Welcome to The Tinker Table
Welcome to our Beginner Craft Workshops. This is where adults get to play again. We explore all sorts of creative bits from polymer clay and felt to mini gardens and even handbag making. No skills needed. No prep. No judgement. Just good coffee, good company and a couple hours of making things with your hands while we chat about everything and nothing. Each session stands alone so you can drop in whenever you like and learn something new without doing ten classes beforehand. Bring a friend or fly solo and leave with something you made yourself and a brain that feels a lot lighter. Crafting for beginners. Fun for everyone.
Meet Our Crafting Instructors
Meet our team of makers, designers and creative thinkers from all corners of the craft world. From polymer clay to paper, textiles to mixed media, each tutor brings their own style, skills and industry experience to the table. Together we offer a rich mix of techniques, fresh ideas and hands on guidance so every workshop feels inspiring, supportive and just a little bit magical.
Charis "Chaz" Mc Keever
Polymer Clay & Creative Arts
The Tinker Table Workshops is led by Charis “Krazy Chaz” Mc Keever, designer, creative educator and all-round craft junkie.
With 18+ years in weddings, branding and design, Chaz has taught, published and created her way through the creative industry and now she is bringing that magic straight to the table.
These workshops are all about making beautiful things without the pressure. Polymer clay, paper, mixed media, mini projects, big laughs and a proper cuppa while you work. No experience needed, no perfection expected, just hands-on creativity in a cosy, friendly space.
Come craft, chat, laugh and make something you did not know you were capable of. Your inner creative is about to get a workout.
Heather Mc Keever
Felt Crafting Expert
Heather, a seasoned designer-turned-maker with a lifelong love of all things crafty. Raised on handmade skills, trained in graphic design and seasoned in advertising, Heather now brings her creative world to life through warm, welcoming craft workshops in Portishead.
After becoming a mum, her love for making came roaring back and turned into The Little Elephant, a space where beautiful things are created slowly, with care, laughter and a good dose of coffee.
Every workshop is hands-on, friendly and designed for real people, not perfection. Just come as you are, get a little messy, and leave with something you made and something you loved.
Jarryd Wilson-Jarvis
Mini Gardens Enthusiast
Jarryd is the green thumb behind At Somerset Plants, a plant lover with a warm, welcoming personality and a serious obsession with turning spaces into lush little jungles. What started as a passion for plants quickly grew into a full blown mission to help others create their own tropical paradise at home.
In his workshops, Jarryd shares the secrets of happy plants, from potting and propagation to choosing the right plant for the right space. No stiff lectures here, just hands on learning, easy to follow tips and plenty of time to get your hands dirty in the best possible way.
Whether you are keeping your first houseplant alive or building an indoor jungle, Jarryd will guide you step by step so you leave confident, inspired and ready to grow.
Our Story
The Tinker Table is the brainchild of Charis “Krazy Chaz” Mc Keever, a designer, creative thinker, and passionate maker with a love for meaningful details, beautiful design, and sharing skills with others.
Charis founded and continues to run a bespoke design studio specialising in papercraft, wedding invitations, event stationery, custom gifts, and corporate identity and packaging design. Her work is rooted in celebrating life’s milestone moments. From wedding announcements to brand launches, she finds joy in helping clients mark meaningful occasions with creativity, care, and style.
At the heart of her design work is a commitment to strong client relationships, open communication, and a guided creative process. Every project is approached with transparency, collaboration, and enthusiasm. If you can dream it, we are always open to exploring it. Book an appointment, pop in for a cuppa, and let’s chat about bringing your ideas to life.
How The Tinker Table Was Born
The Tinker Table grew from Charis’s love of teaching, sharing, and hands on creativity. She wanted to bring all her DIY skills to one table and share them in a relaxed, welcoming space where people could create, connect, and unwind.
The vision was simple. A place filled with good conversation, laughter, great coffee, and an inspiring environment, where there is no pressure, no perfection, and no judgement. Just the joy of learning something new, making things with your hands, and leaving feeling lighter, happier, and proud of what you created.
It is a space designed for beginners, the curious, the “not crafty”, and anyone who wants to play, experiment, and reconnect with their creative side.
A Little About Our Journey
Through Charis’s successful work with the SA School of Weddings, she was invited to join their teaching team as the Stationery Lecturer from 2014 to 2017, sharing her expertise with aspiring wedding professionals.
In 2019, she collaborated with Short Cut Craft to create and host Wedding Design Workshops, expanding her passion into hands on creative education.
Her work and insights have been featured in four editions of Wedding Inspirations Magazine, including contributions on First Dance Advice and styled shoot collaborations.
In November 2022, Charis moved to the UK, settling in Portishead. While building a new life and creative network, she found herself searching for her local crafting “tribe”. That search became the spark for The Tinker Table. What started as a desire to meet like minded makers and share creative skills has grown into a welcoming community space where people gather to learn, laugh, make, and feel inspired together.