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christmas

A young black girl dressed in a red polo neck and a tartan dress receives a wrapped Christmas gift from a black Father Christmas at a party organised by the charity Cianna's Smile. The girl takes the gift and looks really happy.
Patchwork StorySchools and community

Cianna’s Smile – Sickle Cell Charity Fundraising

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Cianna’s Smile is a charity providing support and education for UK families affected by Sickle Cell Anaemia. Founder Hayley King set up the charity after her daughter Cianna, who has Sickle Cell Anaemia, experienced a traumatic admission at their local hospital. Hayley felt that there was a lack of awareness of the condition in the medical profession and no support locally for families affected by it. Cianna’s Smile exists to change that. The team at Cianna’s Smile organise a variety of activities and events throughout the year to support families. From awareness campaigns to carer’s lunches, wellness days to art therapy boxes. Hayley talks to us today about how Patchwork has helped bring their fundraising to life.

What kinds of fundraisers have you hosted on Patchwork?

We have used Patchwork several times to raise money. In 2020 we used the platform to fund 50 art therapy bags for children living with Sickle Cell and we recently held a raffle to raise money to fund a day out for families affected by Sickle Cell. We aimed to raise enough to cover the funds needed for our projects. We are currently using Patchwork to run our Christmas Fundraiser where people can choose to fund anything from a pack of colouring pencils or an ice-cream sundae to a horse-riding lesson or a virtual cooking class!

Why did using Patchwork to raise funds appeal to you?

Most other fundraising platforms limit the donor to just donate an amount of money. We love that when using Patchwork donors can choose what they are funding and also we have added the opportunity for people to donate their time which we absolutely love. It means that the campaign is accessible to everyone and also appealing for every budget.

How easy was it to set up your Patchwork fundraising page?

It is super easy. We love that you can add different images so that people can scroll through and check which is most appealing to them. 

How did Patchwork help your fundraising campaign?

It was great in achieving our goal as we could easily share the unique link with our supporters and the funds raised were sent to us directly via Stripe.

How was your Patchwork page received by your supporters?

We received great feedback from supporters. We particularly loved how easy it was to use and that you could read the lovely messages left by supporters and donors. 

Would you recommend Patchwork to other small charities looking to fundraise?

Absolutely! It is a great platform that is user friendly and safe. We love the templates! It makes it really quick when setting up a campaign. 

Thank you so much Hayley for talking to us today about the brilliant work that you do supporting families living with Sickle Cell Anaemia. We’re so pleased that Patchwork could help with your fundraising!

If you’d like to contribute to Cianna’s Smile Christmas fundraiser please click here. If you’d like to set up your own fundraising page for a charity or project, we’ve made it super easy with our customisable templates. Or if you’re feeling creative you can start your own from scratch.

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Child hanging decorations for virtual school Christmas fair
Patchwork KidsSchools and community

How to organise the best ever virtual school Christmas fair!

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

It’s that time of year when Christmas fair planning and fundraising for schools is in full swing. And whether that means getting together irl or setting something up online, we can help you out. We’ve been thrilled to see so many creative school communities and PTAs use Patchwork to set up brilliant virtual Christmas fairs. You can join them and bring a bit of sparkle and fun to families for Christmas. And raise money for your school too – of course!

Savvy schools and PTAs began using our site over the summer to set up virtual events, and now with winter around the corner, they’ve discovered a virtual school Christmas fair works brilliantly too.

Why organise a virtual school Christmas fair?

It’s a really easy, colourful and engaging way to celebrate the Christmas season safely; in a way that’s fun for families and raises essential funds for your school too. With Patchwork, you can set up a virtual fair – where each “patch” represents a stall or activity. Whether it’s a competition or a game, items to purchase, a request for donations, or just some fun ideas for the kids to do at home, everyone can take part – no matter how much or little they have to contribute.

Payments are collected securely through the site via Stripe and go direct to your PTA or school account. Also, because this is a virtual event, the Christmas fair isn’t just limited to one day – you can keep the page open for a few weeks to maximise donations and give everyone a chance to join in the fun.

