"Cake is very important,” laughs Magdalen Tyler-Whittle. “You can’t get stuck into crafting without a cup of tea and a slice of cake.”

We are discussing Make, Horsham’s popular community craft collective, which the former fashion designer founded nearly two years ago. Offering affordable classes in everything from soap-making to mosaics, knitting to quilting, the enterprise has taken off in a big way, with more than 1,000 people attending sessions in the past year.

“It seems to appeal to a broad range of people,” says the mother-of-two. “We have teenagers coming with their mums and occasionally the mums then bring their mums! We get experienced crafters who want to try a new skill and people who haven’t done anything creative before.”

Classes are often led by tutors from local design businesses, such as Cuddlemonster Crafts, Owl & Slipper, Knitwit Originals and DAC Designs, many of whom enjoy the experience so much they go on to start their own classes as another strand to their businesses. Others just enjoy passing on the skills they have developed over the years.

But Make isn’t just about the joy of craft; Tyler-Whittle has also seen it bring people together, with friendships forged over knitting needles and corrogated paper.

“We aim to make everyone feel welcome,” she says. “It’s one of the reasons we’ve tried to keep prices low. Many of the people who come to Make are on disability or carers’ allowance, or are young mums living on one salary. After two years we have a core of regulars as well as those who are just discovering us and there’s always a relaxed, informal feel to our evenings.”

Tyler-Whittle was inspired to launch the not-for-profit Make after the birth of her children left her unwilling to return to the demanding world of fashion.

“I’d read an article about social entrepreneurs and wanted to give something back to my community. Teaching others the skills I’d learned – designing, pattern-cutting, sewing – soon became my passion.”

Make now runs a variety of classes at its home in Brighton Road Baptist Church, including regular creative craft workshops on the first Monday evening of every month, a Craft Cafe night on the third Monday of the month and a monthly Wednesday night session. The programme aims to represent a range of arts and crafts – everything from felting to printing – and most sessions are suitable for beginners.

In the run-up to December 25, Make is reprising its popular Homemade Christmas workshops, where participants can learn how to hand-stitch a Christmas stocking, crochet snowflakes and baubles, knit hot water bottle covers, needle-felt Christmas tree decorations, make mosiac frames, wire angels, block-printed greetings cards, and Christmas wreaths.

Shown opposite is a step-by-step guide to sewing an advent calendar that can be used year after year.

The workshops tap into the ongoing trend for homemade Christmas presents and decorations and proved hugely popular last year; Tyler-Whittle advises early booking to secure a place.

Plans for next year include more charity work – Make has taken part in the Big Knit campaign for Age UK and made pillowcase dresses for the charity Dress A Girl Around The World – and to inspire more people to pick up a needle or pair of scissors.

Tyler-Whittle firmly believes that everyone has creative ability and is a persuasive advocate of the satisfaction making can bring.

“I’d advise anyone who’s even vaguely tempted to try a class to come down and give it a go. There’s really nothing to lose but potentially a lot to gain.”

  • Classes start at £12 per session. For more details on Make Horsham – including all its Christmas classes – visit makehorsham.wordpress.com