Gemma Dean

Hi, I’m Gemma – wreath maker, forager and mum of three.Making things has always been my reset button. When my relationship ended and I became a single mum to three kids, with my youngest just six months old, I hit parental burnout hard. Getting creative at home with my children – upcycling, painting, making things out of whatever we had – was one of the things that helped me find my way back to myself.That led to Craftyrafty, which I run with my three kids. It started at our kitchen table, grew into a sold-out Halloween party, and now runs every school holiday at The Rookwood in Wanstead. Our adult Christmas wreath workshops now sell out within a day, and I love it when people tell me, years later, that their dried wreath is still hanging in their home.What makes my workshops different? Before running my own business, I spent 25 years in five-star hotels, including The Savoy and Claridge’s. Many of the dried flowers in my wreaths are rescued from hotel arrangements, and my kids and I forage the foliage ourselves every autumn. So every wreath is seasonal, sustainable and completely unique.I’m also a qualified life coach and counsellor (CBT), a Mental Health First Aider and a former hotel group wellbeing manager. That’s why my sessions are about more than the craft. They’re a proper pause: a chance to switch off your phone, use your hands and leave feeling lighter.I’ve run festive team sessions for Clifford Chance and Cory Group, and wellbeing workshops for David Lloyd and King’s Cross Academy. I’ve also spoken about burnout on the Mums Mean Business podcast.Why do I love teaching? It’s that moment when someone who swears they’re “not creative” holds up something beautiful they made themselves. Come and make something with me. No experience needed, just bring yourself.I’ve run festive team sessions for Clifford Chance and Cory Group, and wellbeing workshops for David Lloyd and King’s Cross Academy. I’ve spoken about burnout on the Mums Mean Business podcast and I’m featured in the founding issue of CONECTED MUMS magazine.