Oh and maybe the best news of all – there’s no need to rope parent volunteers in to get up early on a Saturday to set up, or stay behind to clear up all that cake and glitter! A virtual fair means no mess, so you can put your feet up and enjoy a mince pie and a mulled wine and watch the funds roll in.

How will my virtual fair look?

Virtual school Christmas fair displayed in ipad

A Patchwork virtual fair works so well because the page is extremely visual, inviting and easy to use. The only limit is your imagination, so you can really make it look and feel festive with Christmassy images and plenty of colour, glitter and sparkle.

How does a virtual fair work?

As visitors scroll over the virtual fair patches, they will see how much each activity or item costs, and they can add patches to their basket, adjusting quantities if necessary, leave a message if they need to communicate any information to you, and then pay securely via credit / debit card.

How do I set up a virtual Christmas event page?

It takes just minutes to setup your school’s virtual Christmas Fair page, and we even have a readymade template that you can easily customise and edit to suit your event. Visitors don’t need a password or an account to visit your page – you just send them your unique URL and they’ll arrive directly at your virtual fair, ready to start taking part!

We recommend including a variety of patches, so some might be games or activities that the kids can take part in – (perhaps you can offer the winner a small prize or certificate). Some patches represent items that you are selling. You could see if any parents make Christmas wreaths or facemasks for example, or you might have some stock of school water bottles to sell. It’s also good to include things that don’t cost money – for some this has been an especially tough year, and Christmas puts an extra strain on budgets. Perhaps you can run a Christmas art competition, or ask the kids to send in pics of their festively decorated homes or gardens? Conversely, there are also some families who do want to donate but don’t have much spare time. So, it’s a good idea to include a patch or two that are straightforward donations – you can be quite specific about what the fundraising is for – maybe the Head has requested funds for new books for the library, or some new laptops or other tech.

Children playing on laptop on virtual Christmas fair page
Christmas stollen loaf on a baking tray with knife placed on side

What kinds of activities can I have at our virtual Christmas Fair?

It’s been really fun to see the kinds of things schools have been adding to their virtual Christmas Fair pages – some of our favourite easy-to-organise ideas are here:

  • Festive pet show – Kids pay a small fee via the page to enter and email entries to the PTA team for judging!
  • Christmas bake-off – For a small entry fee via the page, kids can cook up some Christmas themed cakes or biscuits and send photos to the PTA team who will award the bake off crown!
  • Guess the name of the reindeer – (or the number of decorations on the tree) – upload a photo of a Christmas stuffed toy, or a decorated tree and ask the children to play guess – for a small fee of course!
  • Dare a teacher – get the children to pay to vote for the teacher they’d like to see do something silly – maybe get dressed up as an elf or try and eat three mince pies in under a minute. The teacher with the most votes (or highest donations!) has to do the dare.
  • Win a mystery prize / enter the bottle tombola – for a small entry fee, children are entered in to a mystery prize draw or the bottle tombola.
  • Deck the halls – perhaps this could be a free of charge activity, to make sure everyone can take part. Ask children to click this patch to say they’ll decorate a corner of their home and make it look really festive – then they can send their entries via email for judging.
  • Sell items from local businesses or crafty parents – if you have parents who can sew, bake or make something, or know a local business happy to supply, you can sell items via the page for a bit of variety and great fund raising potential!
  • Ask for cash donations for your school’s wish list – for parents who want to donate but don’t have much time, add a patch that’s purely monetary. Maybe £5 towards some new books, or £20 towards some new tech equipment. Don’t forget all cash goes direct to the PTA to spend as you need!
  • Christmas doorstep portaits – Families can book and pay via the site and then you’ll need to recruit a willing photographer parent to donate their time to do doorstep portraits – Christmas themed ones can be really fun!
  • Make your own jolly jar – this is possibly the most popular stall at the traditional Christmas fair! Of course this year it has a twist. For a small fee, get the kids to enter a competition to make their own magnificent jolly jar at home, decorate it and then send in a pic so the winner can be chosen! Then they get to eat their own jolly jar treats, making it a risk free, easy and very popular fundraiser that the kids will love!
Editing item on a virtual school Christmas fair patchwork
Mother and daughter on laptop setting up virtual school Christmas fair

How much work is it to set up?

