Needle Felted Tomte & Pumpkin Workshop NEW!

Making Your Own Tomte

A tomte is the small bearded gnome of Scandinavian folklore, traditionally left a bowl of porridge over winter to keep a farm's luck in. At Lechlade Craft Barn this September, Steffi Stern teaches how to build one from wool, plus a pumpkin to sit alongside him.

Stern runs The Makerss with business partner Sophie Buckley and has written four books on needle felting, including Making Fairy Folk and Making Simple Needle Felts. She's demonstrated at the Knit and Stitch Festivals in London, Harrogate and Belfast, and her needle felted work has featured in collaborations with Aardman's Shaun the Sheep and the RSPB. The day covers core needle felting technique from the ground up: shaping wool with a barbed needle, joining pieces together, then building up a curly beard and a seasonally coloured hat. All wool, three felting needles and step-by-step instructions are provided, along with tea, coffee and biscuits.

No previous felting experience is needed, and every tomte that leaves the barn looks a little different from the next.

Saturday 19 September 2026 · Lechlade Craft Barn, Orchard House South, Downington, Lechlade, Gloucestershire GL7 3DL · Starts 10am