A project to welcome 4,600-plus athletes from the Commonwealth - and to commemorate their visit to the region - has been launched in Birmingham.

4600 Gifts invites residents to take part in a series of community crafting events that reflect the city's diverse skills, cultures and stories. 

Working with artists and participants from across Birmingham, Craftspace are making 4600 hand-embellished gifts, upcycling locally-sourced materials into messages of welcome, made with love in Brum.

The artistic team for 4600 Gifts is made up of a mix of product designers, artists and designer makers including Pottinger + Cole, Laura Nyahuye, Mahawa Keita and Kalandra McFarquhar, all based in the West Midlands.

A first free mass-making opportunity is taking place at Selfridges, Birmingham on 9 and 10 April, with community making workshops in Moseley and Winson Green throughout April and May. A second mass-making opportunity will take place in Cathedral Square in Birmingham on 13, 14, 15 May.

Deirdre Figueiredo, Director of Craftspace said: “We are working with a fantastic team of artists to deliver 4600 Gifts, a project that re-thinks the idea of Birmingham as the workshop of the world, demonstrating that craft can be a powerful tool for bringing people together to share skills and stories and to ultimately create a personal gift for another person, a visitor to our city.

“Participants don’t need any experience or know-how to take part; we provide everything needed to wrap, knot and stitch. Each gift will carry a message of welcome with the finished gifts and personal messages presented to each visiting athlete when they arrive for the Games in July.”

The gifts themselves are made from metal washers which are upcycled by wrapping, stitching and knotting with yarn. All materials are sourced locally, the yarns are sourced from The Scrapstore, Birmingham and chosen to reflect the flags of the Commonwealth nations and territories, and the metal washers are from Oldbury based Stephens Gaskets.

Workshop places are free and all materials are provided, each making session lasts between 1hr and 1hr 30mins.

The project will see a personalised gift and message of welcome - made by the people of Birmingham - placed into the hands of every athlete. To join in, sign up at craftspace.co.uk/4600gifts.

Get involved here:

Moseley Road Baths
Thursday 31 March: 12.00 - 1.30 & 1.30 - 3.00pm; Thursday 7 April: 12.00 - 1.30 & 1.30 - 3.00pm & Thursday 14 April:  12.00 - 1.30 & 1.30 - 3.00pm                                           

Selfridges, Birmingham
Saturday 9 April: 10am - 7pm & Sunday 10 April: 11am - 5pm                        

Cathedral Square, Colmore Row, Birmingham
Friday 13 May: 2pm - 5pm; Saturday 14 April: 10am - 7pm; Sunday 15 April: 11am - 5pm        

Kinmos, Cambridge Methodist Church, Moseley
Tuesday 12 April: 11am – 1pm & Tuesday 19 April: 11am - 1pm          

Newbigin Community Trust, Winson Green
Tuesday 26 April: 10am - 2pm; Tuesday 3 May: 10am - 2pm; Tuesday 10 May: 10am - 2pm & 
Tuesday 17 May: 10am - 2pm