Ruddington Handmade Craft Market

03/08/2026

Continuing the celebrations in August, we'll be featuring two more stall holders who have supported us from the early days.
This month, we're highlighting Lynda from Ruddington Arts and Craft Society and the WI, recognising their contribution since then.

29/07/2026

There will be a fantastic range of craft items on Saturday in St Peters Rooms, do come and have a look!

This is quite probably the same Water Vole as I posted at the beginning of June. Well, I found it again last week and it seemed happy to pose for photographs within the base of the reeds it calls home. I like this shot so much that I've actually printed it A4 size and put it in a 14"x11" white mount, and Gill's made some cards with this fella in them. You'll be able to see these and a whole lot more on our stall at the Ruddington Handmade Craft Market this Saturday,
1 August, in St Peters Rooms on Church Street, Ruddington (opp the Co-op).
As usual we will be open from 9am until 2pm, entrance is free, and refreshments as always will be available from Ruddington WI.
Please come along and take a look at the amazing range of crafts that will be on show!

24/07/2026

✨ Meet Our August Guest Makers! ✨
We’re delighted to welcome five wonderful guest makers to this month’s market, each bringing their own unique creativity and craftsmanship.
Jan creates charming ceramic mushrooms and beautifully handmade bears.
Gary designs and makes his own cross-stitch kits — the perfect way to relax, get creative, and enjoy a mindful hobby at home.
Helen produces stunning handmade flower arrangements crafted from pipe cleaners, alongside a range of unique decoupage designs.
Gill, a newcomer to our market, brings a lovely collection of embroidered items and delightful felt animals.
James creates distinctive rings from upcycled and vintage coins, transforming pieces of history into wearable treasures, each with its own story.
They’ll be joining our fantastic regular line-up of talented local makers, and the WI will also be there with their ever-popular homemade cakes. 🎂
📅 Mark your calendars and come along — it’s set to be a wonderful day filled with creativity, inspiration, and plenty of lovely things to discover!

20/07/2026

Sonja has been a valued member of RHCM since its early beginnings. She has lived in Ruddington for the past 8 years and has called Nottinghamshire home since 2011.
Her crochet journey began 11 years ago when she developed an interest in the craft. Encouraged by colleagues who showed her the basics, she quickly discovered a passion for crocheting and has been creating ever since.
More recently, arthritis in her thumb led Sonja to explore resin crafting. While she enjoys making resin items, crochet remains her true passion. Following a recent thumb operation, she is looking forward to getting back to doing what she loves most and creating more of the beautiful crochet pieces that have become so popular with customers.
For anyone thinking about learning to crochet, Sonja's advice is simple: be patient and don't give up. There are plenty of helpful tutorials available on YouTube for beginners. She has also recently been sharing her knowledge and offering guidance to young crafters who are interested in learning the skill.
Sonja loves seeing younger generations take an interest in crochet and hopes that, with encouragement and practice, some may even go on to become young entrepreneurs themselves.

13/07/2026

Emma has been part of RHCM since the early days. Her interest in wood laser cutting began through her dad, who is a woodworker and creates the chopping boards featured on her stall.
Emma lives with a condition that can cause her to lose her voice for months at a time. This was one of the main reasons she joined RHCM, alongside wanting to develop her hobby into something more. After being advised to initially take time away from her teaching assistant role, she became concerned about the impact this could have on her career in the long term and decided to explore an alternative path. Today she manages to balance her hobby alongside her career. She started by engraving wooden items before progressing to laser cutting, creating the unique products you see on her stall today.
More recently, Emma has expanded her range to include laser-engraved metal products, such as water bottles. She creates a wide variety of items and offers personalisation, making her products ideal for gifts, special occasions, and wedding keepsakes.
Among her most popular products are her laser-cut Cockapoos, personalised Christmas gnomes, and beautifully crafted tea light holders.

06/07/2026

July and August are dedicated to celebrating the stall holders who have been with us since the early days.
In July, we're shining a spotlight on Emma and Sonja, who have been valued stall holders and we’re delighted to recognise their contribution and thank them for being such an important part of our journey.

04/07/2026

We’re open!
It’s a lovely day and the sun is shining! Why not come along and browse our wonderful stalls, packed with beautiful gifts, crafts and local goodies? It’s the perfect day to support our talented local crafters.
We’d love to see you!

24/06/2026

✨ Meet Our July Guest Makers! ✨
We're delighted to welcome four fantastic guest makers to this month’s market, each bringing their own unique creativity and craftsmanship.
James creates distinctive rings from upcycled and vintage coins, transforming pieces of history into wearable treasures with a story behind every design.
Christelle will be showcasing her beautiful hand-painted glassware and mirrors, featuring eye-catching designs that are both elegant and unique.
Gary designs and creates his own cross-stitch kits, offering a perfect way to unwind, get creative, and enjoy a mindful hobby at home.
Emily and Alice, who are joining our market for the first time, make charming and quirky earrings and necklaces designed to bring a little joy to everyday life.
They’ll be joining our wonderful regular line-up of talented local makers, and the WI will also be there with their ever-popular homemade cakes. 🎂
📅 Mark your calendars and come along — it’s set to be a fantastic day filled with creativity, inspiration, and plenty of lovely things to discover! ✨

15/06/2026

Jo has lived in Ruddington for 17 years, having moved from Birmingham. She loves village life and the strong sense of community that makes Ruddington such a special place to live.
Jo manages our social media channels and set up our Facebook and Instagram pages to help us reach a wider audience. Her phone is packed with photos of stallholders’ creations, and she recently spent time interviewing all of our regular stallholders. It was a fascinating experience that gave her the opportunity to learn more about their stories, skills, and creative journeys.
Like Andrea, Jo has always enjoyed crafting. She first started sewing dress-up costumes for her children when they were young, before expanding her range to include cosmetic bags, face cloths, bookmarks, and, more recently, free-motion embroidered cards.
Jo joined RHCM in February 2024 after her husband pointed out that she had accumulated quite a collection of handmade creations and was rapidly running out of storage space at home!
Jo enjoys creating a wide variety of products. Some are inspired by customer requests, while others are simply projects she loves making. Her free-motion cards are among her favourites because they allow her to express her creativity in a unique way. That said, she couldn’t imagine focusing solely on card making and would miss the opportunity to create her other handmade items.
One challenge Jo faces is resisting the temptation to buy more fabric. With so many beautiful designs available, she could easily end up with more fabric than she could ever use. She is passionate about reducing waste, and even the smallest scraps are put to good use—whether in card making, keyrings, or sewn together to create larger patchwork pieces.

08/06/2026

Andrea has lived in the village since 1999, and some of you may remember her from her time running The Red Lion pub.
As part of the RHCM team, Andrea coordinates our guest stall bookings, helping to ensure that each monthly market is filled with a wonderful variety of creative talent. She also contributes to our social media presence.
Creativity has always been a big part of Andrea’s life. Around nine years ago, she noticed a friend wearing a unique bracelet and asked where it had come from. When her friend explained that she had made it herself, Andrea immediately went online to source the materials and was instantly hooked.
What began as a hobby making bracelets for herself and friends soon grew into something more. After realising she had created far more bracelets than she could ever wear, Andrea started selling her work at craft fairs. In 2019, she opened her Etsy shop, Silk and Rainbows, and has been a valued member of RHCM since 2023.
Andrea particularly enjoys creating custom orders, relishing the challenge of bringing a customer's vision to life through a specific style or pattern. Many of her newest designs are inspired by special requests from customers.
Perhaps her most unusual commission came from a lovely customer who asked her to braid a bracelet using her horse’s hair—a challenge Andrea was delighted to take on!