Welcome
If you are searching for crafts which have been made in the Scottish Borders, this is the website for you.
The Scottish Borders Crafts Association has members who make and sell a wide selection of crafts, both wholesale and retail. You will find knitwear reflecting the wool industry in the Borders, turned wooden bowls and even didgeridoos made from local trees, framed old photographs of the area, pressed flower pictures made from flowers picked in the local countryside and much more.
Some have workshops open to the public and most have a stand at the annual Christmas Craft Fair at Galashiels.
How it Began
The Scottish Borders Crafts Association was formed in 1984. The aims of the association are to promote interest in crafts and develop the crafts industry in the Scottish Borders.
Belonging to an Association keeps craftworkers, who often work alone, in contact with others as well as giving them a collective voice when liaising with bodies such as Scottish Borders Enterprise, the Scottish Borders Tourist Board and Scottish Borders Council. The committee holds an AGM, which is also a social evening held early in May.
What We Do
Every year since 1985 the Association has run a three-day Christmas Craft Fair in the Volunteer Hall, Galashiels. This fair has grown in popularity over the years and in 1998 the takings in the hall were over £26,600. The fair has been on Border TV's 'Borders Lookaround' three times.
It is the policy of the SBCA not to charge admission to customers visiting our fairs and all of them support local charities who do the teas and take a collection. We try to run all our fairs on a 'break-even' basis. Only the craftworkers make money!
Each year in the Spring, we compile a list of all the craft events we know of in the Borders, with dates, times, costs, whom to apply to and provide each member with a copy. We also print 1,000 lists of Craft Events in the Scottish Borders which we give to the Tourist Board from display in the Tourist Information Centres.
We also have a membership list which is kept up to date on a database by our secretary and this list is sent out in response to many enquiries about local crafts. The secretary also receives many enquiries about crafts by phone.
Each year, members receive several newsletters containing all the useful and relevant information we can find.
Occasional evenings have been arranged with speakers to help members e.g. with preparing for craft fairs, selling ourselves and marketing etc. Since 1996 we have held 'Cheese and Chinwag' evenings at St Boswells, cheese and wine and a speaker, with members helping each other with information.
SBCA Membership
Membership is open to anyone with an interest in crafts who lives in the Scottish Borders Region. We have a steady membership of 90 - 100, from beginners and people who do crafts as a part time job or hobby to full time craftworkers and employers.
The Future
The Association intends to continue supporting and encouraging craftworkers, building on our experience, looking for new ways to help ourselves and making people aware of the wide variety of crafts available.
Further Information
If you would like more information about crafts in the Scottish Borders, or if you would like to become a member of the SBCA, then please contact:
Danielle Ray
Chairperson
Scottish Borders Crafts Association
Telephone: +44 (0)1450 363857
mail@scottishborderscraftsassociation.org.uk
This site was last updated on 21 June 2007
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