Package 2: Courses

Pop-Ups and Regular Craft Groups

Our pop-ups introduce people to crafting as an activity that can promote wellbeing. Our craft groups offer the opportunity for the development of sustained and supportive relationships between participants and between participants and the tutor.

Package 2

Crafting for Improved Wellbeing: Courses

Aim: To help to improve individual wellbeing through crafting.

Approach: 10 sessions per quarter provided over 1 year to develop skills in crafting and improved self-confidence and skills that are transferable to other settings such as the home and workplace.

Experience tells us that participation in these activities consistently over time is helpful, with 1 - 2 year participation followed by ongoing membership of Craft4Smiles providing the optimum benefit. However, by discussion, we will consider offering courses for 6 - 9 months.

Our groups offer the opportunity for the development of sustained and supportive relationships between participants and between participants and the tutor. As well as participating in crafting activities, participants can gain additional experience, skills and confidence by volunteering to help with running Craft4Smiles, for example by supporting crafting activities and events or helping to produce the newsletter and/or by participating in the Board. They can also work towards becoming paid craft tutors in their own right, working towards this by becoming proficient in the crafts we teach and by developing sufficient skills in group work and core work skills to work safely and effectively. We offer support to access the training they need to achieve this. Participants in the groups are also encouraged to sell products made during craft group sessions or at home through the Craft4Smiles online shop and at craft fairs. In the longer term, they may go on to set up their own businesses for which will provide ongoing support through their membership of Craft4Smiles C.I.C.

Activities offered over the first 10-20 weeks include:

Construction: bird houses
Construction: box making, dusting and stamping
Glitter by stencil
Quilling
Paper flowers
Modelling with air dry clay
Card making
Little books

Many more crafting activities and materials will be introduced after the initial period. This includes introducing mixed media approaches and encouraging the design of original items that are unique to each person.

Cost: 40 sessions per year: 10 x 2 hour session for 6 - 12 people per quarter per year

6 people per session: 10 x £165.00 per session x 40 = £6,600 per year
12 people per session: 12 x £ 85.50 per session x 40 = £7,420 per year

Includes tutor preparation time and travel to the venue, an assistant tutor to support the activity and materials @ £3.25 per head (fixed cost unless agreement to a lower number of people e.g. 5 - 9 at commencement of the course. Numbers can be increased to 10 by agreement during the course). Costing assumes provision of space by the client at no cost. Room hire can be added to the charges if necessary.

Prices would be reduced pro-rata for a 6 or 9 month course.

You can download the package description here.

Package 2a

Crafting for Improved Wellbeing: Courses - 10 Week Course/4 Terms/1-2 Years: Face to Face

From Beginner to Advanced Crafter

Available when the circumstances arising from the Covid-19 pandemic allow.

INTRODUCTION

Aim: To help to improve individual wellbeing through crafting: 4 x 10 weekly sessions provided over 1- 2 years to develop skills and knowledge in crafting and improved self-confidence and skills that are transferable to other settings such as the home and workplace.

Courses primarily focus on paper crafting, although we include a range of materials and techniques that allow participants to explore and develop their own mixed media approaches. Experience has shown that participation in these activities consistently over time is effective in improving wellbeing, with participation in our courses for up to 2 years followed by ongoing involvement in Craft4Smiles providing the optimum benefit. At the end of the first term, participants will have the opportunity to choose to continue for the following three terms. At the end of Year 1, there is the option to continue into Year 2.

Our courses offer the opportunity for the development of sustained and supportive relationships between participants and between participants and the tutor. As well learning about key materials, tools and techniques, participants can gain additional experience, skills and confidence by volunteering to help with running Craft4Smiles e.g. by supporting crafting activities and events or helping to produce the newsletter and/or by participating in the monthly meetings and Board. They can also work towards becoming paid craft tutors in their own right, working towards this by becoming proficient in the crafts we teach and by developing basic skills in group work and teaching and the key skills required for workplace safety and effectiveness. We offer support to access the necessary training (see Appendix 1). Participants in the groups are also encouraged to sell products made during craft group sessions or at home through our online shop and/or at craft fairs. In the longer term, individuals may go on to set up their own businesses for which support will be provided through continued involvement with Craft4Smiles.

