About this Event
Discover cyanotype printing and make your own blue prints in this Christmas special workshop at the Urban Makers Christmas Market.
Cyanotype is a photographic process that uses sunlight to create blue images.
You’ll arrange leaves, flowers and festive shapes on paper, expose them under UV lamps, then rinse your prints in water to reveal your designs.
The A5 paper will be coated beforehand, so you can spend the session making and experimenting. There will be plenty of materials to choose from, but you’re welcome to bring small, flat objects or foliage to try too.
You’ll make around 2–3 prints, with the chance to make more if there’s time. Your prints will be dried during the workshop, ready to take home. Keep them, give them as gifts or turn them into Christmas cards at home.
No experience is needed, and all materials are included.
When: Saturday 28 November 2026, 11:30am–1:30pm
Where: Urban Makers Christmas Market, Ecology Pavilion, Mile End Park, E3 5RP
Group size: Up to 6 people
Ages: Adults and young people aged 12+ accompanied by an adult
Tickets
£15 — Concession: for students, people who are unemployed or on a low income.
£25 — Standard ticket.
£35 — Supporter: for those who can pay a little extra to help keep concession tickets available.
Choose the ticket that suits your circumstances. Everyone will have the same materials and workshop experience, whichever ticket they choose.
Come make something beautiful, slow down for a couple of hours, and take home a little bit of blue Christmas magic!
Agenda
🕑: 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Welcome & Introduction
Info: We’ll start with a short introduction to cyanotype – one of the oldest photographic printing techniques. I’ll explain how it works and show you how to create your own blue-and-white prints using sunlight (or UV light if the weather doesn’t cooperate!).
🕑: 11:45 AM - 12:15 PM
Designing Your Print
Info: Choose your composition from a mix of pressed flowers, festive stencils, and natural materials. I’ll share tips on arranging them for the best contrast and detail.
🕑: 12:15 PM - 01:15 PM
Exposure, Rinse & Dry
Info: We’ll expose your cyanotype print to light and watch the coated paper shift from green to bronze – the image starting to appear. Then it’s time to rinse and reveal the beautiful Prussian blue, hang them to dry, and see the colour deepen before your eyes.
🕑: 01:15 PM - 01:30 PM
Wrap Up
Info: Your cyanotype prints are ready! Take a few minutes to look at everyone’s creations, snap a photo, and enjoy the calm blue end to the session.
Event venue & nearby stays
The Ecology Pavilion Mile End Park, 125 Grove Road, London, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.