If the thought of hitting Oxford Street at this – or any – time of year brings you out in a cold sweat, and you’d rather support local makers and traders than tax-dodging online behemoths then rejoice: East Village Christmas Maker’s Market is back, just north of Stratford International station for a three weekend pop-up from 26th November to 11th December.
It’s in a new location next door to Bottle Apostle and with this year’s very zeigeisty hygge theme. You know the score by now, the Danish art of living cosily…
Anyway, the market itself is as lovely as ever. Stallholders helping you hygge-up your Christmas including East London’s Evermore, selling ethically produced, stylishly designed things to make your home smell better, including candles, room sprays and posh potpourri. Their limited edition seasonal special orange and cinnamon fragrance smells so good, like Christmas in a candle.
Geo Fleur are the stall to head to for botanical goodies, such as plant-themed pins, metallic mini plant misters, Christmas cacti and all manner of pretty pots to put them in, and air plants for an alt-decorating idea. Victory Parade’s Olive Loves Alfie will be selling cosy-making goodies including slippers to keep your toes toasty, and posh chocolate for a sugar-rush stocking filler.
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Plus there’s a whole bunch retailers where you can pick up presents so good you’ll have a hard time giving them away. Briggs + Shears will be selling leather goods including card holders, key fobs and headphone tidies; Juniper’s the place to go to for boho home decorations such as woven wall hangers and macramé plant holders. Inger Studio will be flogging gorgeous gold and silver jewellery (I’m still in love with the earrings I treated myself to last year).
If you generally need an alcoholic beverage to get you through the seasonal shopping, we hear you; and a pop-up cocktail bar from Brixton’s One Point Eight has it covered, with a whole menu of seasonal tipples including espresso martinis and festive rum punch on tap, plus barrel aged maple old fashioned and, my favourite, hot mulled rum cider. You can also buy bottles of booze to take away to give as gifts, or keep for yourself. No judgement here.
The exact line-up of stallholders will vary from weekend, so keep an eye on the the site and social feeds for more info. And if making your own Christmas gifts appeals, there’s a variety of workshops including alternative Christmas wreath making with Geo Fleur, napkin and tea towel block printing with Ren.London and butter knife-making with Slow Split.
Christmas? Done.