THE COURSE

Overview

Over the 4 terms of Year 1, participants will develop from beginner to intermediate crafter. Those who wish to continue to continue to develop their skills and knowledge, and those who wish to become volunteers or Assistant tutors, will continue into a second year. Throughout, participants will increase their skills and understanding of the range of core paper crafting techniques and materials available so that they can apply and develop the techniques at home. At the end of each lesson, they will have quality finished products to keep, give away or sell as they wish. The core skills and knowledge that will be acquired are as follows:

Paper/card types, their weights and their uses;
Glues, their properties and uses;
Types of paints, inks and gilding waxes, their uses and ways of applying them;
Calculating and achieving accurate measurement and use of a scoreboard;
Die cutting and embossing techniques and types and use of die cutting machines;
Box styles and basic shapes and cutting, folding and construction techniques;
Greetings cards styles, folding and construction;
Embellishments – the range and variety on the market and how to use them;
Stamps and dies and their properties and uses;
Dusting and masking techniques;
Colouring materials and techniques: alcohol pens and coloured pencils;
Fussy cutting and decoupage;
Air dry clay, modelling, mould making and painting;
Mixed media techniques and approaches;
Memory book construction;
Staying safe whilst crafting;
Effective presentation and design;
Volunteering and becoming an Assistant Tutor;
The range of volunteering opportunities beyond crafting within Craft4Smiles C.I.C.

Year 1: Terms 1 – 4

Term 1: Beginner Paper Crafter:

Week 1: Construction: Bird house gift boxes;

Week 2: Construction: Box making, dusting and stamping;

Week 3: Greetings card making: a range of styles and designs;

Weeks 4 and 5: Quilling: A range of designs;

Weeks 6 and 7: Mixed Media: Little Notebooks;

Week 8: Gilding wax canvases: framed;

Week 9: Gilding wax and resist: Greetings cards;

Week 10: Fussy cutting and decoupage: Greetings cards.

Term 2: Intermediate Paper Crafter:

Week 1: Die cutting and embossing (1);

Weeks 2 and 3: Modelling and painting air dry clay (1);

Weeks 4 and 5: Stamping and colouring with alcohol pens and coloured pencils (1);

Weeks 5 and 6: Use your off-cuts: use of ‘elegant bits’;

Weeks 7 to 10: Mixed media approaches and revisiting skills learned during term 1 and introducing the idea of becoming a volunteer and Assistant Tutor.

Term 3: Intermediate Paper Crafter:

Week 1: Glitter by stencil;

Week 2: Heat embossing;

Weeks 3 and 4: Box making (2): more designs

Weeks 5 and 6: Stamping and colouring with alcohol pens and coloured pencils (2);

Weeks 7 and 8: Modelling and painting air dry clay (2);

Weeks 9 to 10: More mixed media and development of individual style/crafting persona and producing quality items for sale.

Term 4: Intermediate Paper Crafter:

Weeks 1 to 3: Memory books;

Week 4: Paper flower making and colouring with alcohol pens;

Week 5: Die cutting and embossing (2);

Weeks 6 to 10: Mixed media approach and development and refinement of skills learned and decision making for those who wish to become volunteers and Assistant tutors, development of the core skills required;

Year 2: Terms 5 to 8: Advanced Paper Crafter

Those who wish to continue to develop their crafting skills and knowledge, and those who wish to become volunteers or Assistant Tutors will continue into the second year. Those who wish to become volunteers and Assistant Tutors, will be supported to develop the core skills required as described in Appendix 1.

COST

A course can be delivered for a single organization or participants from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough can be brought together. Therefore, both the cost per head and the total cost of a course for 6 and 8 people is given. If you would like us to work with you to run a course, but have less than 6 to 8 people who are likely to participate, please contact us and we will either/both draw from our waiting list or work with you to advertise the event to bring the numbers to 6/8.

1 Term: 10 sessions: 10 x 2 hour session for 6/8/12 people:

6 people/10 weeks: £73 per person (Total: £2,195)
8 people/10 weeks: £335.79 per person (Total: £2,687)
12 people/10 weeks: £84 per person (Total: £3,670)

4 Terms: Years 1 and 2: Beginner – Intermediate Crafter: 10 sessions per term: 10 x 2 hour session for 6/8/12 people 4x per year:

6 people/4x10 weeks: £73 per person per term (Total: £8,780)
8 people/4x10 weeks: £335.79 per person per term (Total: £10,748)
12 people/4x10 weeks: £84 per person per term (Total: £14,680)

Includes tutor preparation time and delivery, and travel to the venue, an Assistant Tutor to support the activity, tools and materials supplied at each lesson. Cost of room hire is not included as it is assumed that this will be provided by the organization/s commissioning the course. The cost of room hire can be added if necessary.

NEXT STEPS

If you would like to commission a course or buy places for 1 or more people, contact: fiona@craft4smiles-cic.org.uk for more information and to discuss any of the above.

You can download the full package description here.