Setting up a page is simple and you don’t need any tech know how – anyone can do it! The Patchwork platform is very intuitive so it’s unlikely you’ll need assistance, but if you do we are a friendly team and are always on hand to help. You’ll need to sign up with a few details to create an account, once you’re happy with your page you can link it with Stripe, create your own URL to share and then it’s ready to go live! If you want to add or delete patches, change the text or images, or indeed make any other changes to the page you can continue to edit it even after publishing. You can also add a collaborator if other PTA members would like to get involved too. One thing’s for sure – a virtual Christmas Fair is a whole lot less work than a real one – and yet still a great way to raise money, and get a bit of that school community feeling back – albeit digitally for the time being!

Editing the virtual Christmas fair patchwork

How will I keep track of activity on my virtual fair page?

In your Patchwork account you’ll be able to view and edit your page, and also see who has contributed to what. So you can manage payments in, see how many orders there are against each patch, and send messages or thanks to parents for their help in making the event a success. You can easily export all data from your account in to an excel spreadsheet to make post event admin manageable.

How does Patchwork make money?

We usually charge a 3.6% commission for our service, but we have made a commitment to support support schools and families, especially during this difficult time. When a school signs up to be a Patchwork School Partner you’ll receive not only a 50% reductio in our usual fee, but the chance to earn commission throughout the year by referring parents to us for their own gifts and occasions. Read more here about the Patchwork School affiliate programme and join hundreds of other happy schools using Patchwork for their PTA and fundraising events. Please note that Stripe charge their own small commissions to process your payments. You can read more about how these charges are calculated here.

three tiny snow covered fir tree decorations

We hope this has helped inspire you to set up your own virtual Christmas fair page! Don’t forget to check out our win-win School Partner offer, and let us know how your event goes by following and tagging us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! If you need to get in touch please do drop us a line at [email protected]

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Girl with brown hair wearing Christmas glasses, scarf and red bow
Patchwork Perspective

A waste-free joy-filled way to celebrate Christmas

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

’tis the season to be jolly – and therefore ’tis the season of gift-giving too. As a platform founded on the joy of giving gifts, you’d be absolutely right in thinking we bloomin’ love this time of year. More specifically, Patchwork’s mission is to encourage gift-giving that is creative, collective and resourceful. Therefore, we’re really excited to launch a revolutionised way of looking at gift-giving that ticks all those boxes. We present to you: The Give List! It’s a waste free and joy filled way to celebrate Christmas.

Give List – the gift of joy this Christmas

The Give List is something Rosie’s 8-year-old Bo created. We loved it so much we decided to make it a thing. The idea is that in lieu of a classic, bullet-pointed, straight-to-cart Christmas shopping list where people buy you physical gifts. Our users are instead creating a Give List. This allows friends and family to give the gift of kindness, connection, learning and love instead. Take a look at Bo’s for inspiration.

Bo’s Father Christmas Letter

Creating a Patchwork Give List allows you to invite family and friends to ‘Fund, Make and Do’ things that you (and the planet) will really appreciate. Including a ‘DO’ patch in your Patchwork Give List is a way to ask people to share an experience with you. For example, going on a coffee date or going to an exhibition you’ve wanted to go to for ages. Or you could invite family to DO something. For example, gifting you some cuttings from their house plants so you can grow your own in the new year.

Adding a ‘MAKE’ patch (you guessed it) encourages people to make you a present. You could ask for delicious eggnog brownies, knitted bed socks or a painting (from a famous family artist or a keen kid). You can also set up a few FUND patches. People can contribute towards a much wanted gift or help fund a personal project. The things you ask family to fund, make and do are totally up to you. Set up your Give List.

Waste-free Christmas gifts

Of course one of the brilliant things about setting up a Patchwork Give List is that it reduces unnecessary waste. No unwanted presents sitting sadly in a pile until January when, in a bid to start afresh, you give – or, worse, throw – them away. Gifting people things and experiences that can’t be discarded means they’re even more enjoyable. You are creating memories that last forever rather than stuff that ends up in landfill.

There could be a bigger, potentially more expensive gift or experience that you’d like to ask for for Christmas. However, you could never dream of asking someone to buy it on their own. This way your pals and family can collectively contribute towards it.

