The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s 2026 Irish Business Design Challenge is now open for applications. Micro or small businesses that use design to create sustainable solutions are invited to apply to this DCCI competition. There are awards of up to €20,000 per business, amongst a total prize funding of €50,000.
The Irish Business Design Challenge is looking for businesses that have:
Changed their business model to add value
Repurposed or redesigned their products or services sustainably
Developed new eco-friendly processes or partnerships
Discovered new or more efficient ways of working
Invented innovative and meaningful solutions
Solved societal or environmental problems through sustainable design
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On Sunday, the 16th of August, 17 volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland gathered to teach two sessions of wet and needle felting to over 45 students. Our event was part of the annual August Craft Month and Heritage Week.
The What
We had two educational sessions: a morning session from 10 AM to 12 PM and an afternoon session from 12:30 to 2:30 PM. Both were well attended, with students enjoying learning about the different methods of feltmaking.
Students created several types of felted flowers, three-dimensional sheep, and even trees! They had the opportunity to work with wet and needle felting techniques.
Wet Felting
Needle Felting
Happy Students
Irish Wool Display
There was also a display area featuring Irish Wool and our ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’ book. The vertical display panel was created by Annika Berglund during the research for the book.
Artwork Displayed & Treats Eaten
Volunteers’ felt art was displayed on the stage at the front of the room. There were wearables, wall art, and sculptures!
Artworks
Treatsand Taking a Break
More Photos – Hands!
Thanks
Thank you to all of the students who shared their Sunday with us. We look forward to seeing some of you at future Sessions!
Many thanks to SiobhánRyan for chairing this event, and to all the volunteers who helped with the day: Adrienne, Ananya, Christine, Clodagh, Elizabeth, Eva, Helena, Hilary, Irina, Juliane, Lauren, Linda, Loli, Lorna, Margaret C, and Margaret R C.
Some of our Volunteers – apologies for not having everyone’s photograph
AnanyaElizabethEvaHilary and LindaLindaJulianeLoli and EvaMargaretLaurenMargaretChristine and ClodaghHelenaIrina and a studentAdrienne and Lorna (not a great pic)Siobhán
Additionally, we would like to thank the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland‘s August Craft Month and Heritage Week for sharing our event so wonderfully. We had an excellent turnout this year!
Both organisations have other exciting events happening.
August Craft Month runs through the end of the month.
Heritage Week runs until the 23rd of August.
Many thanks to our members, who comprise Feltmakers Ireland West, for hosting a ‘Felting Fun Day’ on Saturday, the 15th, in Boyle, Co Roscommon as part of August Craft Month.
Lastly, we want to thank the CIE Sports Hall / Social Club in Inchicore, Dublin, for allowing us to rent storage space and use the hall for our meetings and sessions.
Next Month
Our next regular Sunday Session will be on the 20th of September. It will feature Eva Salamon, who will teach us how to make needle felted owls. Members will receive more information shortly.
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
On Friday, the 29th, and Saturday, the 30th of May, a dozen volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland generously shared their love of the magic of feltmaking with the public at Bord Bia Bloom, an enormous, five-day festival in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, which focuses on gardening and sustainability.
On the second day, we shared the space with our friends from Fibreshed Ireland. It was great to see them spinning, weaving, dyeing, and sharing insights into the sustainable, local wool and linen textiles of Ireland.
Fibreshed Ireland
Malú Colorín and Frederique KnitsMalú Colorín and Kathy Kirwin
Hands Busy at Work
Hands of guild member Tamzen Lundy, as she creates faux-taxidermy foxes
Our volunteers led children and adults in creating wet-felted balls, 3D flowers, and flat wool paintings. They also demonstrated more complex feltmaking activities.
Tamzen Lundy created several of her 3D faux-taxidermy foxes, and Irina Lampadova showed how to make felted wristlets using a unique template method.
Our Volunteers
TamzenDeidre and SiobhánFionaHélèneHélène and FionaIrinaClaireLoli and LindaLoli and JulianeMarySiobhánTamzen
Many thanks to our members, who donated time from their busy Bank Holiday Weekend to share their love of felting with the visitors at Bloom. In addition to displaying their felted work, many wore felted items.
Many thanks to the DCCI for inviting us to be part of the Irish Craft Village, and to the event organisers, Geraldine and Catherine Gray, who ensured we had what we needed for the event.
Delighted Attendees
Videos
There are two Instagram Reels for each day of Feltmakers Ireland’s participation at the Irish Craft Village:
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
This weekend, Irish sustainable fashion stylist and journalist, Roxanne Parker, will host two conversations about Irish textiles and fashion at the Sustainable Living Stage of Bord Bia Bloom 2026, in association with The Design and Craft Council of Ireland. Both events will explore the future of Irish textiles, heritage & endangered craft, and sustainability.
Of particular interest to felters is Saturday’s event, “The Future of Irish Wool: Heritage, Sustainability & Innovation.”
This event will open with a fashion show celebrating Irish wool and Irish woven textiles, followed by a conversation on sustainability, heritage manufacturing, farming, fashion and textile innovation.
Alison Gault, Senior Lecturer, Fashion & Knit, Belfast School of Art, Ulster University and an @irish_grown_wool_council_ member
When: Saturday, the 30th of May at 10:30 AM
Where: Sustainable Living Stage, at Bloom
On Sunday at 11:15 AM, there will be a fashion show and a panel discussion on linen.
