Hosting Christmas for friends and family can be a little daunting. Whether you love it, or it makes you sweat, we wanted to share a few of our favourite brands to make a magical day that you can enjoy too.
We’d love to make shopping small and hosting Christmas simple and packed full of treats for you and your loved ones!
Sprinkling Magic for Mini Guests
Christmas can be an extra-special, super-exciting, time of the year for kids. If you are searching for ideas to make their day magical there can be an overwhelming number of lovely things to choose from. So, we’ve picked out a few bits from UK independent businesses that really stood out to us – all of whom will linked up with through Christmas Curated.
Mini Maison is a treasure trove of beautifully curated toys and kids’ décor for interiors-lovers – all available here in the UK. We think that they have discovered the perfect timeless wooden advent calendars!
Sisi and Seb is a wonderful online boutique for browsing under-stated Christmas outfits that are eco-friendly, are not mass-produced, and, most importantly, are comfortable! They stock heirloom pieces that hold on to those special memories. If there’s a very little guest joining you for Christmas, also take a look at the beautiful newborn headbands, made from silky, soft fabric, at Fornessi.
Whilst we’re talking outfits for Christmas day, don’t forget the warmest, snuggliest, reindeer-covered hats you could ever hope to find from Little Hotdog Watson. In colours that pop, kids will love to wear them for the Christmas Day walk to run off that present-opening high. Check out our mini-Bundler already putting his to good use…
For a perfect Christmas Eve night, or the wind down on Christmas Day, One Mama One Shed offer personalised and engraved enamel mugs calling out for a bedtime hot chocolate (or mulled wine for the parents!). Didi and Bud provide ethically-produced, British-manufactured, sleepwear to snuggle down into. Their new Winter Trees collection is just right for Christmas, but subtle enough that you’ll want the adult version for yourself!
Roll out your Bundle Beds and the kids can all bunk in together – or, for an especially magical night (and if you can brave the excitement!), set up a sleepover under the Christmas Tree.
A Touch of Christmas Sparkle for Your Home
For Christmas decorations that are a little different and which you are going to look forward to putting up year after year, Pop and Punch stock a range of wonderful Christmas decorations. Or visit Rosie Meringue for beautiful, timeless laser cut Christmas décor , that is handmade and made-to-order by Rosie herself. We all LOVE her plywood reindeer garland to add a splash of Scandi to your Christmas tree.
If you prefer the more subtle approach to Christmas decorating, the Night Before print from The Little Jones caught our eye. Be sure to browse their whole collection of prints, particularly for your kids’ playroom.
Make Your Christmas a Little Easier
To keep little, very excited guests, entertained in the lead up to present opening, the wonderful Claire at Play HOORAY! has carefully created purposeful, but easy to set-up, Play PROMPTs. Alternatively, in that lull after lunch, gently shove everyone out of the house for a walk or a play. Binibamba pram liners offer all the superpowers of sheepskin to keep babies snuggly – these make such thoughtful, and useful, gifts for expectant parents too.
If you are visiting family, or if you are the relative who would like to accommodate the kids but not so much all the kid-stuff, then Avery Row provide a pretty range of on-the-go playmats. We also love the innovative, functional and stylish foam mats from Totter and Tumble – ideal for mini guests, looking great for adult-guests, and perfect for wiping down orange juice and hot port spills alike! Etta loves supersoft muslins are ideal for unexpected spillages and attempting to keep the kids Christmas outfits clean, but, more importantly, with their science-based designs to capture attention you can give a babe a magical sensory experience and parents a little peace!
After they’ve run off the Christmas excitement, Cuddledry hands-free baby towels have got you covered for bathtime. They have over 70 awards for making the end of the day a little calmer, warmer, and less stressful. Then have your Bundle Beds at the ready for a fun sleepover for the kids’, or to squeeze in that last minute unexpected guest!
Some Very Special Gifts for Under the Tree
Meminio offer beautifully crafted leather memory cases to treasure and keep safe the most precious memories of a new baby. Along with a Claude & Co keepsake linen journal, with space for five Christmasses of jottings, we can’t think of a more special, thoughtful gift for new parents. For parents of slightly older children, Family Rule [make hand painted and personalised height charts that look beautiful in your home.
To be honest, any of the Christmas Curated brands make wonderful, thoughtful, gifts for Christmas!
… and don’t forget to treat yourself too!
If you are a new mum this Christmas, a special Baby Grey rocker may help you snuggle down with your newborn. Made by Mums for Mums, they are designed to support your back, arms and your baby’s head. Investment pieces that last a lifetime.
We’ve also had our attention grabbed by the, meticulously-crafted, handwoven African baskets by Artisanne. Curated by two sisters who lived in Senegal for six years and brought back with them a relationship forged directly with weavers, these baskets are both beautiful and sturdy.
We hope we’ve sparked a few ideas to help you host a shop small Christmas this year. Here's our list of amazing small designers and businesses:
Artisanne - handwoven baskets from West Africa
Avery Row - beautiful play mats and accessories for little ones
Baby Grey - rockers designed by Mums, loved by all
Binibamba - sheepskin pram liners
Bundle Beds - comfy, convenient, all-in-one roll out beds
Claude & Co. - unisex clothing and online concept store for children
Cuddledry - baby bath products and baby bath towels
Didi & Bud - British sleepwear brand
Etta loves - spellbound by science muslins
Family Rule - wooden ruler height charts
Fornessi - minimal and thoughtfully designed baby carriers
Little Hotdog Watson - the best kids hats in the world!
Meminio - beautiful, personalised memory cases
Mini Maison - modern nursery & kids decor
One Mama One Shed - handstamped cutlery and engraved enamel
Pop & Punch - childrens decor, furniture and lifestyle
PlayHOORAY - play prompts
Rosie Meringue - laser cut designs
Sisi & Seb - online boutique for kids' clothes
The Little Jones - posters and paper goods
Totter + Tumble Luxury Playmats - one piece stylish memory foam family play mats
Happy Shopping!