They can each fund a piece of it, with all these pieces building up (yep you guessed it, like a beautiful patchwork) to fund that one thing you really want. Imagine how lovely it would be to do that cooking, coding, circus training or wine tasting course you’ve always wanted to do. Or buy that brand new bike or the laptop you need. Knowing it’s been made possible by the love and support of all your nearest and dearest.

See all our Christmas gift Patchworks

Giving to good causes this Christmas

Another reason we love waste free Christmas Give Lists is because it helps you mobilise people towards a cause you really care about. If there’s something close to your heart that you’d like to support this Christmas, you can add a ‘fund’ patch to collect money from family that you can donate to a cause. This year Bo is asking for gift money so she can go to the shops and buy things for her local Food bank.

We love Give Lists for so many reasons; they’re an innovative, refreshed look at a tired old problem; they promote kindness and joy, which is what we’re all about at Patchwork; it can bring people together and foster a sense of community; and help people save money and they reduce waste. What’s not to love?

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Party PlanningPatchwork Kids

Our Advice For a Feel-Good Eco-Christmas

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Here are our top tips on how to celebrate a feel-good eco-Christmas and enjoy the festive season whilst reducing your plastic and carbon footprint at the same time.

Relax, imperfect is perfect

Splodgy, glittery paper ones made by little ones, thoughtfully chosen gifts from friends, inherited antiques, some cheap and tacky and some quite special – the best bit about Christmas is getting the boxes of decorations out and re-using and re-discovering the random, familiar collection of pieces year after year. They might not be matchy-matchy but they all have a memory attached and give the tree a comforting, homely look. An eco-Christmas is about telling your own family story. So, enjoy growing your collection, but don’t feel you have to buy new ones each year or follow this year’s on-trend colour scheme. And don’t throw out the glittery pine cones yet.

Eco Christmas, green Christmas, Christmas decorations

Deck the halls … green

Collecting new and 100% natural decorations however is totally different. And really fun. Head out to find holly branches, long ivy tendrils and festive foliage from your local park to hang around window frames, drape over wall mirrors, wind around stair banisters or use as table decorations – even more lovely when wrapped with fairy lights. Then use scraps of ribbon or lace to tie rosemary and other herbs or twigs around old jars and put a candle inside for an easy decoration that doesn’t cost a penny. Pinterest has loads of homemade decoration inspo for your eco-Christmas.

Eco Christmas, Christmas disco, kids Christmas

Action packed Advent

The classic paper picture calendar is a lovely way to countdown the days till Christmas. As kids we used to use the same one for a few years in a row! But if you want a new one each year make sure it’s made from recycled paper.  To avoid adding to plastic consumption invest in a re-useable calendar that you can bring out year after year. Choose from wooden houses or nativity sets, or fabric hanging calendars. Or make your own by using small bags tied or pegged up and fill them with sweets and treats. If you don’t want to encourage guzzling chocolate every morning, talk to your family about doing a month of advent activities like Christmas baking, a front room Christmas disco, or just a walk or drive around your local streets admiring the Christmas lights on the houses. The “reverse advent” is also lovely: each day instead of receiving a gift, make a box and place an item inside that will be needed and wanted by a local food bank or homeless shelter. An eco-Christmas allows kids to learn that to give to others as well as receive is a gift in itself.

Eco Christmas, Green Christmas, eco packaging, waste free wrapping

Waste free wrapping

When wrapping presents try to avoid foil embossed paper that can’t be recycled and make sure you use plain or patterned paper. Even better use recycled craft wrap, or use old newspaper, magazines or last years calendars. Plain brown paper or newspaper can be dressed with foliage, lace or ribbon, (to keep and use again) or get creative with paints and stamps to add some colour.
If you keep old Christmas cards, cut them up and use them to make this years gift tags. It’s the sort of activity that will keep kids busy for an hour while you make dinner. Making up eco-Christmas hampers as gifts? Avoid covering in cellophane, and the same if you buy flowers from a florist, just ask them not to use plastic wrap – they usually have a paper option too.

Christmas baking, food and drink,

Eat, drink and be merry

If you’re planning a big family Christmas it makes sense to ask people to pitch in to help with the festive food and drink and means people don’t feel compelled to buy grown up gifts. Someone can bring wine, another cheese and someone can peel the potatoes! Organise yours here for an easy, fun and stress free day.