Opening with a fashion show celebrating Irish linen and contemporary Irish linen design, followed by a discussion on weaving, endangered craft practices, sustainability and the evolving future of Irish linen.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
On Friday, the 30th and Saturday, the 31st of May, volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate wet and needlefelting at the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland‘s Irish Craft Village, at Bord Bia Bloom in Phoenix Park. We will be in Demo Area 3, near the Conservation Area. Our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, will also be for sale, along with some of our members’ works. Come by and say, ‘Hello’!
Feltmakers Ireland guild member Lucia Errity will display her felted work at the MeathMade booth.
More Information
This June bank holiday weekend (Thursday, May 28th– Monday, June 1st, 2026), Bord Bia Bloom, Ireland’s most unique gardening, food, and sustainable living festival, returns for its 20th year.
Filled with colour and creativity, the event heralds the start of summer with a dazzling display of glorious gardens, fabulous food, and enthralling entertainment to entice visitors of all ages.
Spanning a 70-acre site in Dublin’s leafy Phoenix Park, Bord Bia Bloom is one of the country’s largest outdoor experiences, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually. This year, visitors can soak up the sights, sounds, and tastes of summer over five buzzing days packed with live entertainment, talks, interactive workshops, dining, shopping, and so much more.
Bord Bia Bloom offers abundant opportunities to grow, taste, and learn. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster, and two children can go free with each adult ticket purchased. Concession tickets are available for senior citizens (66+) and students with a valid ID.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
Established in 2009, the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s Future Makers Award is one of Europe’s most extensive prize-funded award programmes. It showcases talent and provides much-needed financial support.
Divided into student and emerging practitioner categories, the awards support these crucial times.
The award categories include the following: sustainable design, studio equipping, residencies/training, and exhibiting/trade events.
There is also a mentoring package included in the award.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
On Saturday, the 28th of March, European Wool Day will take place at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee, Co Kerry. In conjunction with the Conference Talks, there is a full day of free interactive demos of woolcrafts from experts all over the country.
Volunteers from Feltmakers Ireland will be part of the Interactive Wool Crafts Room. We will demonstrate needlefelting and host hands-on felting circles for the public. The wool that we will use is Irish-raised and was purchased from Ériu and WoolstoreIE. We are grateful to have received some funding from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.
In addition to Feltmakers Ireland, other individuals and groups will be part of the Interactive Wool Crafts room. The list includes several members of Feltmakers Ireland: Karen Bowden (Fabulous Fibres), Lucia Errity, and Emily Thompson.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
From the Showcase Ireland website: Each year, over 3,350 buyers from Ireland, the UK, the USA, Mainland Europe, and Asia attend the three-day to-the-trade event, which generates sales orders exceeding €25.6 million.
In previous years, several members of Feltmakers Ireland have participated in the annual trade fair.
This year, member Emily A. Thompson will be exhibiting her needle-felted work at Showcase Ireland in the Local Enterprise Office Hall. She will be at stand number L9.
“Emily Thompson is a needle felting artist whose aim is to create unique artworks that connect people to the beauty of the world around them. Using locally sourced Irish wool, washed and dyed with natural materials, Emily meticulously layers the dyed wool to create images of the beautiful Irish landscape.”
When: Showcase Ireland runs from the 18th to the 20th of January, 2026.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
The Homo Faber Fellowship is an eight-month, sponsored international craft training programme that pairs master artisans with emerging talents. Participants gain business and marketing expertise alongside design and hands-on practical skills through the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and craftsmanship.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
On Friday, the 21st of November, Fibreshed Ireland will gather at The Richmond Education and Event Centre, Smithfield, for their annual Symposium to hear from growers and practitioners who work in line with Soil-to-Soil principles of circularity, compostability, and agroecology.
Speakers
● Jennifer & Tristan Lienhard of @appleoakfibreworks ● Katarina Hruskova of @woolstoreireland(Katarina is a member of Feltmakers Ireland!) ● @kathykirwan_theartofnature of the Flax 405 project ● Mary Ann Williams, editor of the book @textilesofireland ● Michelle McCabe, researcher exploring the connections between textile craft and wellbeing with ATU Sligo ● @ryankoenigstudio — 16th-century experimental textile archaeology about the knitted Ballybunion wool cap ● Sarah Babiker — Threads of Story: Woolcraft a Language & Memory between Ireland and the Arab World
Textile Market
Saturday will be an Open Day of craft demonstrations, workshops, shopping opportunities, and community building at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Admission to the demonstrations and shopping is free, but each workshop requires a ticket.
Feltmakers Ireland will demonstrate felting with Irish-raised wool!
Local fibres and textiles from a selection of Fibreshed Ireland members will be available: Included are two Feltmakers Ireland members –
Juliane Gorman of FeltHappiness will vend her Cyanotype-printed, Irish wool hats
Katarina Hruskova of WoolStore Ireland will vend locally raised wool that she has processed.
Workshops
● Upcycling workshop with Eimear Greaney (@upsew.ie), from 10 AM to 12:00 PM ● Aran knitting with @ryankoenigstudio, from 10 AM to 12:00 PM ● Weaving Circle with Lucy Hyland (@ourselfcarerevolution), from 1 to 3 PM ● Movement session for crafters with @aideen.macken, from 3:30 – 4:10 (FREE, with optional donations to support Fibreshed Ireland’s work)
Where: Dublin (different venues each day)
Optional social dinner in @fidelitydublin on Friday, the 22nd of November (book at checkout)
Discounts for students and Fibreshed Ireland members!
