Islander Workshop: Create Your Own Harris Tweed Handbag for Two

Islander Workshop is running a handbag-making session at their East Market Street spot in Edinburgh on Thursday 29 October, and it's built for two people to do together. The whole thing takes an hour, and you'll walk away with a Harris Tweed handbag you've put together yourself.

It's not a 'follow the leader' class where everyone ends up with the same thing. You start by picking the bag's colour, then you choose the Harris Tweed cloth for the lid, the strap, and the accessories. Once you've got your parts, you assemble it using the tools they provide. When it's finished, there's a bit of a moment for it: you show it off outside the Islander shop's floral entrance before taking it home as a 'Made in Scotland' souvenir. While you're working, the instructors talk you through the history of the Harris Tweed brand, so you get a bit of the story behind the cloth as you go.

It's a session for two, and it's suitable for anyone aged 12 and over, which makes it a decent shout for a couple of friends or a parent and a teenager. The workshop runs seven days a week, with slots at 11:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:30 and 17:00, so you can fit it in whenever suits you best. It costs £145 for the two of you, and the voucher is valid for 12 months from the date you buy it, so you don't have to rush to book your date immediately.