Carrots, orange

Cut out the plastic

Zero waste, or even plastic-free food shopping is a real challenge, plastic IS everywhere, and some will find its way in to your trolley. We recently tried to go for just one week buying zero plastic. Even with amazing support from our four kids it was really difficult. Eye opening and educational. But tough! What it taught me was that it’s no good making zero plastic a start point for your eco-Christmas. Better you set your zero plastic ambition as a goal! Start small by swapping products in plastic for their cardboard or glass counterparts and aim to reduce as much as you can. Swap your plastic ketchup and mayo for glass bottles. Choose unwrapped fruit and veg if it’s an option. Take your own bags or containers and buy loose bakery items and meat from the counter. If you do buy plastic packaged items, buy in bulk if you can. And don’t forget the milkman! A proper old-fashioned bottle of milk delivered to your doorstep in re-useable glass bottles makes mornings happy. Find out more at milkandmore.

Eco shopping, shopping bag, no plastic, shop local

Celebrate your local shops

Where possible, buy locally produced goods in the run up to your eco-Christmas (seasonal veg, English wine and beer) and support your local independent shops and markets who will really value your custom. They are more likely to be open and adaptable to making changes to packaging if their customers ask too. Find your local market here.

Christmas gnomes, Christmas decorations, elves

Try something new

There’s been a huge rise in veganism in the last few years along with concerns about the impact on our environment. In 2018 every eco-Christmas table needs a non-meat alternative! Christmas isn’t a time to go without, so if you love your turkey or goose then go for it, but try some of the non-meat options if you get a chance – they’ve come a long way! See the latest on offer from your supermarket here or if you feel like trying some recipes yourself check out some delicious ideas from Viva and these from the Jamie Oliver.

Christmas present, Christmas gift, Christmas experience, buy less,

Give Group Love

Get together with friends and family to buy one big gift that’s really wanted.. It doesn’t have to be a material object. A massage, dancing lessons, or a special dinner date can all be gifted easily. Or club together for that really wanted new bike or watch that will make them happy. An eco-Christmas can and should be fun and joyful and gift giving is about showing love and thought and giving something that will be treasured and loved.

Green Christmas, coloured pens, stationery

Good green stocking fillers for under £5

It’s easy to find reasonably priced stocking fillers for an eco-Christmas. How about a bamboo toothbrush, some packaging free beauty products like these gorgeous ones from Lush or the latest novel from around £5.00 (even better if it’s second hand!). Support your local charity shops and bookshops or try Waterstones.

Pop some slave free chocolate in from Tony’s Chocolonely – they use uncoated, recycled FSC-certified paper for their wrapping or try this from  Seed & Bean – the wrapping is non-plastic and fully compostable.

Then raid the charity shops for pre-loved toys and games and don’t forget the socks and satsumas!

To set up your own eco Christmas wish list check out our beautiful and easy to customise template here.

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Christmas wish list patchwork
Gift Ideas

Create a Kids’ Christmas Wish List and Win £100

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

This Christmas it’s predicted we’ll give each other 60 million unwanted gifts that will at best end up on eBay, at worst in landfill. So, this year, we’re celebrating the joy of experiences over ‘stuff’ with a readymade wish list of Eco Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids. Customise the template to include the things your kids would love to do, and we’ll reward one lucky family with £100.

How it works:

  • Sign up to Patchworkit.com and create a Christmas wish list patchwork – enter the code WIN100 when publishing in order to enter our prize draw
  • You need to allow us to contact you if you win and also to receive emails directly relating to our service if you publish a patchwork or start to receive gifts
  • And, finally, you need to read our privacy policy, please

Terms and Conditions:

  • To win the competition and receive £100
  • You can’t already be registered on our site
  • You will be notified by email no later than 14 days after the closing date of the promotion on 18th January 2018
  • You will need to supply us with your PayPal or bank details and we will send you the money
  • We’re not planning to, but we do reserve the right to cancel or amend the promotion and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of our control. It all sounds very dramatic and you’d probably notice one of these events but we’ll let you know if/when anything changes.

