Tihara Smith

Updated Workshop Dates! 🌴✨ Just a quick note that I’ve updated the July workshop calendar, please see the new dates below to replace the previous schedule. Raffia embroidery is such a lovely way to spend a couple of hours on the weekend. It’s a creative, hands-on, and genuinely relaxing craft. Perfect to do with a friend or enjoy solo! You’ll learn my raffia embroidery technique, hear a bit about the Caribbean craft inspiration behind it, and leave with a finished hoop art piece you’ve made yourself. Sessions are kept intentionally small (six people maximum), and all materials are provided. No experience needed at all. SWIPE to see the updated schedule and book via the link in bio if one of these dates works for you! Available Dates: Sat 30 May, 10am – 12pm Sat 20 Jun, 11am – 1pm Sun 21 Jun, 10am – 12pm Sat 11 July, 2pm – 4pm (Updated) Sun 12 July, 11am – 1pm (Updated) Looking forward to seeing you! 😊 #RaffiaEmbroidery #CraftWorkshopLondon #EmbroideryBook #CaribbeanCraft #HandmadeUK

It’s publication day! Today I can officially say I’m a published author ✨🌴 Raffia Embroidery: Vibrant Designs Inspired by the Caribbean Published by @searchpress This book is a celebration of colour, creativity, and culture all inspired by my Caribbean heritage and love for raffia embroidery. Inside, you’ll find: 🌴 10 raffia embroidery projects - from hoop art and wall hangings to bags, cushions, and accessories. 🌺 Step-by-step guidance & full-size templates - perfect for beginners and experienced crafters alike. ☀️ Eco-conscious ideas – projects with upcycling and repurposing ideas are included. This is the first book of its kind on raffia embroidery, and I can’t wait for you to experience the joy of working with raffia. Available in the UK, USA & Australia - link in bio! Thank you so much to @searchpress and to you all for your support of my work over the years. I’m so excited to see what you create with raffia embroidery 😊 #raffiaembroidery #EmbroideryArt #CaribbeanInspired #Bookstagram

Yesterday marked a very special milestone for me as I made my TV debut on @sewingstreet to celebrate the launch of my new book, Raffia Embroidery! 🌴✨ It was such a joy to join @stuarthillardmakes on the show and share my love of raffia embroidery with Sewing Street viewers. TAP the link in bio to watch the full interview, and read more about my experience in my blog post. A big thank you to @sewingstreet @searchpress and @stuarthillardmakes ! #raffiaembroidery #sewingstreet #newbook #embroidery #handstitching @searchpress_na

Times running out to enter our latest giveaway for Mental Health Awareness Week to win two spaces at the next Raffia Embroidery Workshop! Getting creative and spending time with friends are both activities that can help support your mental health and this giveaway helps you do both 😊 You and a friend could join us for our Saturday 30 May workshop. To enter, all you need to do is: ✨Follow @tiharasmith ✨Like this post ✨Tag a friend in the comments who could do with a break The giveaway closes Sunday 17th May at 23:59 BST. I’ll pick a winner at random and reach out by Tuesday 19th May. Good luck! 🧡 Terms & Conditions: UK residents only, aged 18+. Closes Sunday 17th May at 23:59 BST. Prize is two spaces at the 30 May workshop. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted by Tuesday 19th May via Instagram DM. Winner must respond within 5 days to claim their prize. If not, another winner will be selected. The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram.

My next raffia embroidery workshop is on Saturday 30 May 🌴✨ It’s a relaxed two-hour session where you’ll learn the basics of my raffia embroidery technique, hear a little about the Caribbean craft inspiration behind it, and leave with a finished hoop art piece you’ve made yourself. I’m also offering a discount on my book Raffia Embroidery when you buy it alongside your workshop ticket. It’s a lovely pairing: the workshop gives you hands-on guidance and a gentle starting point, so you can build your confidence with the technique and keep exploring the other projects in the book at home. Spaces are limited, with just six people per session, and all materials are provided. No experience needed at all. TAP the link in bio to book your place. If you can’t make it on the 30th May, you can also book either my June or July workshop. #EmbroideryWorkshop #CraftWorkshopLondon #EmbroideryWorkshop #RaffiaEmbroidery #LondonCrafts

Thank you to @royalcwsociety for an invitation to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party on Tuesday, I made a raffia embroidery palm tree tote bag especially for the occasion 🌴✨ #Commonwealth #BuckinghamPalace #RaffiaEmbroidery @searchpress

