A NEW craft shop opens its doors for the first time in York this weekend hoping to interest crafters of all ages.

The York Makery will open in Gillygate, at the former site of Dog & Bone Vintage, and has been set up by Kayleigh Oliver.

Kayleigh, 28, is originally from Sunderland and trained as an art and design technology teacher, working in troubled schools in Croydon before relocating to York, where the letting of the Gillygate property was overseen by Barry Crux & Company.

She said: "Being a teacher develops in you an excellent aptitude for self motivation and work load management, as well as a true appreciation of the excitement of teaching and learning new skills. I decided to take the best bits of what I enjoyed in my job as a teacher, and turn them into my own business."

Family and friends have worked with Kayleigh for the last two weeks to give the shop a makeover, with an aim to keep it "beautifully airy and light inside", with "a really modern theme and colour scheme, to reflect the trend for younger crafters".

The shop sells arts and craft supplies, yarns and fabrics, lino cutting and metal stamping tools, and hopes to encourage young and old people to try out crafting as a hobby.

Kayleigh said: "We have tables at the back of the shop for classes, and if the great British summer pulls its socks up, we will be turning the beautiful back yard, which overlooks the walls, into a chilled out crafters garden.

"We are currently developing a range of skills classes, teaching skills like crochet, decopatch and basic sewing to all ages. We are also offering children’s parties, featuring activities like fabric portraits and comic book drawing, and hen parties, featuring jewellery making, bunting making and the ever popular knicker making."

The store opens for the first time at 9am on Saturday.