If you have any questions, we can be found here: [email protected]

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Gift Ideas

Eco Christmas – Best Gift Ideas For All The Family

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

A truly feel good Christmas

A stress-free Christmas that’s joyful and extra special – it’s what we all want, right? Often though, it can feel like an endless to-do list. We feel guilty that we aren’t doing enough, or ironically, with awareness of the effects of mass consumerism, guilt that we’ve done too much. So here’s a common sense approach to eco Christmas gifts that’s good for the planet and our pockets, plus it makes everyone feel good too.

Love not money

Of course, to most families Christmas is about love but it’s also about giving and receiving. We are all conditioned to think a gift is box shaped and wrapped up in paper and a bow. But, there are other ways to show our love. Give great gifts for an eco Christmas without excessive waste, expense or guilt.

Experiences over stuff

Cinema trips, an hour of trampolining, ice skating, your favourite lunch place, or a Christmas Panto? A woodland bike ride, a blustery beach walk or inviting all your kids’ friends over for a festive sleepover. Some of these ideas cost money, some are free but all are fun. In addition, they will make memories that last longer than the five minute thrill of tearing the wrapping paper from another novelty gift or toy.

Set up your own eco Christmas wish list of experiences with Patchwork. You can explain to family and friends what you are trying to achieve. Then show them exciting experiences and thoughtful gifts that are really wanted and will be appreciated and treasured. It takes the pressure off them too. There’s no more scouring the high street in a last minute panic worrying if you’ll like what they’ve bought. Just a few clicks and the Christmas shopping is done, with no waste and no stress.

Giving your time and skills

People who use Patchwork demonstrate every day that gifts don’t have to have a price tag. Sometimes the best gift you can give is your time and your talent! Little children in particular often just want to spend time with the grown ups they love. Promise a trip to the park, give the treat of a hot chocolate and cake, offer to play a game or take time to read with them. For older kids, offer to help them make or bake something, teach them a skill, watch their favourite film with them or take them for an afternoon out doing their favourite thing.

Old is the new new

Lego sets, board games, dress-ups, dolls, Playmobil, train sets, scooters and bikes are durable and made to last. Why not try and find them second hand in great condition for a fraction of the price? It’s easy to explain that the gifts in their stocking don’t have packaging because Father Christmas is aiming for an eco Christmas too. “Well kids, this year I’ve heard Santa is on a plastic-reducing mission too and I have to say I’m with him.” If Father Christmas can’t do the right thing what hope is there for the rest of us?

Find vintage treasures

There are also so many things that can only be bought second hand and are valuable because they aren’t new.  A football programme from your child’s team in the year they were born, a vintage dolls house or piece of furniture. Search on eBay or Gumtree and check out local charity shops too and help others whilst you shop. 

Bake something

Gingerbread men, chocolate brownies, biscuits to hang on the tree. Whatever your kids’ favourites, you, or they, depending on their age, can make these as eco Christmas gifts for friends and family. Keep jars to gift them in or twist them up in some paper with a ribbon. If you want to give an edible gift but haven’t got time to make one, look for sweet treats in non-plastic wrappers. Mr Simms sweet shops sell old-fashioned loose sweets by weight in paper bags; stores are nationwide. Or give a Christmas Cookie mix in a jar so the recipient can get involved in the making bit.

Give one thing they really want

It makes sense to spend the money we have on the things we really want or need, to pool resources and invest in quality. To get together to chip in for gifts that are really wanted. An eco Christmas doesn’t have to mean they go without.

If your child desperately wants the latest gadget/trainers/toy then don’t feel bad about treating them to the one thing they’re desperate for. If it’s a big ticket item like a new bike, or a laptop, ask family and friends to chip in to one thing that’s really wanted rather than showering them with 10 smaller gifts that will end up at the back of the cupboard before the New Year’s in. Check out some great examples – see our Christmas collection for inspiration.

Patchwork eco Christmas fund

So, if you want to have a really eco Christmas this year:

  1. Remember it’s about love, not money
  2. Give experiences instead of stuff
  3. Make your presents
  4. Give second-hand gifts
  5. Find vintage treasures
  6. Chip in for one big present

Our Christmas present to you all is a free code, so you can get busy making Christmas patchworks (whether you our new eco Christmas gift idea patchwork or make your own from scratch) just enter the code GIVEJOY when you publish and we will waive our fee.

