Inspiration for a non crafter please!

Get some old cards to cut up with pinking shears and a hole punch and some thin ribbon to thread through. Can make tags for resents, Christmas, Easter, birthdays... whatever you've got. Small and easy to carry home.

No to crafting.

I do loads of different handicrafts as hobbies but I wouldn’t want to waste time crafting when there grandchildren and great grandchildren to catch up with!

I think you’re worrying unnecessarily and you need to chill out and go with the flow.

I think unless you know your visitor likes this kind of thing that you should be careful and not suggest crafts.

I don't know it this is a fashionable way of entertaining visitors in the UK, but I have never heard of it anywhere, except for children in kindergarten and by the worst kind of occupational therapists working with the elderly in care homes.

Frankly, I would be offended if my hostess suggested any such thing. Of course, good manners would compel me to try and join in, unless it was small fiddly things where I could use my less-than-perfect eyesight and my stiff fingers as an excuse.

Fingers crossed for good weather! Walk and pub for me too.
The French love our quirky public houses…

I love a craft but if I was going for lunch with someone I didn’t know very well to be expected to paint a plant pot or crochet a square would seem weird. A walk round your village is a much nicer idea. I did visit someone once who expected us to decorate a candle for Christmas. I thought it odd then .

Flaxseed. As an experienced host “twinner” myself to French and German guests, and as a guest myself, please don’t worry about the language aspect. A glass of wine over lunch will help no end and I’m sure your guests will be delighted to walk through your village and to the local pub to see something of your local area. It’s the hospitality that counts and especially having someone to your home which is valued, not the quality of the conversation.

Flaxseed.
Walk village pub. Perfect.

I think lunch, a walk around the village and home is more than enough for two hours. Perhaps point out some pretty gardens along the route.

So agree with this.
Also don’t mess with soil, clothes/hands/onward travel

Same here .i can’t think of much worse than enjoying a lovely meal then being forced to do craft activities .shes not a child

Basic Cross stitch. You can buy little kits, for beginners. X

Don’t forget - google translate! Take your phone with you and when you have a “comment on dit” moment you can say, “attends un moment……” tap in your phrase, et voila! translated into French! 😬

I would forget the craft idea altogether, any sort of 'forced' activity would have me running for the exit. You have met her before so no need to be nervous and presumably your mum will help with any language difficulties. I think your idea of a walk through the village and stopping at the pub for a drink would be a very nice idea and also the idea of photos to show her particularly if you have any of your mum when she was very young which are bound to be of interest and maybe even funny.

Absolutely agree, I would be horrified if I was visiting someone and they expected me to do crafting. Would much prefer a walk and visit to the pub.

So, based on all of your ideas/comments, for which I am very grateful, I have decided the following.
I will set up my pot painting ‘for the DGS’ (who will prefer to kick a football about of course)
Then any adult who chooses to help them out or design a pot themselves can. No pressure at all.
A walk through the village (won’t take much time as it’s not very big!) will provide nice photo opportunities followed by a nice glass of vino in the pub.
I will see if (dependant on the twinning plans) they can visit for a bit longer.
Everything will be weather dependant of course .
Thanks for helping me take the pressure off of myself ladies

I was racking my brain, trying to think of some actives for you to do, absolutely nothing came to mind!
However, the village pub idea sounda absolutely great to me.
An inspired choice. 😊

Yes
I might just abandon the idea and take a walk through the village and have a drink at our cute village pub

This is the BEST idea!

To be honest if I went to visit someone and they tried to make me do a craft I would run for the door.
A nice stroll around the village ending in the pub sounds a hundred times preferable

Paint clean tomato tins white (spray gloss paint), dry overnight. Our granddaughters glue bits and bobs - buttons, ribbon.... Fill with wild flowers.

Our daughters love the of tins of flowers they receive.

Patsy70 good point.

I do this for every occasion I host. Totally overthink it, get lots of activities in or games to play and run out of time everytime

All good points! Thank you
French lady is late 50s and very fit and healthy is as my Mum who is early 80’s.
She is staying with my Mum as part of the annual village twinning trip.
I plan to do a ‘picky’ lunch. More of an afternoon tea thing really.
All I really know about her is that she loves her plants - hence the pot painting idea!
Maybe I’ll forget the soil and seed bit tho due to transportation.
I might paint some pots in advance so that we can just design them with the posca pens.

Or I might just abandon the idea and take a walk through the village and have a drink at our cute village pub!

Plenty to think about. Thanks everyone

I think a shared activity is a good idea.

We do this every year at our local library for different seasons.

For each person:
Take some empty tins (canned food), cleaned and washed.
Glue hessian around them.
Decorate with bits and pieces - ribbon tied around it, stickers, buttons - anything really.
Have a selection of greenery and cut flowers available.
Arrange the flowers in your decorated tins, each person doing their own thing.
Put flower arrangements on table or display in the room.
Ooh and ah over the different arrangements over lunch!

🥗

I really cannot imagine how you fit in a craft session in two hours, whilst eating lunch. 🤔

Flaxseed she's on Instagram with a photo of them. Her name is Vinitha Mammen
(One was a watering can, not a 3rd pot!)

It's a good idea to entertain someone .
My French friends all crochet and some knit .
I love to embroider and shared that with them .
Jewellery making is a great idea too .
Take them out for an English tea and pop into The Works .
It's so useful for inexpensive craft ideas .