The family-run Hawar Textile Institute is a paradise for textile enthusiasts.
Teachers from both the Netherlands and abroad come to share their knowledge and skills in the spacious and atmospheric workshop in Oldeberkoop (Friesland). In addition, Hawar offers a well-stocked shop and an inspiring gallery, making it a creative hub where new and traditional materials and textile techniques are (re)discovered.
At the festival, Hawar will be selling a variety of materials and tools for textile lovers, and you can take part in the workshop “Experiment with botanical printing.” You can also purchase the magazine Vezel at the stand.
Vezel shares personal textile adventures and lets you experience the passion of others. Knowledge, skills, and experiences are passed on. Discover new techniques and materials—or new applications of traditional ones. What’s more fun than getting inspired and trying it out yourself? Vezel encourages dreaming, imagining, and hands-on creativity.
What began over 40 years ago as a newsletter on spinning and dyeing has grown into a broad and practical textile magazine. It’s still published today by the Spin & Dye Journal Foundation, a group of volunteers who believe in sharing knowledge of materials and techniques to keep the craft alive and thriving in the modern world.
Van der Linde is a specialist in art supplies and graphic studio materials, established in 1898. It serves as both a store and a wholesaler for schools, creative centres, professional visual artists, hobbyists, and anyone with creative ambitions.
“During the festival, we want to introduce visitors to our wide range of products.
The selection we present is tailored to complement the festival workshops. Feeling inspired? With us, you will find the materials you need to continue practicing your newly learned skills at home. We will also highlight several sustainable product innovations. We will offer a demonstration of water-mixable oil paints, and for children, there will be a fun ‘make and take’ activity using Posca markers.”
Take a seat in the Craft in Focus Cinema, where you can enjoy a continuous, free screening of films about craftsmanship.
We will be showing the following films:
Norwegian films by filmmaker Silje Ensby, covering topics such as traditional boatbuilding and ropemaking.
Dutch documentary about potter Floortje Roetemeijer, directed by Wendy van Wilgenburg.
A series of films on Chinese crafts, produced by the Wereldmuseum. These include: A film on lacquerware artist Gan Erke, a look into porcelain-making in Jingdezhen, a film about paper artist Chen Hangfeng, his work, and the history of Chinese paper-cutting, and a documentary on the development of ceramic master Dong Quanbin.
Documentary The Repair Cafe, a film byMasato Sezawa.
“It wasn’t just things we wanted to fix.”
Born in the Netherlands, Repair Cafés bring volunteers together to fix household items, clothing, and bicycles for free. But their mission goes beyond simple repairs. They bring memories back to life, strengthen communities by welcoming newcomers, and inspire us to cherish what we already own, resisting the tide of consumerism.
Who comes to Repair Cafés? What stories are shared? This is the story of people fixing more than just broken things
From a square stick, make an almost round peg that you can then drive into a piece of wood to lock a joint. You will learn how to plane with a hand plane and how to make cuts with a chisel. You will also learn about proper working posture while planing and how to adjust the plane blade. We work with spruce or larch wood.
After the workshop, you get to take your own bow peg home. Advanced woodworkers can also learn to make a spiral cut (worvel) with the chisel. Of course, we are happy to tell you more about the Wood and Restoration Technician training program.
At our booth, we’ll have a scale model of a Zaan house to showcase traditional timber construction. Students are busy fitting a tub section into a staircase, creating a Douglas fir structure, and even wooden shovels. There are several examples of intricate workpieces on display. In short, there’s a lot to see.
The Wood and Restoration Technician program is the only fully-fledged MBO level 3 program for becoming a restoration carpenter. It’s offered in five locations in the Netherlands: Hengelo, Arnhem, and Zaandam. Since this year, Groningen and Roermond have also been added. During this three-year program, you’ll learn to work with wood using hand tools, power tools, stationary machines, and even CNC machines. This will equip you to handle the workshop and on-site work. Restoring paneling and buildings is the core of the program. Constructing new wood is also a key skill you’ll learn during this program.
Have your chisel, planer, or scissors sharpened by the knife sharpener.
In the past, the scissor grinder (knife sharpener) would ring his bell, and everyone would rush out to have their knives sharpened. Nowadays, the profession is almost extinct. Knife smith Wander Vanhoucke has brought this ancient craft back to life. With his vintage racing bike converted into a mobile knife sharpening workshop, he will be at the repair shop so everyone can work again with sharp tools.
Wander Vanhoucke started sharpening knives when he was fourteen after struggling to cut through a tomato while cooking. Now, at twenty-two, he forges knives for (star) chefs across Europe. With great attention to detail, he tailors the type of steel, wood, shape, and balance exactly to the customer’s needs. Last winter, Wander went viral with his mobile knife sharpening service, sharpening knives at people’s homes to combat throwaway culture.
