Georgian Christmas Wreath Making

Sue Hunter is leading a Georgian Christmas wreath workshop at York Mansion House on Thursday 26 November, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. It's held in the State Room, so you'll be making your wreath in one of the house's most formal spaces rather than a back room.

The wreaths are built from natural materials: seasonal foliage, pine cones, fresh moss and dried oranges, all finished off with colourful ribbons. Hunter has run her shop, Floral Elegance, in Acomb for twenty-four years, and she'll be guiding the group through the process, so you'll leave with something you've actually put together yourself.

There's a bit of history to the whole thing, too. In the Georgian and Regency periods, the Christmas season didn't start until 6 December, St Nicholas Day, and decorations didn't go up until 24 December. Back then, holly and evergreens were shaped into kissing boughs, yule logs and wreaths, so the Georgian theme isn't just a label — it's how people in the city actually decorated for Christmas two centuries ago.

It's £56 a person, and that covers all your materials, plus mince pies and a glass of mulled wine or a non-alcoholic alternative. The workshop runs from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on 26 November in the State Room at York Mansion House; for bookings, you can call 01904 553663 or email mansionhouse@york.gov.uk.