COMPETITION: Shows will help you get creative this Christmas

Visit the NEC, Birmingham, for its popular Crafts for Christmas, Hobbycrafts and Art Materials Live shows from November 4-7.

Forget the cold and wet high street and find hundreds of handmade crafts and gifts, delicious food and drink, and art and craft supplies.

Meet 200 talented crafts people and discover their top tips, plus enjoy free workshops and demonstrations on lots of popular crafts including how to make your own jewellery or celebration cards. Everyone can take the opportunity of stocking up their Xmas food store or buying some exquisite food as presents, as the festive food and drink aisle will be much extended this year and bursting with treats such as handmade chocolates, marmalades, cheeses, chutneys, munchy seeds and nuts, wine and much more.

Meet the Prima Magazine team at the free Prima Craft Theatre and learn how to scrapbook from scratch and how to personalise your Christmas parties.

There will also be the chance to win some fantastic products from Harumika in a competition to design your very own chic look using some beautiful fabrics and your imagination.

Details of Prima’s great show subscription offer and a full time-table of their events will be available shortly at www.ichf.co.uk Hobbycrafts, the UK’s largest creative crafts show, is bigger and better than ever with more than 200 exhibitors bringing the best of the craft world together. Be inspired and educated and find an unrivalled choice of supplies.

Speak to the exhibitors and learn how to use card, beads, yarn and stamps for a wide range of creative crafts including cardmaking and papercraft, cross stitching, parchment craft, beading, scrapbooking, jewellery making and more.

Get creative at the UK’s liveliest and biggest art materials show, Art Materials-Live, where leading artists offer insights and free demonstrations leaving you feeling inspired and enthused.

Every day one lucky visitor will win a day’s painting course with artist Bee Morrison, including watercolour techniques for landscapes and flowers in a variety of seasonal colours.

Visitors can sign up for pre-bookable landscape workshops organised by The Artist and Leisure Painter magazines in association with Daler-Rowney with Tim Fisher, Soraya French, Jane Ward and Judi Whitton, using a range of mixed media, acrylic and water colours (for more details see www.ichf.co.uk/artmaterials) or watch some free demonstrations by popular artists running throughout each day of the show.

Ever thought about learning the art of Calligraphy? Here’s an opportunity to try this fascinating art form by attending one of the free workshops organised by the Manuscript Pen company – just turn up at the show as no pre-booking is required.

Enter the ‘Simply the Best Painting Competition’ to showcase your talent and have your work exhibited at the show. The 30 finalists will also have their work featured in the Leisure Painter magazine in 2011, with the ‘People’s Choice Winner’ from the show winning £150 vouchers to spend in any Hobbycraft store. Whether you are a beginner or more experienced, you will find all the very latest art supplies, ideas and advice at this year’s exciting Art Materials-Live show.

Start your Christmas in a relaxing way at Crafts for Christmas, Hobbycrafts and Art Materials-Live. Not only will you get three great shows for the price of one, you will have a truly enjoyable and inspirational day out, leaving with the perfect gift for everyone and lots of ideas to create a completely personalised Christmas.

To buy tickets, visit www.ichf.co.uk or call 01425 277988.

To be in with a chance of winning one of 10 pairs of tickets, just answer the following question: At which Birmingham venue will the craft shows take place?

Please include your name and address with your entry. Closing date is Wednesday, October 27 at noon. Usual rules apply and the editor's decision is final.