Crafting has a rich British history, but these days, our practical skills can fall to the wayside. For Kirstie Allsopp, though, it's been "a lifelong thing."

"My mum was an interior decorator and my dad was an auctioneer. Making things has been in my family for as long as I can remember, and more importantly up-cycling and changing things around."

Not everyone lays claim to such a DIY tradition, but help is on hand: Kirstie's bringing the Handmade Fair to Hampton Court Palace.

"This fair isn't about a whole lot of shops in a tent," Kirstie says. "This is a gathering of the people you've seen with me on screen, answering your questions, teaching you their techniques, and opening up to a live audience. It's 3-D TV without the funny specs."

Getting involved in the Handmade Fair because it seemed, "so bold and different to other fairs that are out there," Kirstie insists that the Hampton Court show, "puts learning at the core."

Mending is also a vocation for Kirstie. "Repairing old things keeps tradition alive," she says, "People chuck old things out and put in new things without thinking what that old thing represents. We can have old and new stuff side by side."

The Location, Location, Location expert is looking to, "share the whole experience with others who love making." And she's keep to celebrate our crafting heritage.

"I'm a sucker for embroidery, which is itself something of a lost skill. This rug on the floor here has been around the house for years and somewhere back in time someone had a loom and made it took care and time over it. You can see where they made mistakes where they ran out of threads so they may have run out of certain coloured cottons. But that's so the maker's hand is visible and that's so important."

Determined that, "Everyone has a craft they can do!" Kirstie sees it as a year-round activity.

"There's Easter crafts, Christmas crafts summer crafts and Halloween … there are things you can do all through the year." Right now, it's conker season that has Kirstie's brain cogs whirring.

"My children have collected them in massive numbers. They're like pieces of mahogany wood and it's so sad they lose their shine. If you gild them perhaps or drilled a hole through to make strings? There must be something!"

Even Kirstie admits to having unfinished projects: "doesn't everyone?" but it looks like a conker quick fix just might be next on her itinerary.

The Handmade Fair runs from 19th-21st September at Hampton Court Palace.

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