Blog // From Village Halls to Voewood: My Christmas Wreath Workshops in Norfolk

There’s something particularly special about teaching Christmas wreath making.

The scent of fresh evergreen foliage, armfuls of beautifully textural winter ingredients, tables gradually disappearing beneath snippets of greenery and that wonderful moment when everyone steps back to admire something they’ve created entirely themselves.

Christmas wreath workshops have become such a treasured part of my festive season at Bracken and Twine Flowers, but they began much more simply — in local village and church halls here in Norfolk.

Looking back now, from those first rather nerve-racking classes to being invited to teach at the extraordinary Voewood House in North Norfolk, it feels like quite a journey.

Where my Christmas wreath workshops began

Many years ago, I started teaching small, friendly Christmas wreath-making workshops in local Norfolk village halls. They were relaxed, creative gatherings centred around traditional moss-based wreaths and an abundance of beautiful natural materials.

What I remember perhaps most vividly about those first workshops, though, is just how nervous I was!

I’m naturally quite introverted, and standing at the front of a room full of people to demonstrate floristry certainly didn’t come naturally to me. Before those early workshops I’d have all the nerves that come with putting yourself out there, wondering whether I’d know what to say or whether I’d feel confident enough teaching a whole room.

But then I’d start talking about flowers.

Once I had armfuls of foliage in front of me and could begin explaining why I’d chosen a particular ingredient, how I like to create movement or why allowing a branch to follow its natural shape can completely change a design, the nerves would gradually disappear.

I realised that teaching feels very different when you’re talking about something you genuinely love.

Over the years, after welcoming so many people to my Christmas wreath workshops, my confidence has grown enormously. I’m still very much an introvert, but teaching no longer feels like standing up and performing in front of a room. It feels much more like sharing something I’m passionate about with people who are excited to learn.

To teach is to learn twice

There’s a saying that to teach something is to learn it twice, and that has certainly been true for me.

Having to slow down and explain techniques that have become almost instinctive after so many years working as a florist has made me look at my own creative process differently.

Teaching has made me think more deeply about why I place something where I do, how I use shape, texture and movement and, perhaps most importantly, how to communicate those ideas in a way that gives somebody else the confidence to create for themselves.

But I’ve also learnt an enormous amount from the people who have joined me.

One of my favourite things about teaching is watching a room full of people begin with essentially the same collection of materials and create completely different wreaths.

Someone will place a branch in a way I would never have considered, combine textures unexpectedly or see something beautiful in an ingredient that somebody else might have overlooked.

It’s a wonderful reminder that creativity doesn’t have a single right answer.

Over the years my guests have inspired me, surprised me and occasionally made me look at familiar materials with completely fresh eyes. I may be the person standing at the front demonstrating, but the learning has always travelled in both directions — and I think I’m a better florist and teacher because of it.

Becoming a tutor at Norfolk Flower Workshops

Those early village hall classes eventually led to a wonderful opportunity when I was invited to become a tutor at Norfolk Flower Workshops at Swanton Morley House.

Set amongst beautiful gardens, meadow and woodland in the heart of Norfolk, it couldn’t have been a more fitting place to teach my naturalistic style of floristry.

Over the years I have taught many Christmas wreath-making workshops there, alongside other seasonal floristry classes, working with an incredible selection of garden-grown, locally sourced, dried and foraged materials.

Teaching there allowed me to develop my workshops further while keeping the element I had loved from the very beginning: giving people the confidence and freedom to create.

I’ll demonstrate the techniques and principles behind the design, but I don’t want to dictate exactly where every branch, berry or seed head should sit.

Part of the magic is learning to work with the character of the materials in front of you, embracing the unexpected shapes and quirks that nature gives us and gradually discovering your own creative instinct.

Wreath making through the Covid years

Like so many things, my Christmas wreath workshops had to adapt during the Covid pandemic.

Teaching something that had always been about gathering around a table, sharing materials, chatting and creating together suddenly came with a completely new set of challenges.

Those Christmases felt very different. There were restrictions to navigate, smaller groups, extra space between workstations and a great deal more planning behind the scenes. But in some ways, it made the opportunity to come together and create feel even more precious.

During such an uncertain and difficult time, there was something wonderfully grounding about returning to simple, natural materials — the scent of fresh pine and evergreen foliage, handfuls of berries and winter textures and the familiar ritual of making a wreath for the front door.

I’m so glad I was able to continue teaching whenever restrictions allowed.

