christmas gifting with craftmongers
It’s that time of year again. Cars pass by with trees tied to their roofs, wreaths adorned with winter greenery appear in shop windows, string lights glitter against the early evenings, and the high street bustles with people in search of Christmas treasures. We adore the busyness and excitement that comes with the season’s festivities.
The gentler ways to celebrate are our favourite. Ways that embrace the traditions of years gone by. Crafting our own decorations from foraged plants and natural fibres, wrapping gifts in simple brown paper dressed with twine, and choosing presents from small independent makers all help us reconnect with the wholesome nature of the season. Choosing gifts in this way puts money back into our local economies and make each pound spent feel more meaningful.
All of our treasures are handmade, forged, and imagined from the stories and dreams of the person that made them, stories that will be carried through the generations in the hands that cherish them, and by those inspired to pick up tools, brushes and pens and begin their own. That to us is a magic worthy of the festive season, but also something we strive to keep in our everyday.
We’ve gathered a few suggestions for thoughtful Christmas gifting this year — from handmade Scottish knitwear to prints by Cornish artists and soaps crafted from natural botanicals.
And of course, if none of these quite fit your needs, our shop is filled with unique, handmade wares. If you are near our local lands of Devon, we always recommend a visit to our beautiful town and shop. The striking living windows of Craftmongers shift and change with the seasons, ochre and umber dried leaves scatter the floor and birch trees are nestled between spruce and hanging treasures; as you walk through the doors you find that this adoration of the natural world is woven into every aspect of this inspiring shop. Dried flowers, lichen laden branches and wild feathers perch between fine art and earthy pottery. Wooden vases formed from ancient gateposts, hand-carved spoons, spatulas, and magnificent knives and axes made using local sustainable Ash trees. Glimmering silver and gold jewellery forged into wild natural curves, leaves, hoops, moons and wild creatures. The shop captures the kinship between these talented craftspeople, artists, designers and authors, as their work blends so harmoniously together.
Every purchase supports not only us, a small & independent Devon-based business, but the artists and makers behind each piece who keep the magic of crafted, considered objects alive.
A selection of limited edition prints by Cornish Artist Nicole Heidaripour. Featuring Nicole’s pen and ink illustrations of windswept trees from around the north coast and moorlands of Cornwall. Each print includes the actual coordinates where each tree is found on the map, and are hand signed by the artist.
A4 in size, unframed.
Choose from: Pentire Head, Alex Tor, De Lank - The Moor
Box of 100 magical postcards, words by Robert Mcfarlane and illustrated by Jackie Morris.
A beautiful companion set to the award-winning and internationally beloved phenomena, The Lost Words and The Lost Spells, adults and children alike will love receiving, sending and displaying The Wild Cards - Publishers synopsis
‘Our trees are among our greatest national treasures, and yet today many people have forgotten their names, their identifying features and the stories we used to tell about them. In Overleaf, the botanical painter Susan Ogilvy and the forester Richard Ogilvy reacquaint us with the trees of the British Isles through careful study of their leaves. From the water-loving alder to the long-lived yew, Susan paints every tree's leaf or needle in exquisite, jewel-like detail, at exactly life size, while Richard explores their natural history, the landscapes they inhabit and the ways we use their timber, leaves, flowers and fruit in craft, industry, food and medicine. As vivid and true to life as a book of freshly picked and pressed leaves, Overleaf will delight and inform tree-spotting beginners and seasoned naturalists alike.’
Gorgeous soy wax scented candles by Herd & Elder, made in the Rossendale Valley, Lancashire.
‘These candles are carefully hand-poured in small batches using 100% soy wax, delivering a long-lasting and clean burn that outperforms traditional candles. Available in two sizes, each candle fills your space with a gentle, even flame and a comforting scent crafted from pure essential oils or fine fragrance oils. Made in the UK, these soy wax candles are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, and paraben-free, reflecting our commitment to eco-conscious and ethical products. Poured into recyclable amber glass jars with recycled paper labels, they combine elegant design with sustainability. Perfect for creating a calm and fragrant home, these candles also make thoughtful, eco-conscious gifts. Whether you’re enhancing your relaxation rituals or brightening your day, our hand-crafted soy wax candles bring warmth and mindful ambiance to any setting’
Choose from two sizes 120 ml or 180 ml
Fireside, Cinnamon and Clove, Nordic Spruce, Wild Fig & Cassis, Sea Salt & Sage, Tonka & Tobacco
An exquisitely illustrated, one-of-a-kind celebration of the hidden beauty of nature and the ingenuity of birds
‘Susan Ogilvy started painting bird nests almost by accident. One day, while tidying up her garden after a storm, she found a chaffinch nest - a strange, sodden lump on the grass under a fir tree. She carried it inside and placed it on a newspaper; over the next few hours, as the water drained out of it, the sodden lump blossomed into a mossy jewel. She was amazed, and dropped everything to make a painting of the nest at exact life size.