Author: Rosie is head of customer experience at Patchwork. She has 4 children and this year she’s planning an eco Christmas.

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Patchwork crowdfund birthday handbag
Gift Ideas

Crowdfund a New Handbag

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

As presents go, handbags are right up there with the best. They’re the ever-loyal accessory that will always fit and always make you look smart, even when you’re in your scruffiest clothes. Really special ones can be a bit expensive – but don’t worry – you don’t need to take out a loan to afford one. You can patchwork it.
If you have a fashion-loving friend who would love a new handbag, why not club together to buy them the object of their affection? A well made, good quality handbag will last for years and years, so you know your gift will be loved and appreciated for a long time to come. And if you share the cost with friends and family, it’ll become much more manageable.

We’ve made a template handbag patchwork that you can easily customise and share with friends to fund. Then once you’ve collected all the money you can go and buy the bag, wrap it up, and present your lucky friend with it. What a lovely treat.

The beautiful bag in our patchwork is from Mhulot – head to their site to see more. Or, if you have a specific handbag that you would like to make a patchwork of and need some help, just email us at [email protected]

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couple on bicycles holding hands
Gift IdeasPatchwork Loves

Patchwork Loves: Kennedy City Bicycles

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

At Patchwork we love bicycles. They’re fun, they’re planet-friendly, and they make a brilliant group gift. Especially if you share the cost with friends. And we really like well made, reliable, beautifully designed bikes. That’s why we like Kennedy City Bicycles.

James builds each unisex bike in his Hackney studio, with a frame light enough to be carried up a few flights of stairs, in a small but perfectly chosen variety of colours and styles. You choose your frame colour, handlebar style, and leather, and then James will get to work – no fuss, just a simple, fantastic city bike.

If you think a Kennedy City Bicycle would make the perfect gift for a loved one, just customise this readymade bike patchwork, send it out to friends and family so that everyone can buy a piece – whether it’s a bell, a saddle, or a wheel, and once you’ve collected the funds you need, you can head to kennedycitybicycles.cc to place your order.

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dad cufflinks in small box
Gift Ideas

Out of the Box Thinking

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Here are five ways to reduce waste, save money and give gorgeous gifts this Christmas.

Make something:

If you’ve got little ones and can’t bear the idea of dragging them around the shops, why not remove the stress and spend some precious time together making gifts instead. Seeds and Stitches and Mini Eco are both super stylish craft blogs with tons of simple gift ideas for all the family – a cheap, fun and really special way to show your love.

Bake something:

If you’re visiting family for Christmas how about taking along some homemade treats for the table instead of gifts for under the tree? If you want your ginger bread, marzipan sweets and Christmas cake to look as good as they taste, take some tips from Handmade Charlotte. It’s a great website for fun foodie gifts with simple recipes and printable templates.

Buy second-hand:

What with vintage becoming such a trend in the last few years buying second-hand isn’t always cheap but there are still bargains to be had on eBay and Preloved and down at your local charity shop, flea market or boot fair. For vintage fashion finds try Rokit and Old Children’s Books for a beautiful range of classic kids stories.

Swap stuff:

Swap shops are popping up all over the UK, so why not use the opportunity in the run up to Christmas to get rid of your unwanted gifts from last year, and swap them for something someone might want instead. Mumsnet is a great source of information about local kids swap shops, for women’s clothes and gifts check out swishing.com and if you want to swap baby clothes and toys online try Baby Swap Shop.

Have a whip round:

If there’s just one thing your mum, son or sister really wants, that’s beyond your budget, why not get the whole family to chip in? You can use our website to get everyone together to fund one big gift – piece by piece. From a playhouse to a bike to a weekend away, you can register any gift idea. And once you’ve collected your cash contributions direct, you buy the present where you like. No waste, no worry, no more unwanted gifts. Everyone’s happy.

Patchwork eco Christmas fund

To make your own patchwork just customise one of our readymades or create one from scratch.

