Book & Box Weekender

This workshop offers two-day creative making journey where you’ll craft your own A5 hardback book and a matching fold-out portfolio box. Day One: Dive into the art of traditional bookbinding as you create a beautifully cloth-bound hardback book, complete with headbands and a bookmark ribbon. Day Two: Build a custom fold-out portfolio box designed to perfectly house your book, featuring elegant hidden magnetic fasteners. You can choose from a selection of book cloth colours and stunning decorative lining papers to personalize your project. Whether you have some bookbinding experience or are a beginner, this workshop is designed for all skill levels. All materials are provided. It’s worth noting that sewing and cutting materials requires some level of precision and dexterity.

price £155 / £135*
date 19 Jul, 2025 - 20 Jul, 2025
times 10.30am – 4.30pm
duration Weekend

To book your place on this workshop please call the workshop on 0161 743 3111 or email andy@hotbedpress.org with your contact number letting us know which courses you are interested in we can call you.

Course tutor

Sylvia Waltering

Sylvia is an established book artist and has exhibited widely in the UK. She is Senior Lecturer in Photography at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she has worked since 2002. Sylvia has taught at Hot Bed Press for 8 years, and is our expert book artist. As well as running weekend and evening courses Sylvia runs The Complete Book Arts yearlong course.m

how to join

In order to book please enquire about availablility for the desired course. Please send an email or give a ring stating the required course and date.

0161 743 3111
info@hotbedpress.org

Enquire about a course

We are happy to answer any questions on the phone but here are some commonly asked questions and answers below.

Do I need to be experienced to come on a course?

No experience necessary! Some courses are specifically designed for beginners; such as Introduction to Screenprint, Print or Letterpress, Painterly Screen-printing or The Art of Etching. Other courses such as Mokuhanga, Screen-printing with Natural Dyes or Photopolymer Printing are more tailored to those with some previous experience. However, if in doubt phone us to discuss.

How do I book a place on a course?

The best way to book a place is to phone us on 0161 743 3111. Our courses book up so quickly that we can be answering the phone all day whilst e-mails may take more time to get through every enquiry and still need us to phone or e-mail you back. We are a friendly bunch and can answer any of your questions when you ring to book.

Do you take a deposit to reserve a place?

No sorry, we are a small team and don't have capacity to have multiple systems in place. We only confirm bookings on full receipt of payment

What materials do I need to bring?

Nothing! We provide all materials for courses. All we need you to bring is some inspiration and clothes you don't mind getting ink on. (In Winter it is best to dress up warm too.) You will receive an introduction letter letting you know what to prepare, such as drawings, photos, photocopies, collected images, and what size you can expect to work to.

Is food provided?

If you are on a day or weekend course please bring your own food. In our small kitchen we have tea, coffee, milk, and sugar and an urn as well as a microwave. The Co-op and Sainsburys are both nearby and we have the luxury of a couple of cafes nearby now with fancy coffee.

Do you have disabled access?

We are limited in our access, with the workshop situated on the first floor and no lifts. We purchased the building in 2017 with the aim to expand and create a fully accessible facility. Unfortunately our ambitions have been set back by covid and other challenges. We are still trying to get full funding to develop the building further and be fully accessible.

Do you have any teacher training courses?

We have Wednesday evening specific CPD teacher training sessions situated under short courses or please email our education officer on education@hotbedpress.org for the details of our latest courses or to discuss bespoke courses.

Come And Join Us

We welcome new members all year round. Anyone can join. You need a little bit of experience; but that can be from doing one of our weekend or evening courses, after which you can carry on and practice what you've learnt on the course. We've got a few types of membership to suit your purse or your time. Just g to our Membership section for more details.