What we do
Oxted's very own Repair Shop!
The Woodhouse Craft Centre, incorporating Men in Sheds, was founded in 1971 by Betty Woodhouse – originally with the aim of providing employment for elderly and disabled people in the Oxted area. Nowadays, it’s more about social interaction and it has done wonderful things in the local community to help combat loneliness in men and women of all ages.
A drop-in centre that’s open Monday to Thursday mornings 9.30-12.30p.m. and Tuesday afternoons until 4p.m., all year round. There is no membership or entry fee and we welcome anyone from the community who wants to have a go at traditional crafts, to learn or improve their skills, or just to sit and chat for a bit of company over a cup of tea and a biscuit or two.
We also love to encourage younger people to come along and learn some skills that are no longer taught at home or in school.
We offer a large range of crafts, often using re-cycled materials and we are always open to new ideas. We also have a popular 'Men in sheds' where both men and women use their woodworking skills.
Watch the video and find out more from Manager Liz Martin-Lawrence and Assisstant Manager Sarah Spires about The Woodhouse Craft Centre ...
Why not drop in and see what we are doing?
Monday to Thursday mornings 9.30-12.30p.m. and Tuesday afternoons until 4p.m.
You can learn to repair chairs ...
Sue donated some chairs for our upholstery department to mend and sell, but then she decided to find out how to fix them herself. So, Graham is now teaching her how to repair one of her chairs using paper rush. Hopefully this is the start of her mending many more chairs for us!
You can also learn a new skill at one of our workshops ...
We run workshops on a range of crafts, from rag rugs, cross stitch and Sashiko embroidery to Christmas Wreaths. There are also workshops for children such as Halloween craft.
Most of our workshops are on Saturdays but the photos show one of our recent workshops where the participants are learning how to use a sewing machine. This takes place over three evenings.
You can see the upcoming workshops on our What's On page.
More about what we do and make ...
We knit, sew, crochet, upholster and cane chairs, make a large range of wooden and resin items, make cards, and all sorts of other handmade items depending on the time of year and the ideas that pop up. We also run workshops.
We are also a repair shop where you can have a chair caned or upholstered, and various items made from scratch or mended. We have skills in woodwork, caning, upholstery, sewing, knitting, crochet and many more. Give us a ring or pop in to see if we can fix your problem.
