Seaweed Yarn Workshop with Elle MacMillan - June 18th 6:30-8:30pm

A hands-on biomaterials workshop exploring how seaweed can be transformed into sustainable yarn alternatives. Participants will experiment with mixing, pouring, and creating their own seaweed-based yarn samples while learning about the environmental impact of synthetic textiles and the future of bio-based materials. This beginner-friendly workshop encourages curiosity, play, and material experimentation in a relaxed and creative environment. Suitable for designers, students, sustainability enthusiasts, and anyone interested in biomaterials and sustainable making.

Participants will leave with handmade yarn samples, practical biomaterial knowledge, and techniques to continue experimenting at home. 

Duration: 1–2 hours
Date: Thursday 18th June
Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Age: 16+ 
Includes: Materials, tools, demonstrations, experimentation time, and a BIO-BUILT zine featuring the seaweed yarn recipe.

Elle MacMillan is a Textiles Designer and Material Researcher based in the West Midlands. I am also a Textile Design graduate from Birmingham City University and currently a Studio Artist at Grand Union in Digbeth. Alongside my freelance creative practice, I deliver accessible workshops focused on circular designing within fashion and textiles.

We spend most of our time surrounded by synthetic materials - clothes made from plastic, fabrics designed to last forever and waste that doesn’t disappear.  And somewhere underneath all of that, there’s a quiet curiosity: What if materials could grow? What if yarn didn’t come from petroleum… but from the sea?

This workshop is designed to let you explore that idea with your own hands.

You’ll mix, pour, experiment, and create your own seaweed-based yarn samples watching a biomaterial form right in front of you. No prior experience. No pressure to “get it right.” Just curiosity and making. Whether you're a designer, sustainability enthusiast, student, or just biomaterial-curious - you'll find something here for you.