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I know I know, it's still October, but after spending 4 days at Living North's Christmas Fair, I've been thoroughly inspired by all the wonderful creatives making such beautiful items and am now thoroughly in the Christmas gift buying mood! Over the four days I spoke to a lot of crafters who were trying to not-so-subtly drop hints to their family about what they may like for Christmas, and also non-crafters who were struggling to decide on the perfect gift for the crafters in their life because they weren't crafters themselves.
So I thought that, just as I did last year (see my 2022 Gift Guide for some more ideas), I would help those who may be in need of some ideas for the crafters in their life and create the ultimate 2023 gift guide for Northern crafters. Whether they're into cross stitch, knitting, embroidery, macrame or any other type of craft, you're bound to find the perfect gift in this list... as long as your crafter has made it onto Santa's nice list of course!
1. Christmas Crafts
One of the things all crafters tell me is how they want nothing more than some uninterrupted time to craft. Kids all get to play with their new toys, so why not the grown ups too! The relaxed days between Christmas Day and New Year is the perfect time to get cosy in your new Christmas PJs and start a new craft project with your favourite Christmas film on in the background and festive snacks and drinks within arms reach. Our beginner-friendly cross stitch bauble kits showcasing much-loved northern landmarks, such as the Hadrian's Wall Bauble Kit shown, are perfect for providing that bit of festive crafting! The kits are complete with everything they need to complete the project, including patterns, fabric, needle, threads and embroidery hoops so no matter where they are, the crafter can get cracking!
2. beautiful craft project storage
Us crafters often have a craft project half completed lying around on the back of a sofa, or on a side table. But we would much prefer to keep our makes tidy and protected between our crafting sessions. These stunning drawstring bags by North East maker Northstar Needlework are not only beautiful but are also made of durable material to keep all projects safe, have plenty space inside for any project, and even have handy little pockets inside for all those little extras we crafters often need for our projects.
3. cosy craft projects that do good!
What do crafters love almost as much as crafting? Cosiness! These gorgeous beginner-friendly Bed Socks knitting kits from Alpacaly Ever After include everything the lucky recipient needs to knit their own set of cosy bed socks with gorgeously soft alpaca yarn in a choice of beautiful colours. Not to mention, by purchasing from Aplacaly Ever After you can be sure you're supporting a great company who provide a rescue centre for Alpacas and Llamas in the Lake District, as well as therapeutic activities at their centre.
4. The gift that keeps on giving
Gift subscriptions are a great way to not only get in the good books... but also stay in the good books for months to come! With our cross stitch gift subscriptions your lucky recipient will receive one of our beginner-friendly kits once every 2 months allowing them to stitch their own piece of Northern art! Added bonus... the longer the subscription, the more you save... and the longer you're in the good books!
5. northern snacks
Snacks are a must when crafting, and as we all know, Christmas isn't Christmas without cheese! So these amazing Angel Of The North boxes from the Northumberland Cheese Company full of Northumbrian cheeses and other local treats including gorgeous sounding biscuits, chutneys and fudge are perfect for any cheese lover! Personally I know I'd absolutely demolish everything in that box! Not sure anyone else would get a look in!
6. The perfect stocking filler for Northern Needleworkers
Whether the crafter in your life dabbles in cross stitch or embroidery, a Needleminder will be VERY gratefully received! These clever little magnets sit on their current project to hold their needle when it's not in use, preventing the needle being lost down the arm of the sofa... or in the carpet.... or in their blanket. And not only are they a little bit of shiny genius, but they're also super fun to collect. Speaking from experience, us needleworkers can never have too many needleminders! For those from the North, our limited edition Angel Of The North Needleminders are not only pretty and practical, but also bring that feeling of home to any Needlework project.
7. a northern tipple
Christmas is the perfect time for a celebratory tipple while crafting, so why not make it northern? These completely customisable gift sets from North East based St Mary's Premium Spirits give you all you need for a cosy, celebratory tipple. You can choose your tipple of choice, your mixers of choice, your fruit garnish of choice, and even your candle of choice to bring those cosy vibes!
8. a place for their stuff and things
Crafters of all persuasions always have a handful of useful little things they need within arms reach for their projects. Trinket dishes are often the perfect solution! Mine currently houses a handful of stitch markers, a couple of bobbins of embroidery floss, a small tape measure, a cable needle ad some embroidery scissors! The little trinket dishes by Northern Maker Upsy Daisy Craft, like this Stuff And Things Dish, are perfect for keeping all those little items tidy but handy!
9. Don't forget the Christmas Card
I may be easily pleased, but I just love receiving a beautiful greetings card with a lovely message inside from my friends and family at Christmas. And any Northern Crafter will appreciate the work of another Northern artist. Northumberland based artist Sarah Farooqi has beautifully illustrated Christmas greetings cards featuring some fabulous local scenes, such as this of a snowy Durham City, and the artwork itself is so gorgeous it serves as an extra present as you can frame it after!
10. Still don't know?
You can never go wrong with a gift card! With our e-gift cards you can choose the amount you would like to gift then the recipient can choose their own item to suit them!
I hope you have found this helpful! Have a wonderful Christmas!
J xx
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