Practical information
Is your fountain pen not writing anymore or not writing smoothly? Give your pen a second life by coming for maintenance, repair, or restoration (free of charge!) with artisan fountain pen repairer Carlo de Croock.
Carlo de Croock of D’n Ouwe Vulpen Repair Shop specializes in restoring and repairing old and antique fountain pens.
Please also read this message from Carlo: “I often use parts from other old fountain pens, called donor pens. If anyone has fountain pens lying around that they no longer use and want to donate, I would be grateful. This way, I can continue repairing pens using original parts and keep repair costs low.”
Practical information
A first introduction to carpentry of small artistic objects, for children (and their parents) under the guidance of Ruben La Cruz and Karolien Helweg. If desired, the object can also be painted. The theme is animals. You can build by following an example or use your own imagination.
La Cruz and Helweg have been working together for over 20 years developing and delivering relevant art projects and workshops for children (and their parents).
At the booth of Amsterdamsche Fijnhout, you will find exceptional pieces of wood with beautiful grain, texture, and colour perfect for woodcarving, woodturning, bases, cutting boards, and much more. In addition to wood, Japanese saws are also sold. These pull saws provide a perfect, fine cut, and you are warmly invited to try one out.
The Amsterdamsche Fijnhouthandel is a family business that has been around since 1898. Starting as a furniture workshop in the Jordaan district, it has grown into one of the most specialized timber merchants in the Netherlands. Wood is an incredibly versatile product, attracting a diverse clientele from boat builders to artists, from furniture makers to gardeners everyone knows how to find their way to Amsterdam.
Amsterdamsche Fijnhout increasingly buys and promotes various European wood species such as oak, ash, and maple. Tropical woods are preferably purchased with an FSC certification and are always traceable to their source. Additionally, old stocks of special wood are acquired, ensuring new supplies without the need for cutting new trees.
Since 2021, the company has been located in a new facility designed to be as energy-neutral as possible. With the help of 300 solar panels, the sawmill runs mostly on solar energy throughout the year. The forklifts are fully electric. Waste is minimized by selling or giving away even the smallest pieces of wood as samples.
For Ambacht in Beeld, Amsterdamsche Fijnhouthandel is sponsoring the wood for the tiny house children’s workshop.
At our Ambacht in Beeld Repair Shop, master tailor and embroiderer Katja van der Steen will demonstrate the refined craft of invisible mending. This technique lies at the intersection of repair and textile restoration. It is an extremely precise method used to restore damaged textiles think moth holes, tears, or worn spots almost imperceptibly.
Unlike regular sewing or visible repairs, this method replicates the original weave structure thread by thread. Sometimes, thread is sourced from hidden seams of the original garment so that colour and texture match perfectly. The result? A garment that looks as though it was never damaged.
Feel free to bring your cherished sweater, blouse, or trousers to the festival, where Katja will assess the possibilities and potential costs of repair with you. And who knows your garment might be selected during the two-day festival to be repaired on the spot, entirely free of charge, so you can take it home looking as good as new.
Want to learn how to repair clothes yourself? Even if you have never sewn on a button or patched a hole, you’re welcome at our repair table. You will receive a short explanation and can start hands-on right away. We will also have convenient repair kits available for purchase at our stand so you can continue mending at home or on the go. Together, we are taking an important step, not only toward repairing clothing, but toward mending the world of tomorrow. Stitch by stitch.
Katja van der Steen is a master tailor, lace maker, and embroiderer specializing in bespoke menswear, corsetry, and pattern drafting. She honed her craft creating historical, dance, and theatre costumes at the renowned Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Katja is skilled in a wide range of needlework techniques, including goldwork, tatting, and haute couture embroidery, which she uses to bring traditional crafts to life. As a passionate educator, she leads inspiring workshops, both online and in person, including at the Embroidery School of CraftsCouncil Netherlands. Through her work, she shares artisanal knowledge, makes it accessible to new generations, and connects tradition with innovation to keep handcraft relevant in the modern world.
Practical Information
This year, children can once again join in for free to help build and paint a life-sized, colourful fantasy creature made of papier-mâché, guided by visual artist Edson Bruno Filho.
Papier-mâché is a technique where pieces of paper are combined with an adhesive substance (such as wallpaper paste or flour mixed with water) to create sturdy shapes or objects. The name comes from French and literally means “chewed paper.”
Edson Bruno Filho, originally from Rio de Janeiro, lives and works in Amsterdam and is a visual artist. He paints, creates objects, and sculptures, and leads workshops. His work is deeply inspired by nature and is characterized by bright colours, imaginative shapes, and a playful aesthetic.
Festival address:
NDSM Loods
NDSM-Plein 85
1033 WC Amsterdam
Postal address:
Stichting Ambacht in Beeld
Kalf 158
1509AH Zaandam
The Netherlands