This was the start of an obsession; Ogilvy has since painted more than fifty bird nests from life, each time marvelling at its ingenious construction. Every species of bird has its own vernacular, but sources its materials - most commonly twigs, roots, grasses, reeds, leaves, moss, lichen, hair, feathers and cobwebs, less usually, mattress stuffing and string - according to local availability. Ogilvy would, of course, never disturb nesting birds; instead she relies upon serendipity, which is why all her nests have either been abandoned after fulfilling their purpose, or displaced by strong winds.
Although Nests showcases the specimens she has found near her homes in Somerset and on the Isle of Arran, its subject matter is by no means only British, since these same birds can be found all over Europe, Scandinavia and as far afield as Russia, Turkey and North Africa. This wondrous book is all the more special for its rarity. Few modern books exist specifically on the subject of bird nests; the most recent among the author's reference works was published in 1932. Exquisitely designed and packaged, Nests will be an essential addition to the libraries of all nature lovers.'
Craftmongers is pleased to present a new range of beautiful knit jumpers made from pure Donegal wool, made in Scotland.
Bill Baber is a family run, artisan business, founded in the 1970’s in the heart of the Edinburgh Old Town. Helen and Bill Baber, along with their son Jack, focus on brilliant colours, natural fibres and unique Scottish design, creating the entire collection under their own roof. They take great care with every step of the process, from yarn selection, through knitting and hand finishing, and you can really feel it.
Crew Neck Jumpers (we have other styles available in store), choose from :
Dark Green (Medium), Vivid Green (Medium), Dark Brown (Medium), Grey/Marle (Medium), Burnt Orange (Large)
Beautiful new soaps from Herd & Elder, small-batch skincare and home fragrance business based in East Lancashire.
‘We hand-make nourishing soaps, scrubs and soy wax candles using raw milk from our own herd of goats — milked by hand and poured by hand, right here on our smallholding. Everything is made slowly, in small batches, with a focus on gentle ingredients for sensitive skin.
We’re a young family who unintentionally started a smallholding on a forgotten patch of hillside here in the Rossendale Valley, Lancashire. This land had been neglected for years — overgrown with reeds, choked with moss, and used for fly-tipping. But at its heart stood an ailing Elder tree, leaning and covered in lichen. We saw it not as a problem, but as a chance to heal — for the land, and for ourselves.
Driven by a desire for a simpler, healthier way of living, we set out to grow, rear, and make our own food and products. What began as a personal project quickly became a passion — and eventually, a business rooted in regeneration, sustainability, and traditional craft.
Our Oats & Goats soap recently won Silver in the Free From Skincare Awards 2025, we are super proud of this.’
Choose from:
Forest Mist - Sandlewood & Fir Needle.
Sea Goat - Detoxifying Sea Kelp, Lavendar & Mint
Oats & Groats - Gentle Exfoliation for Sensitive Skin
Milk & Honey - Fragrance Free for Sensitive Skin
Lavendar - Lavendar & Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Handmade Kenyan brass jewellery. These beautiful gold coloured, solid brass earrings have been hand-crafted by Agnes in Nairobi. Four styles to Choose from, Straight Smooth or hammered, Tear drop smooth or hammered.
“I met Agnes coming through Nairobi at a craft market after I had been filming with Sir David. Her work stood out as being so original, so simple and beautiful of form. Just love her style. We adore Agnes’ unique jewellery, and welcome our latest additions sent directly to us from Kenya. It brings us such joy to be supporting so many incredible makers, both close to home & far away.” - Toby
Hand crafted wood totem necklaces, made here in Devon by Off Grid Arts.
These have been made of the different native woods they are named by, each one holding three unique properties that it’s said to bestow upon the wearer.
Each one has been uniquely made, so size, colouring and shape may all vary, but this is what also brings their beauty.
Apple - for love, abundance & joy.
Holly - for peace, love & goodwill.
Birch- for progress, new beginnings & renewal.
Hazel - for creativity, insight & inspiration.
Hawthorn - for happiness, hope & harmony.
Ash - for foresight, energy & protection.
Rowan - for life force, safekeeping & illumination.
Oak - for good health, strength & good fortune.
