I would really love to make all my Christmas presents this year. I did a pretty good job of it last year after doing pottery classes and producing all sorts of baked clay goodies for my loved ones, but this year both time and inspiration are sadly slightly lacking. The thing is craft is such a massive thing now, especially with the recession forcing so much tightening of belts, that there are more reasons than ever to think about crafting Christmas presents for your nearest and dearest. For one, it’s immensely satisfying and meaningful (although I’ll admit that it is STILL difficult to think up things for men, especially if you can’t knit), secondly it’s eco friendly, and thirdly, it is or can be much cheaper than buying expensive high street gifts.

I just stumbled across these instructions to make a shopper bag from Daisy Green, an online magazine dedicated to all things green, eco and cool, but if you don’t have a way with a sewing machine, there are always our (very affordable, pretty and extremely durable and useful) Oneless Plastic Bags!

£10

If you are a dab hand with the knitting needles you could have a go at knitting a soft grey lacey scarf, courtesy of Folksy Makes, but if not, no bother, we have just the thing – a soft grey cotton jersey scarf!

£19.99

If you have a stash of bright buttons, some felt and a needle and thread, you could try making a brooch, (another Folksy Make), or you could choose one of our recycled felt brooches – still ethical and handmade (just not by you….)!

£12

Make your own screenprinted card, or buy a set of our handmade, recycled, UK designed and produced notecards.

£5.95

Now these Upcycled Paper Beads really ARE easy, and no fancy schmancy equipment required. But if you’re all thumbs, guess what. Yup, we have jewellery! And very affordable and pretty it is too. What about this bright and beautiful necklace?

£16

Lots of ideas, whether you’re a DIY sort of person, or a BIY type (yes, that’s Buy It Yourself). Happy shopping!

Emma Herian from Sew Recycled had produced this fabulous bunting for me to use at all our upcoming Christmas fairs! If you need bunting, I highly recommend Emma – my shoddy image doesn’t show how beautifully she’s made it, using recycled and vintage fabrics, and very quickly too!

I don’t even want to THINK about how close Christmas is, but that is the nature of the beast, so here are the fairs Boutiko will be selling at over the next month or so. If you’re in the vicinity come and say hi!

14-15th Nov: Michelham Priory Fair, East Sussex

18th Nov: Cabbages and Frocks Christmas Event, Marylebone Parish Church Grounds, London

28th Nov: Arundel Fair Trade and Sustainable Christmas Fair, Arundel Castle, West Sussex

2-3rd December: Down Place Christmas Fair, Hampshire. (Privately run fair, please contact me for information.)

5th December: West Hove School Christmas Fair, Hove, East Sussex

8th December: Cabbages and Frocks Christmas Fair, UCL, London

I choose fairs that I think will be not just appropriate in an ethical sense but also fun and lively, with lots of music and entertainment, and stalls with really beautiful offerings, so the whole experience becomes a fun way to do Christmas shopping.

If you would like to know more details about any of the above fairs, please get in touch. I will be writing about each fair afterwards as well.

In the spirit of supporting local crafters in the UK,  I couldn’t not share with you the genius idea that is Grannies Inc. This fab site allows you to design your own beanie hat, in 100% wool yarn, and then a ‘granny’ based somewhere in the UK will knit it into reality, just for you! Aside from the uniqueness aspect, it also means that grannies all over the UK, who have been knitting for years and are running out of people to knit for,  can supplement their income doing something they love to do.

Want a baggy one with a bobble in citrus brights? No problem.

How about a baggy one with no bobble in soft pastel shades? Can do.

Need something to keep your ears cosy on that skiing trip? Easy peasy.

Or perhaps just a plain and simple, head hugging number in a nice masculine blue for your brother for Christmas?

It’s true that knitting is unbelievably cool now, and very much the thing in these straitened times, but for those of us who just can’t get to grips with it, Grannies Inc is definitely the next best thing. For me, winter just isn’t winter without a cosy woolly hat, and trust me, even if you’re initially not sure, after a few minutes playing with different coloured stripes on the interactive Design Your Own page, you’ll definitely be wanting your very own unique-to-you beanie. The one I designed cost £23 – delivery within the UK is free – but you won’t be seeing anyone else with the same one as you, and you’re supporting a good cause too.

The lovely Kate over at Only Fair has very kindly featured me in her new guest blogger series – so if you want to know how to find the perfect gift, hop on over to her blog now!

I have an obsession with travelling. I don’t get to do it nearly as much as I’d like, but I think about it ALL the time. Then recently I happened upon Fair Trade Holidays, a way of travelling that truly does give something back, and I did a little dance.

Run by Traidcraft, in collaboration with Saddle Skedaddle (what a fabulous name that is!), ‘Meet the People Tours’ are quite possibly the most worthwhile way and reason to travel beside ’staycationing’ (if we must use ridiculous words like that). I am of the firm belief that the world is an intriguing, wonderful place, and that learning about other cultures and people is crucial for developing understanding and peaceful relationships.  And obviously, doing what I do means I have a vested interest in Fair Trade.

