Embrace the season of giving and give your loved ones gifts they will treasure this Christmas!

Too often, gift giving can turn into an exchange of cash, stocking stuffers and things we’ll never use.

Make this the year you give gifts from the heart, and from your hands.

Handmade gifts are sure to make you and your loved ones feel special, as well as being a much more sustainable option.

With such a wide range of short courses on offer, we can inspire the perfect gift ideas for your loved ones. Here are a few examples of how we can help:

Craft and textiles

Whether it’s functional or decorative, a handmade craft is always a good present to receive.

A craft is a thoughtful gift. Your loved one will be touched by the time and effort you spent making something for them, and they’ll be reminded of that feeling every time they see it.

If you’re a seasoned crafter or a total beginner, our experts will guide you the skills you need to create something special and customised for your gift recipient.

Join us to make leather jewellery, a hand-stitched book or even a one-of-a-kind pop-up Christmas card.

Photography & film

A framed photo is a classic present idea for good reason.

Gifting someone a photo of loved ones, a treasured memory or something that reminds them of home is sure to tug at their heartstrings. Even more so if it’s a photo you’ve taken for them.

We can help you capture the perfect picture. Whether you’re shooting on your smartphone or a digital camera, our experienced photography teachers will show you how to master composition, perspective and lighting.

Your new camera skills will also come in handy when capturing Christmas day memories with your loved ones. You can learn new photography skills to show off in front of your family and leave with photos that will adorn your family’s walls for decades.

Floristry

What do you give to someone that’s impossible to buy for? Flowers!

Flowers are a universal language. They can express many emotions from love, joy, appreciation, or even sympathy.

Make the flowers you gift this holiday season more special by arranging them yourself. Your creation could serve as the centrepiece at your Christmas celebration, and then your loved ones could take them home as an extra Christmas treat.

In just one day we’ll show you how to create refined and unique bouquets and posies to bring some extra colour to Christmas.

Art

Art can be a deeply personal form of communication – sometimes it can reflect your feelings, thoughts and experiences better than words can.

Whether you want to express yourself through painting, drawing, ceramics or sculpture, our practicing artists will show you the techniques and give you the inspiration you need to create the perfect gift to warm your loved one’s heart.

 

Alternatively, you could give your friends and family the gift of lifelong learning with a CAE gift voucher.

By giving a gift voucher, you’re giving the gift of choice. With so many different courses on offer at the CAE, who knows what new skill they’ll choose to learn! When they do choose, why not join them and make it an experience you share?