5 Tips for Shopping Small this Christmas

We are all about shopping small on Wardrobe Conversations, especially when it comes to Christmas. Remember our how to from last year and our Shop Small Secret Santa? Well, we've decided to refresh and update our tips for the 2015 festive season. We're now into December (how the hell did that happen?!!) and it's the perfect time start getting organised. Avoid the rush of the high street and support independent designers and makers by following these tried and tested steps:

1.) Get on the blogosphere
The gift guide is a favourite blogger post and this time of year they're popping up all over the place. Your favourite bloggers will probably have similar taste so check out their tips for the perfect gifts. Designers and makers are also prone to sharing their gift inspiration so make sure you check out those blogs too. Hand Over Your Fairy Cakes Stocking Fillers for under £15 post is one of our favourites so far.

2.) Keep an eye on social media
Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have past but that doesn't mean there aren't more deals and treats to be had. Follow your favourite designers and shops on social media or sign up to their mailing lists to be the first to hear about advent deals, competitions and free shipping. A couple that have caught our eye are Karen Mabon's 12 days of Christmas and the Tatty Devine Christmas Advent Calendar. Social media is also a good place to keep an eye on  key dates. Many designers share their last order dates in the run up so it's good to screenshot these to make sure you don't miss the boat.



3.) Get out and about
There are Christmas fairs a-go-go at the moment, so make sure you catch as many as possible. They are a great opportunity to discover local makers and see items in real life. You often have the chance to chat to the person behind what you're buying and find out the story behind the gift you're giving. Here's our list of events you need to get along to:

Dundee:

• Westport Wonderland Christmas Market | Westport | 3rd December
• Crafted | DCA | 5th December
• Tea Green | The Steeple | 5th December
• Christmas Carnaby | Roseangle Cafe | 5th December

Edinburgh:

• Shop Small | Out of the Blue Drill Hall |  5th December
• Summerhall Christmas Market | Summerhall | 13th December
• Edinburgh's Affordable Vintage Fair | Assembly Rooms | 13th December
• Xmas Fair | Collective | 12th - 13th December

Glasgow: 

• Etsy Made Local | The Briggait | 6th December
• Festive Art, Design & contemporary Craft Market | Glasgow Botanic Gardens | 12th December 
• Grey Wolf Studios Christmas Sale | Grey Wolf Studios | 10th December

As well as fairs keep your eyes peeled for pop up shops springing up. Here's our top temporary shopping destinations:

• Wear Eponymous | Princes Square
• Accessory Collective Christmas Pop Up Boutique | Hill Street Design House | 4th - 10th December
• Bespoke Atelier Christmas Pop Up Shop | South Block | 12th - 20th December

And don't forget those shop small destinations that are with us all year long:

• Time Boutique | Neo Design | Lovely Things | Dundee
• Hannah Zakari | Godiva Boutique | Red Door Gallery | PI-KU Collective | Edinburgh 
• Factory 45 | De Courcy's Arcade | Glasgow

4.) Do it yourself
Ensure your gifts extra meaningful by making them yourself. Head along to your local craft store or order some supplies online. Not confident enough with crafting to start from scratch? There are plenty of makers that offer kits. Assemble yourself or give the gift of crafting. Or why not  brush up on your skills and attend a class. Check out these events for some social gift making:

• C.A.R.V.E your own silver ring in Dundee, Glasgow or Edinburgh.
• Hill Street Design House have a whole array of classes in the run up to the 25th.
• MAKLab are hosting a bunch of festive workshops and also have vouchers available if you fancy giving the gift of creativity.

5.) That's a wrap
Don't forget to shop small when it comes to wrapping your gifts too. Lots of awesome illustrators create amazing gift wrap and many of them offer deals at this time of year. We're looking at you Nikki McWilliams and DBIllustrations! Alternatively, many designers offer to gift wrap your items for you so you don't have to endure the sticky tape horror. Bloody Mary Metal offer awesome gift wrap and the aforementioned Tea Green Fairs will have a wrapping station at each of their events.

Christmas sorted!