‘Meet the People’ tours allow small groups of likeminded travellers to visit the communities who are directly benefiting from Fair Trade. There are trips to South East Asia, Latin America, Africa, India and Sri Lanka, all offering a first hand look into the lives and work of the people who produce the coffee on the supermarket shelves and the handcrafted items in our homes. They take in sites of cultural interest and include homestays so you really are a part of things.

Things that sound too good to be true generally are in my experience, and I guess the one downside of all this goodness is the price. These trips are not cheap, but perhaps testament to their success is the amount of people who go back again and again. And you can guarantee it’ll be the trip of a lifetime.

As they say on their Facebook page:

If you’re interested in fair trade & are looking for an opportunity to meet the people behind the products, see the impact of fair trade & Traidcraft’s work, fighting poverty through trade, then these holidays are for you.

We have a new supplier! Helen Sinden is an artist based in Brighton, East Sussex who has been working with wood for fifteen years. She graduated from the University of Brighton in 1994 with a degree in three dimensional design, and now makes automata and beautiful chunky boxes from reclaimed wood.

We are very pleased to be stocking a selection of Helen’s boxes. Each one is carefully crafted, sometimes with words stamped on the front, given a soft wash of paint which is then distressed, and embellished with gorgeous little hand carved wooden hearts, birds and flowers. Inside, Helen lines the boxes with fragments from vintage maps.

Helen says ‘Creating a new and engaging object from the recycled, discarded wood I collect is its own inspiration along with a love of quirky objects and folk art’. She takes inspiration from the seaside town she lives in – the natural hues of the pebbles and sand, the delicate paintwork on weather worn boats and wooden beach huts, the pastels of flavoured ice cream.

Each piece is a one off – once it’s gone, it’s gone! Nip over to the website now to see the delicious selection we have for you!

I am VERY excited about our newest products, which arrived today and are already in the shop!

Handmade by Hayley, is, as the name suggests, lovely eclectic jewellery handmade by Hayley Malcolm in the UK. She has worked in the fashion industry both here and in the US before deciding to set up on her own.

Each piece is made by Hayley herself and only a few of each are made, guaranteeing you that satisfying level of exclusivity. Every one is a mini work of art in itself, a strong statement and just the thing to brighten up an outfit. And as if that weren’t enough, the prices are very recession friendly – between £10 and £16! I’d advise you to start stocking up for Christmas now – sister, mum, best friend – who isn’t going to love these?! I can tell you they are even more gorgeous in the flesh and beautifully made as well.

Reckon this Turquoise Fun Bracelet‘ll be a bestseller…

This Indian Festival Necklace is my personal favourite.

Red and Brown Eclectic String Necklace

If you’re looking for an affordable gift for a friend, what about combining one of Hayley’s pieces with a jewellery roll

or a purse?

I’ve just thought of another Good Thing about this jewellery – it’s all slip on – no tricky clasps. Just fling over your head or onto your wrist and you’re off!

A Short Walk tick a lot of ethical boxes. They are a UK based company making clocks for home and garden out of recycled vending machine coffee cups, by hand. Local, handmade, recycled products, tick tick tick (tock).

The cups come from the Save-A-Cup scheme, which collects millions of coffee cups every week for recycling. More than a billion cups have been saved so far, and when you see what can be produced from something not traditionally known for its inherent beauty, it really is very satisfying.

A Short Walk have spent a lot of time working out how to make recycled coffee cups NOT look and feel like recycled plastic, and I think they’ve done a jolly good job. The clocks are perhaps surprisingly quite heavy and solid, and look very much like slate. Plus, the clock/thermometers can be kept outside as they are frost resistant, and the white digits mean they can be easily read from several metres away at the bottom of the garden.We stock the clocks and thermometers shown here, priced £24.95 and £26.95. They have proved extremely popular as wedding gifts and feelgood purchases for homes and gardens. Check them out on our website.

I have just discovered a new blog, set up by two keen bloggers Rachel Lyddon and Emma Castle, which aims to encourage people to find new ways of being ‘that little bit greener’.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“We decided to create this blog as a place to share information, stories, links, tips and tutorials that will, hopefully, inspire you to make some of those changes. We know that we don’t need to tell you about recycling, shopping locally or changing your lightbulbs! We know that many of you do lots of these things already. And we know that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of “green” websites and blogs already out there. We are not experts and we are far from perfect! But we wanted to add our contribution, to try and be “that little bit greener”, and we want you to get involved too.”

The girls welcome contributions, simply contact them on thatlittlebitgreener@hotmail.co.uk.  A good opportunity to get on your soap box or simply share a cunning tip you discovered last week involving recycled loo rolls.