Workshops to Warm the Winter: A Festive Season at the Museum of the Home
Christmas may happen outside — in light-strewn streets and bustling markets — but its true magic has always begun at home. This winter, the Museum of the Home invites visitors into the heart of the season: into rooms where families once warmed their hands, into workshops scented with wax and greenery, into stories that shaped our festive rituals. And this year, Selvedge readers can step inside for less, with 10% off tickets. Read on to discover the full programme — and find your exclusive discount code.
Victorian Christmas. Image courtesy of the Museum of the Home.
From 18 November 2025 to 11 January 2026, the Museum’s Winter Programme transforms 136 Kingsland Road into a place where the past is not just remembered but felt. At its centre is the Winter Past exhibition, exploring how households across history have celebrated, decorated and gathered during the darkest months. Visitors wander through rooms dressed for winters past, present and imagined — a reminder that while traditions evolve, the need for warmth and connection endures.
Seasonal Pomander Workshop with WAX Atelier
For those drawn to the tactile and beautifully handmade, this year’s workshops offer seasonal creativity in abundance. On 2 December, WAX Atelier co-founder Lola Lely leads a Seasonal Pomander Workshop, teaching participants to craft clove-studded orange ornaments using fruit wax, aromatic resins and essential oils — each finished with a silk tassel.
Sugar, Spice, & Festive Delights with Emma Kay.
Christmas Wreath-making workshop.
On 6 December, the Museum hosts two festive favourites. Food historian Emma Kay presents Sugar, Spice & Festive Delights, guiding guests through the history of gingerbread as they mould their own Victorian-inspired decorations using original artefacts. Then, during the afternoon, Head Gardener Heather Stevens offers her final Christmas wreath-making workshop after nearly 30 years tending the Museum’s gardens — a celebration of winter greenery and the joy of a handmade welcome at the door.
Victorian Paper Marbling Course
On 7 December, artist Eloise Dethier-Eaton teaches a full-day Victorian Paper Marbling Course inspired by the Museum’s Victorian Townhouse at Christmas. A week later, on 13 December, printmaker Alex Booker leads his Winter Woodcut Workshop, where participants carve and print cards, decorations and wrapping paper using traditional techniques — mince pies included.
Silver and Gold A Huguenot Christmas Wedding Talk
Almshouse 14 by Candlelight Tours
A Dickensian Christmas Talk with Lucinda Dickens Hawksley
Those seeking stories rather than scissors will find much to enjoy in the Museum’s winter talks. Highlights include Silver & Gold: A Huguenot Christmas Wedding, the atmospheric Almshouse 14 by Candlelight tours, and A Dickensian Christmas with Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, revealing how A Christmas Carol reshaped festive tradition.
Housed in 18th-century almshouses first opened as a museum in 1914, the Museum of the Home stands firmly as a place where craft, culture and domestic histories intertwine. This winter, it brings the quieter magic of the season indoors, gathering creativity and tradition under one roof.
And, as a special treat for Selvedge readers, you can enjoy 10% off all tickets with the code HOLLY10 — a sprig of festive generosity to tuck into your winter plans.
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Further information:
To book your tickets, head to the Museum of the Home Winter Programme page HERE.
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Image Credits:
Lead: Museum of the Home Winter Market. Photo: Michelle Mason
All further images courtesy of the Museum of the Home.