Christmas Cracker Calligraphy Workshop with Jen Roffe

Jen Roffe is running a Christmas cracker calligraphy workshop at The Hub on Verulam on Wednesday 2 December, and it's one of those sessions where you walk in with nothing and leave with something you can actually use on your table. It runs from 19:30 for two and a half hours, held up in The Mezzanine.

The evening is split into two parts. Roffe spends the first half walking you through the essentials of modern brush calligraphy, showing you how to hold the pen and how to form the letters. The idea is to get everyone comfortable with the basics first, and then help you develop your own style before you move on to the actual project: hand-lettering a pair of personalised Christmas crackers. Once the lettering is done, you fill and assemble the crackers yourself, tying them off with luxury satin ribbon. You'll head home with both a new skill and a couple of festive table decorations you made from scratch.

One of the best bits is that you don't need to bring a thing. All the materials are provided: specialist brush pens, stroke and alphabet guides, lettering templates, Christmas cracker blanks, snaps, party crowns, a joke, luxury satin ribbon, and a sweet treat. It's a complete kit, so you're not worrying about whether you've got the right pens or enough ribbon.

It's a 2.5-hour session on Wednesday 2 December, starting at 19:30 at The Mezzanine, The Hub on Verulam, 5 Verulam Road, AL3 4DA. Tickets are £50 for one, or £45 for members.