You might arrive curious, carrying a quiet urge to make things more simply, to understand what goes into the products you use, to work more closely with plants, or to reconnect with skills that feel grounding and purposeful. Perhaps you’ve read books or watched videos, but something still feels just out of reach. You want confidence, clarity, and the reassurance that comes from learning alongside someone who truly knows the materials.
My workshops offer time and space to slow down and learn by doing.
In small groups, we work carefully and practically with natural ingredients – oils, botanicals, scent, heat, and patience. You’ll leave not only with things you’ve made, but with a deeper understanding of why they work, how to repeat the process at home, and a renewed trust in your own hands.
This is learning that stays with you, long after the day itself.
I currently teach a small programme of in-person workshops across North Wales. Each workshop is practical, thoughtfully paced, and designed to give you both skill and understanding – whether you’re a complete beginner or building on existing experience.
Explore how to create nourishing creams, balms, and oils using plant-based ingredients. You’ll learn about formulation, preservation, and the properties of different botanicals, while making a small collection of skincare products to take home.
Learn the craft of making soap using plant oils and simple ingredients. This hands-on workshop covers safety, formulation, scenting, and curing, giving you the confidence to continue soap-making at home with clear guidance and reliable recipes.
An introduction to working with natural scents. This workshop focuses on blending, balance, and sensory awareness, helping you create a personal fragrance while learning the foundations of natural perfumery. As an added bonus, we'll complete a distil our own floral waters using a traditional copper still.
Take the first steps to creating your own natural skincare line with this hands-on, practical course. The full-day workshop focuses on recipe adaptation, working with different ingredients, and making a small range of products. Follow-up evening sessions cover the legal and regulatory essentials, including safety requirements, record-keeping, labelling, and the practical steps needed to bring your products to market with confidence.
If travelling to North Wales isn’t possible, or if you’d like to offer something special to your own community, you can invite me to run a workshop for you. I teach hosted sessions for groups, venues, retreat centres, and organisations, adapting the content to suit your setting and participants.
Workshops can be tailored to different group sizes and levels of experience, and work well as part of a retreat, a one-day event, or a seasonal programme. If you have a space and an idea, I’m happy to explore what might be a good fit.
Sami Blackford is a knowledgeable and natural teacher. The Botanical Skincare course was packed with information and practical help and overall a wonderful experience. I returned home with a lovely array of natural products, which were a joy to make.
Jane
Botanical Skincare
It’s 5 stars from me for both the course I took, ‘Soap Making’ with Sami Blackford and the oh so gorgeous surroundings, both inside and out, of Wernog Wood. We mixed, melted and watched as magic happened before our very eyes, leaving with excellent instructions and information for making our own soap.
Denise
Cold-Process Soap
Not at all. My workshops are suitable for beginners, with clear explanations and plenty of guidance throughout.
Groups are kept small to allow for individual attention and a relaxed, supportive learning environment.
All tools, ingredients, and materials are provided, and you’ll take home what you make along with written guidance. You’ll receive worksheets and recipe sheets, but if you’re a prolific note-taker, you might like to bring a notebook and pen/pencil.
Just yourself, comfortable clothing (that you don’t mind getting a little messy), and curiosity. Full details are sent ahead of time.
Yes. Hosted workshops can be tailored to suit your group, venue, and aims, just get in touch to discuss the possibilities.
Of course you can, and I look forward to hearing from you. You can email me direct to hello@thewildishlife.co.uk, or complete this form.
Whether you’d like to join a public workshop in the woods or explore bringing a session to your own space, there are a couple of ways we can work together. Choose what feels right for you.
Please complete the form below, sharing relevant information such as location, type of event, proposed date, etc., and I will get back to you as soon as possible.