The workshops offered a little pocket of festive normality and creativity at a time when we all needed it. For a few hours, people could become completely absorbed in making something beautiful, enjoy some much-needed Christmas cheer and take home a wreath that felt like a celebration of the season despite everything going on around us.

It reminded me that sometimes being creative isn’t really about the finished thing at all. It’s about those few hours spent making it.

Familiar faces and festive traditions

Perhaps one of the loveliest parts of teaching Christmas wreath workshops over so many years has been welcoming back familiar faces.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing regular attendees return year after year to make their Christmas wreath with me, and I can’t think of a greater testament to the experience than people choosing to make it part of their own festive tradition.

There’s something particularly lovely about catching up on the year that’s passed, seeing how someone’s confidence and creativity has grown since their last workshop and then watching everyone disappear behind armfuls of evergreen once again.

And, of course, there are always plenty of new faces too.

I never want somebody arriving at one of my workshops to feel intimidated or worried that they aren’t “creative enough”. I know what it feels like to be nervous about stepping outside your comfort zone.

My job is to give you the techniques, encouragement and confidence to have a go — and then enough freedom to discover your own way of creating.

There’s still something incredibly rewarding about watching someone arrive convinced that they aren’t particularly creative, only to see them a few hours later proudly carrying an abundant Christmas wreath out of the door.

From village halls to Voewood House

And now my Christmas wreath-making journey is taking me somewhere very special indeed.

For Christmas 2026, I’m incredibly excited to have been invited to teach luxury Christmas wreath workshops at Voewood House in North Norfolk.

Voewood is somewhere I’ve known and loved through my work as a Norfolk wedding florist, so being invited to bring Bracken and Twine’s Christmas workshops to such an extraordinary setting feels particularly special.

Near Holt in North Norfolk, Voewood is renowned for its distinctive Arts and Crafts architecture, atmospheric interiors and unmistakable sense of character. I can think of few places more magical for spending a few hours getting completely lost in festive creativity.

When I think back to how nervous I felt standing in front of those first groups in Norfolk village halls, it makes this next chapter feel all the more special.

Christmas wreath making at Voewood, Norfolk

This year I’ll be bringing everything I’ve learnt from years of teaching Christmas wreath making to Voewood House.

During the workshop, I’ll guide you step by step through creating your own abundant, naturalistic Christmas wreath in my signature Bracken and Twine style — wild, whimsical, beautifully considered and never too perfect.

We’ll begin with a traditional moss base before layering it with a gorgeous selection of seasonal evergreens and textural winter ingredients.

I’ll show you how to work with the natural shapes and movement of the materials, exploring texture, placement and composition to create a wreath that feels beautifully balanced while still wonderfully wild.

But, just as it was in those very first workshops, I don’t want to create a room full of identical wreaths.

There will be plenty of room to make yours completely your own, and I’ll be there throughout to offer guidance, ideas and creative encouragement whenever you need it.

No previous floristry or wreath-making experience is necessary. Complete beginners are every bit as welcome as those who have joined me before.

A wonderfully festive few hours in North Norfolk

For me, these workshops have never been simply about learning how to make a Christmas wreath.

They’re an opportunity to slow down during one of the busiest times of the year. To work with your hands. To enjoy the scent and texture of beautiful natural materials. To chat, create, experiment and perhaps surprise yourself with what you make.

Everything you need to create your wreath will be waiting for you at Voewood, alongside festive refreshments to enjoy while you work.

At the end, you’ll leave carrying your own handcrafted Christmas wreath ready to hang at home and enjoy throughout the festive season — along with the techniques and confidence to perhaps have another go in years to come.

Christmas wreath workshops in Norfolk with Bracken and Twine Flowers

Looking back from those first nervous workshops in Norfolk village halls, through my years teaching at Norfolk Flower Workshops, navigating the unusual Christmases of the pandemic and welcoming so many familiar faces back year after year, it feels rather lovely to see where wreath making has taken me.

And along the way, I’ve learnt just as much as I’ve taught.

My surroundings may have changed over the years, but the heart of my Christmas workshops hasn’t.

Beautiful seasonal materials. Natural, sustainable floristry techniques. A relaxed and encouraging atmosphere. Plenty of creativity. And the simple pleasure of making something with your own hands at Christmas.

So, if you’re searching for a Christmas wreath workshop in Norfolk, Christmas wreath making in North Norfolk, or simply a wonderfully creative way to begin the festive season, I would love to welcome you to Voewood.

From a slightly nervous florist standing in a village hall all those years ago to teaching Christmas wreath making in one of Norfolk’s most extraordinary houses — I really can’t think of a lovelier next chapter.

And I hope you’ll be part of it.