Over 80 Participants at Handicraft Workshops

This year’s 16th Idrija Žlikrofi Festival once again attracted numerous visitors to Idrija. Many of them enriched their culinary afternoon with handicraft workshops held as part of a special Handicraft Corner.

Within the Handicraft Corner, over 7,000 visitors of the Idrija Žlikrofi Festival explored traditional techniques by participating in workshops led by craftswomen, observing craft demonstrations, and discovering the entire journey “from raw material to product” through a temporary exhibition. In cooperation with local craftswomen, four branches of craftsmanship were presented: spinning, bobbin lacemaking, felting, and weaving—the latter of which, unfortunately, is gradually disappearing with industrialization, with only a few craftswomen actively preserving it in Slovenia.

Visitors could take part in 4 different workshops: with craftswoman Sonja Mlakar, they created their own unique yarn and learned how to handle a spindle, while at the workshop with Alenka Rupnik, participants learned the basic concepts of hand weaving and tried out the technique of weaving on a loom frame. At the workshop with bobbin lacemakers from the Idrija Lace Bobbin Lacemakers’ Association, they learned basic bobbin lacemaking movements, and at the workshop with craftswoman Metka Prezelj, they learned the basics of dry felting. Over 80 participants of various generations attended the workshops, happily trying their hand and discovering new knowledge and skills.

The events were further enhanced by a casual exhibition, where participants learned about the importance of three basic threads—linen, wool, and silk—for the cultural landscape and heritage conservation. Visitors could also read more on panels about the 4 textile techniques presented in the Handicraft Corner: spinning, weaving, bobbin lacemaking, and felting.

Even before the event, all 4 branches, including the prominent weaving craft, were presented in cooperation with Radio Primorski val, which produced 5 special broadcasts on the topic.

At the ID20 Institute, we have been supporting local craftsmen and craftswomen in the Idrija-Cerkno region for many years. In previous years, we have organized several craftswomen workshops and contributed to the organization of the Lipa rič Christmas market.

The Handicraft Corner took place as part of the project “Handicraft Corner at the Idrija Žlikrofi Festival 2026”, co-funded by the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, and Sport. (Note: “delo in šport” literally translates to labor/work and sport, translated here to fit standard governmental departmental naming conventions where applicable).