Workshops at By HeatherMay

Three Beautiful Workshops at By HeatherMay

Based in the heart of Ripley, Derbyshire, By HeatherMay is a creative haven that offers a wonderful range of hands-on craft workshops, from candle-making and pottery to silver jewellery… and now, pyrography! Hooray! 

I recently hosted three half-day woodburning workshops there, and it was such an amazing experience. Heather welcomed me into her gorgeous studio with the kindest smile (and a freshly boiled kettle!). If you’ve never been to By HeatherMay, you really must visit. The moment you walk through the door, you’re met with the most incredible scent of handmade candles and creativity in the air. Honestly, it's so lovely!

Each workshop followed the same relaxed structure. We began with some simple mark making to get everyone comfortable with the pyrography pen; exploring textures, lines, and shading before moving on to our first projects.

Once everyone had found their rhythm, we moved on to creating beautiful wooden coasters. Using carbon paper, each participant transferred their chosen design onto wood, ready to burn their patterns in. It’s always so inspiring to watch people gain confidence as they go - every coaster was completely unique and full of personality.

"Absolutely enjoyed the workshop, particularly as I'm not an "artist." Very well taught - easy step-by-step stages. Thank you!"

Of course, no creative afternoon is complete without a little indulgence! A display of delicious sweet treats made a very welcome appearance, and they disappeared just as quickly haha! It was a lovely break to chat all things craft, share ideas, and talk about the other exciting workshops happening at By HeatherMay (there’s such a fantastic variety to choose from - I want to do them all!).

"Today has been incredible. I've had so much fun and my confidence in wood burning grew and grew throughout the session!"

In the second half of the session, we took things up a notch with personalised chopping boards. Everyone picked their own design, many inspired by nature, especially mushrooms and woodland creatures! Watching the boards slowly come to life under careful, focused hands was so rewarding.

Heather had to pop her head around the corner more than once to check we were all still there. Apparently, pyrography has been the quietest workshop so far! That’s the lovely thing about mindfulness, once you get into the flow, time just seems to disappear.

"Loved it! The results exceeded my expectations. It was really relaxing and fun. Connie was really encouraging and created an environment where everyone could work at their own pace. I would highly recommend this workshop."

Once the burning was complete, we treated each board and coaster with Super Duper Odie’s Oil to make them food safe and ready for use. The finished pieces were absolutely stunning - every single one unique and full of charm.

By HeatherMay is such a lovely venue - full of character, creativity, and the most welcoming energy. It was a real joy to spend the day surrounded by such talented, kind, and enthusiastic people.

"Excellent workshop, very well explained. Plenty of time to relax into it. Enjoyed the practice time to play before using a proper design. Love my board. Already booked to come again and can't wait - more please!"

I’ll be returning at the end of November for my Christmas Decorations workshops! The morning session is already fully booked, with very limited spaces remaining in the afternoon. If you miss out this time, don’t worry! I’ll be back in 2026 with more chopping board workshops and some exciting new additions too.

I haven't stopped smiling since this beautiful first series of workshops. Thank you, Heather, for being such a wonderful host, and to everyone who joined me. I truly loved spending time with you all. Here’s to more woodburning magic soon!