Christmas Willow Wreath Workshop

Get into the Christmas spirit and join local willow weaver Liz Beech for a festive and environmentally friendly wreath-making workshop!  

This two-hour long session will guide you through the process of weaving your own wreath using sustainable materials and decorating it, making it a beautiful, eco-friendly wreath for your front door. 

No previous experience is necessary, and all materials will be provided. Please note that under 16 year olds need to be accompanied by an adult. 

About Liz Beech

Liz's initial training was Fine Art at Goldsmiths College, London. However, her practice in working life has been Environmental Education in the outdoors. For 21 years, Liz worked for Gateshead MBC, during that time she gained much experience in designing, organising and leading educational group visits in woodlands and garden sites and running a community farm specialising in Rare Breeds.

For a further 10 years, she worked for the National Trust at Gibside delivering outdoor education with the education team. 

This all came to an end after COVID when the team was disbanded. 

Liz gathered a wide experience of both creative and environmental skills and now shares these skills via her work.

Liz leads a regular gardening group at a local community garden. During school holidays, she also leads children’s outdoor activities as well as running basic basket making workshops...the list could go on! 

To digress, but not really, her father was a basket maker and she inherited all his tools. So, Liz set about learning what these tools can do, joined the Northumbria Basket Makers and has been learning ever since.

Working with willow touches all the areas that interest Liz. From the willow plot to the basket, you are in nature, growing a live plant that is harvested, processed and then woven into something that is attractive, practical, a heritage skill and environmentally sustainable.