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Gift Ideas

Ideas for a non (or less) consuming Christmas

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

We asked one of our favourite bloggers, Hannah of Seeds and Stitches, to write this guest post to share her ideas on how to consume less this Christmas. As Hannah says, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by choice and ‘stuff’ at this time of year, so she’s come up with some thoughts on how to navigate through it all. Read her tips below.

As Christmas creeps ever closer, I have been thinking about ways i can enjoy and celebrate the good bits of the season without it feeling like a god-awful consumer-fest. I pulled these thoughts together into a blog post that Patchwork fans might appreciate.

At this time of year, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with gift guides, wish lists, party dress buying guides, essential holiday makeup you NEED, Best Buy Christmas booze lists, and, and, and…. and before you know it you’ve spent hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds buying gifts for everyone, new outfits, Christmas films, stocking fillers and food. But it doesn’t have to be this way, I feel so so sure of it.

If we focus on celebrating the season– the solstice, the frost and the cold, the fires that warm us…if we try to decorate simply and give thoughtfully…. if we focus on the giving, rather than the receiving….then maybe those things will help us to reconnect to what Christmas is about- love, grace, giving, family and community. Christmas shouldn’t leave us feeling totally strung out, in debt, with a planet struggling with the huge influx of unwanted presents, wrapping and food waste.

To begin, here are some ideas to have a thrifty, low consuming Christmas!

Give back.

Donate money or time to a homelessness charity (or one of your choice) We are currently selling tons of stuff on eBay and have opted to give 10% of everything we sell to a charity that provides a meal for a family struggling to make ends meet in the UK. Donate to the Big Issue.

Contact your local food bank and offer to collect donations or help pack boxes. Time bank has tons more ideas too.

Avoid toys.

I am coming to realise that kids don’t need that many toys at all, in fact too much stuff can actually be damaging for kids imaginations and sensory development, and the planet certainly doesn’t need all the plastic fumes clogging up the ozone layer. Here are hundreds of non-toy gift ideas for kids.

Bypass the stocking.

I know, I know, Not only should you avoid toys, you should deprive your kids of a stocking too! Baaaah humbug. But most of those pound shop stocking fillers end up in landfill anyway.

Alternatively, wrap small but useful things, or little parcels of food. My 2 year old would be utterly delighted if I wrapped mini pats of butter and cream cheese (err, yeah. she loves butter), boxes of raisins, buttons, individual crayons and pencils, individual socks etc.

Buy fewer presents!

”Have an “I won’t if you won’t” agreement with friends and family and save money and hassle. We have done this with my family this year and I feel light as a feather. No stress!

Or set up a secret santa for friends and family, like we have done with Dave’s family this year. If friends and family are still keen to buy you or your kids presents, choose one big thing and ask for contributions toward it: driving lessons, a bike etc, a spa day. Patchwork offer a service to help with just that. We’re using them this year for Frankie’s present.

Make, make, make.

Make, rather than buy presents, wherever possible, or buy second hand. Chutneys and jams make lovely, thrifty presents. We made tons of seville orange marmalade in January which we saved for Christmas. (organised or what? eh, eh?) Make your own simple cards printed on to recycled paper, or send an e-card and newsletter instead.

Avoid Amazon.

They are tax-evading, union-busting bullies; undercutting and consequently bankrupting tons of independent companies. Those next day delivery deals are tempting I know. And I’m not perfect. But I’ve found that eBay has most of what Amazon has.

Focus on the season.

Focus on the seasonal delights of Christmas- the winter solstice, evergreens, candle light, log fires, Jack frost. Thats where the real magic is. Creating traditions around those things.

Use recycled wrapping.

Use fabric wrapping paper from your stash, if you can. Or use old newspaper, tarted up with string or wool or fancy gift tags. Even if you have to buy the fabric, it’s better than wasting paper as the fabric can be re-used year after year.

Buy or rent a living tree.

Our tree is waiting for us in the garden as we bought a potted tree last year that we have managed to keep alive. An essentially free tree! Alternatively there are companies all over the UK that offer the option of renting a living tree, do an internet search for a company near you.

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Thank you Hannah for your brilliant tips. Check out Hannah’s lovely blog here for lots of craft and creativity.

Has this post inspired you to make a Christmas patchwork and save on waste? Get some ideas here or create your own from scratch.

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