Naturally Useful

26/05/2026

This is the time of year where all the garden plans start becoming actual garden realities 🌱

And did you know willow screening can still be done even after living willow planting season has passed?

We make bespoke willow fences and screens - fixed, movable, hinged, curved, wonky-shaped-space the flexibility of willow is endless!

Perfect for creating a bit of privacy around a hot tub, fire pit or seating area, whether you want a big garden statement piece or something subtle that quietly screams quality.

Wildlife love it, we love making it, and we can install too.

Simple or wildly creative designs, personalised quotes available. Get in touch 🌿

You can come and see this beauty in situ and grab yourself a wee treat from the farm shop while you’re here too 😋

25/05/2026

25/05/2026

Are your plants starting to stretch out and cast a clout now that May is nearly out?

You need a plant support!

We have one left at the barn but we are happy to take commissions. Send us a message 🌱

Also this audio is like us trying to be cool on social media…never gonna happen, best stick to the heritage crafts eh 😏

11/05/2026

Remember our batik post from a couple of weeks back?

Here is Amy making the finished lampshade, isn’t it just gorgeous 😍 so unique!

We have a couple of spaces left on our course to make one of these yourself! Any design, let your creativity run wild and create something that fits you & your home. Lampshade fittings & all materials included.

Grab one of the last spaces here:
https://www.naturallyuseful.co.uk/courses/p/batik-with-natural-dye-paints-11th-may-930-5pm-4x55r-5dl9l

08/05/2026

Fun game for a Friday!

Karen is working on an unusual and unique commission today after a somewhat emergency situation…😅

But can you guess what it is or what it’s for?

Give your suggestions in the comments 👇 and we will post the answer soon

27/04/2026

Where art and history meet paths. You shouldn’t have favourites, but these hold a special place in our hearts & spaces.

Our sculptural frame basket course is an invitation to slow down and create what the shape is dictating. Weaving organic, free-flowing forms that feel as much like art as they do tradition.

Rooted in heritage techniques, yet guided by your own creativity and the shape the ‘basket is asking to be in’ each piece becomes something entirely unique. Mindful hands, natural materials, and shapes that grow on their own.

Functional, beautiful, and deeply personal - holding your favourite trinkets or simply existing as a piece of art in your space.

Useful art. Living craft. Something to be felt, not just made.

Spaces limited but we have a couple left 👇

https://www.naturallyuseful.co.uk/courses/p/frame-basket-course-10th-may-2025-p5yll-n2sjx-tw4gc

24/04/2026

Workshop is open tomorrow from 10am -4pm we gave a few plant supports left for sale .

16/04/2026

Crawl, hop, slither and jump into creativity!

Join our wonderful workshops to create beasties large and small from willow and tissue paper!

We’ll be building large-scale puppet animals and insects from willow and tissue paper.

Alongside these, you’ll also have the chance to make
your own individual beastie - perfect to
take home or to bring along and carry in Nairn Book and Arts Festival’s Finale Day Parade!

These workshops are open to all ages and abilities
whether you're a seasoned maker or trying something
for the very first time. Families, friends, and individuals alike are warmly welcomed.

Children must be accompanied by a
participating adult, and we encourage grown-ups to get
stuck in too! 1 x adult for every 2 x children please.

Come and be part of a collaborative, creative celebration of
community, craft, and imagination. Help us fill the streets with colour, movement, and magic as we end the festival with a truly unforgettable spectacle.

Fornighty Hall is fully accessible for wheelchair users.

Book here: https://www.ticketsource.com/nairn-book-and-arts-festival/willow-and-tissue-puppet-making-creative-workshops/e-emmrjk

08/04/2026

Indigo doing its thing 💙

No premordant needed - just wrap, tie, soak in water, then into the dye bath for 5–10 minutes. Then out it comes, hits the air, and you watch it shift.

This was Jess’s never-worn pink linen dress… now fully reimagined into something much more her ✨

Dye season is back and we are VERY excited. Lots more plant dye experiments coming your way over the summer 🌿

If you fancy learning how to dye with plants with us, head over to the website https://www.naturallyuseful.co.uk/courses/p/natural-dyes-for-beginners-jlsbr-7pzj3

06/04/2026

There’s just something about batik… I don’t even know how to explain it properly, you kind of have to experience it.

Hot beeswax, layers of dye, and then somehow it all comes together into something you definitely couldn’t have planned (in the best way). Every piece ends up completely different.

We’re running a Make a Batik Lampshade workshop on 2nd May you can go landscape, seascape, or more pattern-based, whatever feels right on the day.

It’s very much a get-stuck-in, see-what-happens kind of process… and you’ll leave with something genuinely unique for your home.

Limited spaces
All materials included
No experience needed

If you’ve been wanting to try something creative without overthinking it then this is a good one.

Book via the website https://www.naturallyuseful.co.uk/courses/p/batik-with-natural-dye-paints-11th-may-930-5pm-4x55r-5dl9l