Tag a friend who needs a break to win a space on my Raffia Embroidery workshop for you and your friend. Today is the start of Mental Health and Awareness Week, a time for us all to reflect on our own mental health and the things we’re doing to look after ourselves. This isn’t always easy, but one of the things I love about embroidery and craft in general is its ability to bring about calm - so I want to help others who may need a little calm and this week I am giving you a chance to win two spaces at my Raffia Embroidery Workshop. To enter, all you need to do is: ✨Follow @tiharasmith ✨Like this post ✨Tag a friend in the comments who could do with a break Giveaway Terms & Conditions: Open to UK residents only, aged 18+. Closes Sunday 17th May at 23:59 GMT. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted by Tuesday 19th May via Instagram DM. Winner must respond within 5 days to claim their prize. If not, another winner will be selected. The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram. #RaffiaEmbroidery #Raffia #SlowCraft #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #TakeAction

I’m happy to share that I have a feature in @primamag and it showcases one of the projects from my book ‘Raffia Embroidery’ 🧡 If you’ve been curious about the book, this is a good opportunity to sample a project, so you can see one of the beautiful things that can easily be created with raffia embroidery. TAP the link in bio to learn more. #RaffiaEmbroidery #PrimaMagazine #EmbroideryBook #CraftBook

Raffia embroidery is a craft I’ve spent years developing, practicing and now teaching! So, if you’re thinking about joining one of my workshops, here’s a little bit about who you’d be learning with (swipe to see the timeline!): I first came across raffia embroidery when designing my graduate collection at UCA Epsom, where I explored my Caribbean heritage and the story of the Windrush Generation. One of the outfits from my graduate collection was even acquired by @wearelondonmuseum in 2021! Since then, I’ve had the opportunity of delivering workshops at the V&A, the Imperial War Museum, and Somerset House, and leading creative sessions for companies. In 2025, I was recognised by The @kingsfoundation as one of its 35 Under 35, a network of makers and changemakers chosen to promote craft, heritage, and sustainability. And most recently, my work has been included in the @houseeuropeanhistory ‘Postcolonial?’ exhibition. I’m grateful that I get to practice & share raffia embroidery, not only as a way of being connected to my heritage but also as something that brings joy and mindfulness as like other crafts, it has the ability to calm the busiest of minds. I love teaching it, and seeing what people create in workshops and I’d love to share it with you! TAP the link in my bio to book your space for 2-hours to escape the hustle and bustle, learn a new skill and to feel a bit of the Caribbean here in London 🌴✨ #RaffiaEmbroidery #CraftWorkshopLondon #CaribbeanCulture #Embroidery

One of my favourite parts of running workshops is seeing what everyone creates! From the same monstera leaf or hibiscus flower starting point, each person makes it their own. Here are two examples from my Raffia Embroidery Workshop in @waterstones back in February, created by mother & daughter 🧡 I have spaces left across my May, June & July dates if you’ve been thinking about joining a workshop – link in bio for more details & to book your place. #craftworkshop #londonthingstodo #raffiaembroidery #makesomething #embroideryworkshop

My book ‘Raffia Embroidery’ is out now and if you’ve picked up a copy and want to try the technique in person, I have workshops running in London this summer 🌴 It’s a nice way to bring the book to life. You’ll make the first project from the book, and all the materials are provided. In the workshop, I’ll walk you through everything step by step, and you’ll leave with a finished piece and the confidence to move on to other projects from the book. And no need to do it alone, if you book for you and a friend, then you’ll get a discount! The first workshop date is Saturday 30 May, but we have more dates in June & July. TAP the link in bio for more details and to book your place. #raffiaembroidery #craftbook #londonworkshop #embroidery #newbook @searchpress @searchpress_na @classbento_uk

My graduate collection was inspired by my own Caribbean heritage & the Windrush Generation - the thousands of people who emigrated from Caribbean countries to the UK between around 1948 and 1971 to help rebuild Britain after World War II. One of the things I kept coming back to in my research was the straw craft traditions they brought with them. You saw it in the arrival images of the Windrush Generation, straw bags and baskets used to carry their belongings, and in the ‘West Indian Front Room’, straw souvenirs used to decorate the home. Raffia embroidery was my way of responding to this research, recreating the embellishments I saw on these straw bags and baskets. It’s my modern take on those traditions and it’s something you can learn and make yourself! I teach this raffia embroidery technique I developed designing my graduate collection in my London workshops, and I always share the story behind the designs in each session. If you’d like to come along and give raffia embroidery a try, TAP the link in bio to see all my upcoming raffia embroidery workshop dates. The first on is on Saturday 30 May 🌴 #windrushgeneration #caribbeanheritage #crafthistory #raffiaembroidery #londonworkshop 📸 Kayleigh Pace