Celebrate Craftsmanship & Design

Make Life Special — May 2026 Challenge

May does something to us.

The light changes. The windows stay open. Time loosens its grip just a little.

And it reminds me of something I’ve learnt over time: the parts of a home we treasure most are rarely the biggest or the newest. They’re the pieces with story — the ones that carry hands, time, and intention.

In our home, some of the things we value most came from makers we met, trusted, and returned to.

Handmade mugs from the same potters who created the tile pattern in our bathroom — and later made a related version for the en‑suite. A set of bookshelves designed specifically to fit an awkward space, made once and never questioned again. A small brass cannon my father turned as an apprentice piece — heavy, simple in look, irreplaceable. And the quiet, familiar scent of a Hunter Jones diffuser that always signals we’re home.

None of these things were chosen in haste. And none of them were about being on trend.

They simply belong. They’ve become part of the rhythm of the place.

That’s what this month’s Make Life Special challenge is about.

The May Challenge: Makers & Materials

This May, I’d love you to do one simple thing:

Celebrate craftsmanship and design — by featuring a maker, or a material you love.

Not in a performative way. Not as a shopping mission. More like a small return to something human.

Because makers aren’t “businesses” in the abstract. They’re people. They’re the ones in studios, sheds, workshops and small high streets who are keeping real skills alive — quietly shaping the objects that make our homes feel like ours.

And when you spend time close to craft, something shifts. You notice detail. You understand quality. You start to see your own home differently.

Three ways to take part (choose one)

1) Do: book a workshop

A workshop is the purest form of this challenge. A few hours for a new skill, a story, and something you made with your own hands. Go with a friend if you can — it turns into a memory, not just an activity.

2) Notice: choose one material and treat it properly

Pick one material in your home — timber, linen, ceramic, brass, stone — and give it a little respect. Clean it properly. Oil it. Mend it. Learn what it is. It’s amazing how quickly a home changes when you start noticing what it’s made of.

3) Support: in a way that feels right

Sometimes that’s buying something small you’ll genuinely use. Sometimes it’s a commission. Often it’s simply telling someone else: “Go there — they’re brilliant.” Word of mouth is still the most powerful support small makers have.

A simple prompt (if you fancy it)

If you want to share the spirit of the challenge, keep it simple:

One photo of what you made, or what you noticed
One line: “This is special because…”

That’s enough. It’s not about show. It’s about connection.

Twenty ways to make something this May (UK)

People reading this are spread all over the country, so I’ve grouped these by type of making rather than location. Pick the one that suits your mood — then find the closest version to you.

If none of these are near you

Use this as a prompt and find a local equivalent:

https://www.ukcraftfairs.com/craft-fair-search

Closing

The best homes aren’t filled with things. They’re filled with decisions — made slowly, made well, and lived with.

A surprising number of those decisions begin with a maker — a real person — working quietly with a material, doing it properly.

If you do one thing this May, let it be this:

Make something.

Meet someone who makes.

Bring a little of that care back into your home.

Make Life Special.

Celebrate Craftsmanship & Design

Make Life Special — May 2026 Challenge

The May Challenge: Makers & Materials