Package 2b

Crafting for Improved Wellbeing: Courses - From Beginner to Advanced Crafter

Package 2b: 10 Week Course/4 Terms 1-2 Years: Real Time - Online

INTRODUCTION

Aim: To help to improve individual wellbeing through crafting: 4 x 10 weekly sessions for 1 to 2 years to develop skills and knowledge in crafting and improved self-confidence and skills that are transferable to other settings such as the home and workplace.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have adapted our approach and are able to deliver our original face-to-face course online. There are unavoidable additional costs associated with this as each participant needs to have the equipment that we would normally bring to a session for themselves. This will be posted in advance of weeks 1 and 4 and will become the property of the participant. If the organization commissioning the course so wishes, it would be possible to arrange for participants to return the tools at the end of any of the 10 week courses. If these are returned to Craft4Smiles as a full set in good condition, £118 per person will be refunded. However, we hope that most people will enjoy the course and decide to continue with us and/or continue to use the basic skills that they have acquired. In this case, we would suggest that individuals retain the tools. The commissioning organisation may ask for a contribution towards the cost as appropriate.

THE COURSE

Overview

Paper/card types, their weights and their uses;
Glues, their properties and uses;
Types of paints, inks and gilding waxes, their uses and ways of applying them;
Calculating and achieving accurate measurement and use of a scoreboard;
Die cutting and embossing techniques and types and use of die cutting machines;
Box styles and basic shapes and cutting, folding and construction techniques;
Greetings cards styles, folding and construction;
Embellishments – the range and variety on the market and how to use them;
Stamps and dies and their properties and uses;
Dusting and masking techniques;
Colouring materials and techniques: alcohol pens and coloured pencils;
Fussy cutting and decoupage;
Air dry clay, modelling, mould making and painting;
Mixed media techniques and approaches;
Memory book construction;
Staying safe whilst crafting;
Effective presentation and design;
Volunteering and becoming an Assistant Tutor;
The range of volunteering opportunities beyond crafting within Craft4Smiles C.I.C.

Year 1: Terms 1 – 4

Term 1: Beginner Paper Crafter:

Week 1: Construction: Bird house gift boxes;

Week 2: Construction: Box making, dusting and stamping;

Week 3: Greetings card making: a range of styles and designs;

Weeks 4 and 5: Quilling: A range of designs;

Weeks 6 and 7: Mixed Media: Little Notebooks;

Week 8: Gilding wax canvases: framed;

Week 9: Gilding wax and resist: Greetings cards;

Week 10: Fussy cutting and decoupage: Greetings cards.

Term 2: Intermediate Paper Crafter:

Week 1: Die cutting and embossing (1);

Weeks 2 and 3: Modelling and painting air dry clay (1);

Weeks 4 and 5: Stamping and colouring with alcohol pens and coloured pencils (1);

Weeks 5 and 6: Use your off-cuts: use of ‘elegant bits’;

Weeks 7 to 10: Mixed media approaches and revisiting skills learned during term 1 and introducing the idea of becoming a volunteer and Assistant Tutor.

Term 3: Intermediate Paper Crafter:

Week 1: Glitter by stencil;

Week 2: Heat embossing;

Weeks 3 and 4: Box making (2): more designs

Weeks 5 and 6: Stamping and colouring with alcohol pens and coloured pencils (2);

Weeks 7 and 8: Modelling and painting air dry clay (2);

Weeks 9 to 10: More mixed media and development of individual style/crafting persona and producing quality items for sale.

Term 4: Intermediate Paper Crafter:

Weeks 1 to 3: Memory books;

Week 4: Paper flower making and colouring with alcohol pens;

Week 5: Die cutting and embossing (2);

Year 2: Terms 5 to 8: Advanced Paper Crafter

COST

A course can be delivered for a single organization or participants from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough can be brought together. We will also consider working beyond this area, including nationally. Therefore, both the cost per head and the total cost of a course for 6 and 8 people is given. If you would like us to work with you to run a course, but have less than 6 to 8 people who are likely to participate, please contact us and we will either/both draw from our waiting list or work with you to advertise the event to bring the numbers to 6/8.

Term 1: 10 sessions per course: 10 x 2 hour session for 6/8 people:

6 people/10 weeks: £648.16 per person (Total: £3,889)
8 people/10 weeks: £628.62 per person (Total: £5,029)

Terms 2 and 3: similar term 1 as additional tools will be required. (Costings to follow.)

Term 4: Likely to decrease by approx. £100 per person as most tools will have been supplied in the previous 3 terms. (Costings to follow.)

NEXT STEPS

If you would like to commission a course or buy places for 1 or more people, contact: fiona@craft4smiles-cic.org.uk for more information and to discuss any of the above.

You can download the full package description here.