By Kate Hodges
06th December 2018
EVENTS Capital Christmas
London is sparkling with Christmas events this weekend. The main building of the Geffrye Museum may be closed, but there’s a festive Makers’ Market this Saturday – buy gifts, listen to ‘genre-fluid’ singers, take a tour of the almshouses, and make Christmas decorations and Winter Wellness kits. Or head to the V&A, which always sparkles at Christmas, to check out the tree designed by Studio Weave,free Victorian-themed pop-up performances, a chance to make a sensory Christmas decoration, choirs and play sessions, plus the Museum of Architecture’s Gingerbread City (£6). Alternatively, jingle along to London’s first ever zero-waste, vegan Christmas market in Hoxton Arches or Vegan Route’s very pretty Christmas fair in N22.
MAKE Deck the Halls
The rainy and windy weather is an excellent excuse to hunker down and make your own, natural Christmas decorations. We adore these rustic bark ornaments, floating cranberry candles, great-smelling orange pomanders, pine branch stars and super-cute acorn and marble tree baubles. Feel the cheer start to flow.
EVENT (Nearly) Free Fun
Hundreds of heritage attractions across the UK that have received National Lottery funding, including The Eden Project, Bath’s Roman Baths, Jodrell Bank, The Natural History Museum’s Life in the Dark Exhibition, Stonehenge, the brand-new V&A Dundee, lots of RSPB reserves and one hundred National Trust properties will be throwing open their doors for free entry to anyone with a lottery ticket. As well as gratis entry to incredible places, many venues will be giving away backstage tours, two-for-one entry, goody bags or even cakes! Find a participating place near you here
RECIPE Vegan Gifts
Each year, we try to make new kinds of sweets – not only do they fill the house with seasonal, warm, spicy and chocolatey smells, but they make excellent gifts – try packaging them in decorated, recycled egg boxes or cones made from vintage music scripts or brown paper. Chocolate stirrers make great gifts – these contain a variety of spices and nuts – choose dairy-free chocolate to make them vegan. Alternatively, Vegan Tiffin is crammed with Chistmassy flavours such as cranberries and pistachio. These Vegan Peanut Butter Cups are so good, you won’t want to give them away, while this fragrant, delicate (and vegan) Turkish Delight brings the sights, smells and tastes of the middle east to our grey shores.
MAKE DIY Greetings
Need some ho-ho-home-made Christmas card-spiration? We love these lino printing ideas and this, while these are more complicated, but just gorgeous. Or try sewing! These geometric designs look clean and contemporary but these yarn trees are easier for kids to make. For something more spectacular, get crafting this pop-up tree greeting. Easiest of all, try recycling last year’s cards for this season – some great ideas here and here.
Image from rhythmsofplay.com
