Your guide to our most-loved creative days out in the heart of Essex
Whether you've been quietly collecting vintage furniture finds or you've always wanted to try your hand at something beautifully creative, our upcoming workshops at Lavender Grove Colchester are the perfect place to begin. Nestled in Layer de la Haye, just outside Colchester, we're bringing together like-minded makers for a series of intimate, expert-led craft workshops in Essex this season.
What to Expect: Beginner's Upcycling Furniture Workshop (£135 | Full Day)
Our full-day Beginner's Upcycling Furniture Workshop is one of our most popular offerings, and it's easy to see why. You'll arrive to a beautifully curated space, a warm welcome, and a piece of furniture waiting to be transformed entirely by your hands.
Here's what a typical day looks like:
- Morning: Learn the fundamentals — prepping and sanding your piece well to prepare the perfect surface
- Midday: Get hands-on with Frenchic paint, our favourite for its gorgeous matte finish and vintage-ready palette — no primer needed
- Afternoon: Finishing touches, waxing, and distressing techniques that give your piece that coveted aged look. Using practise boards
- End of day: Leave with a fully transformed piece of furniture — and a serious new skill
This upcycling workshop experience is ideal for beginners, birthday treats, or a creative day out with a friend. All materials are included,tea, coffee, water is readily available. Please bring yourself some lunch.
Spaces are limited to keep the experience personal and unhurried.
Behind the Scenes: Reverse Glass Decoupage Masterclass (£85)
If you've never heard of reverse glass decoupage, prepare to fall completely in love with it.
This technique — layering imagery and paint behind glass to create an amazing effect — has roots in 18th-century European craft traditions, and it's having a very well-deserved revival. Our decoupage workshop experience brings this art form to life in a relaxed, guided setting.
In this half-day masterclass
- Choose from a curated selection of decoupage papers or napkins
- Choose your Glass item
- Learn the layering process step by step, guided by Kelly
- Leave with a finished piece — and the knowledge to create more at home
This is a wonderful option if you're looking for something a little different from a standard craft workshop — it's meditative, deeply satisfying, and the results are genuinely stunning.
Tips for First-Time Upcyclers
Thinking about joining us but not sure where to start? Here are a few things we wish someone had told us early on:
- Sand well. Proper sanding is key to a beautiful finish — Frenchic paint bonds directly without primer, so a thorough sand is vital.
- Embrace imperfection. Vintage style loves a little character. Brush marks, slight variations in tone — these are features, not flaws.
- Frenchic paint is your friend. It's low-odour, quick-drying, and the colour range is extraordinary. We use it across almost everything in our workshops.
- Start small. A side table is far less daunting than a wardrobe. Build your confidence before you tackle the big pieces.
- Come to a workshop. Honestly, there's no substitute for learning in person, with guidance, in a space designed for creativity.
Book Your Place
All our workshops fill up quickly — particularly the full-day upcycling sessions — so we'd always recommend booking ahead. Whether you're treating yourself or gifting a creative experience to someone special, a day at Lavender Grove is one you won't forget.
July is Fully Booked. Now booking :-
- Reverse Glass Decoupage: 📅 Saturday 15th August | 2pm – 5pm
- Beginner's Upcycling: 📅 Sunday 16th August | 10:30am – 4:30/5pm
https://lavendergrovecolchester.co.uk/collections/workshops-upcycling
Follow us on Facebook for behind-the-scenes peeks at our workshop days, and join our growing community of makers, upcyclers, and vintage lovers across Essex and beyond.
Lavender Grove Colchester | Layer de la Haye, Colchester, Essex | Upcycling workshops, decoupage masterclasses & Frenchic paint workshops