/were-live
Business owner Annie Maudling
It's with great pleasure we can announce our website is going live. Hopefully this'll make it much easier to book onto our craft workshops and we look forward to seeing you soon!

So far in Tissington Craft Corner we've hosted all sorts of workshops including Candlemaking, sewing, crochet, painting, etc and they've been absolutely fab. It's so inspiring to sit down with like-minded people for some crafting fun. Upcoming there's the Christmas workshops which we can't wait for. In the diary we've got lots of festive candles being made in Christmassy fragrances and shapes. Advent calendars and stockings are on the making list for Sewing for Beginners, not to mention the classic, Christmas wreaths!

Watch this space for posts including crafting projects, workshop updates, arty inspiration and oodles more. 

See you soon,
​Annie and the Eazicraft team!
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