Scrappy Halloween Fun at Edinburgh Open Workshop - Make, Mend & Transform

Edinburgh Open Workshop is running a free Halloween making session called Make, Mend & Transform on Saturday 24 October, from 10am to 1pm. It's part of their wider programme of community activities and creative courses, and the whole thing is built around the idea of making costumes and decorations by reusing materials that might otherwise go to waste.

There are two ways to get involved. You can bring along an old Halloween costume to mend, transform or give a new lease of life, or you can work from the workshop's own collection of scraps and reclaimed materials to make something from scratch. The suggestions are wide open: turning old bedsheets into ghost costumes, crafting bat wings or cat ears, making spooky bunting, badges and reusable table decorations, or experimenting with the knitting machine to create knitted ladders and spiderwebs. There's no set project to follow, just plenty of materials and ideas to get you started.

It's a low-pressure setup, too. No previous making or sewing experience is needed, and the session is suitable for all ages, so it works as a family thing or just something to do on your own. If you've got a costume from a few years back that's seen better days, this is a good chance to fix it up rather than binning it.

The workshop is at Edinburgh Open Workshop, 39-41 Assembly Street, Leith EH6 7BQ, and the session runs from 10am to 1pm on Saturday 24 October. It's free, but you'll need to book in advance.