Sunday 3 December 2023, Christmas Pająki with Karolina Merska

14:00 - 20:00 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)

Hosted on Zoom by Karolina Merska of Folka

Delicate, colourful and intricate structures made of rye straw and coloured paper, Pająki (pah-yonk-ee) are traditional Polish chandeliers made by hand for special occasions. Their history dates back to the mid-18th century when they were made by women as decorations for their homes for Christmas, Easter, Weddings and Christenings. They are also a symbol of harvest and happiness in the New Year. Suspended from the ceiling, amongst colourful paper cut-outs, paintings and paper flowers, they have become a popular decoration in Polish villages. 

Originally from Poland, Karolina Merska is keeping the Pająki tradition alive. Inspired by Polish folk art, she started making Pająki chandeliers in 2015 and has been sharing her passion and knowledge for Pająki through workshops in her studio in East London and around the world ever since. Her work has been celebrated internationally by Channel 4, The World of Interiors, House and Garden, Elle Decoration, The Telegraph, Time Out, Harper’s Bazaar and many more. Since 2019 she also runs her shop, Folka, where she presents unique crafts including Pająki. Her first book was titled Making Mobiles: Create Beautiful Polish Pajaki from Natural Materials.

Outline of the workshop

During the workshop Karolina will introduce the rich history of Pająki, teaching you how to create the iconic Pająki structure using rye straw and colourful paper discs decorated with 5 traditional Kalinka pom poms. A Kalinka pom pom is made of 15 layers of hand-twisted tissue paper. By the end of a workshop, you will have made your own Pająki.

The workshop is available to all levels.

A material pack will be sent to participants prior to the workshop containing:

• Bunch of rye straw

• Tissue paper in two colours

• Pre-cut discs in one colour

• Crepe paper

• Metal hoop

• Ribbon

• Cotton thread

• Needle

Material list that you will need to provide:

• Sharp scissors

• Glue

• Aluminium foil (approx. 20cm x 20cm)

• Compass

• Pencil

• Ruler

Please note: in preparation for the workshop, there is the option to pre-cut the pieces of rye straw into shorter pieces. The following sizes are recommended to give you enough pieces to work with:

• 3 cm x 56 straw pieces

• 6 cm x 18 straw pieces

During the workshop it is advised to hang your Pająki from a ceiling (or any other surface).

Please note: material packs are shipped on an insured, trackable delivery service. Any customs duties, delays, lost or undeliverable packages are the responsibility of the customer. Once a material pack leaves the workshop tutors' hands with a tracking number, the seller has no further obligation to the buyer.

Workshop Cancellation Policy
All workshops are non-refundable. However, if you let us known at least a week in advance that you are not able to make a workshop you have booked, we can issue a credit note.

If you require additional information about this workshop please contact the events team, events@selvedge.org.