Mayadori - Conscious creative workshops

The world needs more whimsy.

Upcycling workshops and textile art in Northfleet, Kent — for children, families and curious adults. Led by upcycle artist and educator Aparna Manaswini.

Upcycled shoebox painted with flowers and a whimsical gooseWhimsical patchwork panel made from upcycled fabric

“Creativity isn’t something you learn. It’s a door that’s always been there. I just help you find it - and walk through.”

Gallery

What conscious creativity looks like

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Find your workshop

Something for every age, every stage

and every kind of maker.

Children aged 5–12 join with a parent and come completely free. 🌿

Carve & Press

🪵 Ages 5+ · Children under 13 with a parent

Carve & Press

90 minutes · £18 per person · Saturday mornings, Northfleet

Carve your own stamp from scratch using everyday objects — potatoes, vegetables, simple found materials. Press it onto a tote bag in fabric paint and go home with something entirely yours.

Patch & Press

🧵 Ages 5+ · Children under 13 with a parent

Patch & Press

90 minutes · £18 per person · Saturday mornings, Northfleet

Make a whimsical patchwork panel by hand from upcycled fabric, then take it home to heat press onto anything — jeans, jacket, bag, backpack. Nothing bought new.

Teen Portfolio Session

✏️ Ages 12–16

Teen Portfolio Session

2.5 hours · £28 per teen

Make something real, document the process, build the portfolio that gets you noticed. For teens with their eye on art & design schools.

Remake It - Upcycling

♻️ Adults · 14+

Remake It - Upcycling

2 hours · £22 per person

Bring something worn or forgotten. Leave with something worth putting on your wall. No experience needed - just curiosity.

Upcycled shirt to romper commissionHand-printed totes commission
Commissions

Make something with me

Bespoke pieces, made by hand from reclaimed materials and natural colour - handpainted wedding invitations, original artwork, mural design, and one-off upcycle projects from your own loved objects.

  • · Bespoke wedding invitations & stationery
  • · Commissioned upcycled artwork
  • · Mural design & painting for homes & cafés
  • · Bring your own object — upcycle commissions

Commissions from £35 · Wedding suites from £120 · Murals from £180

Looking for something ready-made? Browse the Mayadori Etsy shop — prints, handmade goods and craft kits.

→ Visit the shop
What people say

Words from the room

Aparna has an incredibly intuitive way of teaching. She met Vanya where she was - and built from there. The sessions are engaging, warm, and genuinely creative.
- Priyanka Mehta
Parent of Vanya · Children’s Workshop
Aparna explains and demonstrates things clearly and is very structured in her approach. Even after one lesson I could see how much I would learn.
- Helen
1:1 Session with Aparna
Aparna brings passion, commitment and genuine design talent to everything she touches. We were lucky to have her - and I’d recommend her to anyone.
- Meera Patel
Trustee, Rock Stone & Pebbles
Her classes are creative, well-structured and inspiring. What I loved most is how she tailored every session to my level. Aparna’s passion for art is truly contagious.
- Munmun
1:1 Session with Aparna

Convinced? You should be.

The person behind

Hi, I’m Aparna.

A design educator, visual storyteller and upcycle artist based in Northfleet, Kent. I’ve spent seven years designing, teaching and building creative things - from children’s art programmes and murals to handmade decorations and a permanent play structure for a London charity.

In 2025 I became a mother. Since then, my passion for making, upcycling and teaching led me to start Mayadori - to share what I know with the mums and children who are the makers of tomorrow.

Portrait of Aparna
The evidence

Why making things matters more than ever

Creative confidence

Children who engage in open-ended art show measurably higher self-efficacy - UAL, 2023

Problem-solving

MIT research links hands-on making to stronger divergent thinking in ages 5–12

Emotional regulation

81% of UK primary teachers say art directly improves pupil wellbeing - Artis Education, 2024

Environmental awareness

Children who make with reclaimed materials develop stronger ecological thinking by age 10

Fine motor & cognition

Cutting, stitching, painting build the hand-brain pathways essential for writing and spatial reasoning

Ready to give your child that space?

Make it. Mean it. Use what’s already here.

Ready to make something?Spots are limited — book yours now.

Workshops in Northfleet, Kent - for children, families and curious adults.

Chat with Aparna