‘I can’t bear tinsel purists!’
Kirstie Allsopp on this year’s festive craft trends and her tips for achieving the perfect Christmas…
From exquisite handmade decorations and deliciously festive puddings to show-stopping centrepieces and homespun gifts, one person who really loves
Christmas is presenter
Kirstie Allsopp.
‘I adore all the sparkle and bright colours!’ enthuses the 47-year-old. ‘The more the better – I can’t bear tinsel purists!’
And that is exactly what makes her seasonal series, Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas, which returns for a primetime special this week followed by a daytime series starting next week, a joy to watch.
Here, in an exclusive interview, Kirstie tells us about the crafters she meets this year and shares her top tips for making sure Christmas Day is a stress-free zone…
What were your favourite things to make this time?
There were so many! I made whipped aromatherapy body cream, pop-up cards and I learnt how to do snowy windows with a guy who creates the most incredible works of art. I also loved the amazing pudding we made, which is a kind of tiramisu. You basically use leftover panettone, soak it in whatever alcohol you have lying about, and add mascarpone, sugar and egg yolks. It was divine and honestly took no more than 10 minutes from start to finish. My kind of pudding!
What’s new in the world of craft this Christmas?
The trend at the moment seems to be macramé [a form of textiles made using knotting techniques], it’s very 1970s and I loved it. We make plant hangers and a table runner on the show. I became slightly addicted! You get in the zone and just sit there knotting and knotting. If you’re not very good at knitting or crocheting but want a similar effect, I really recommend it. You can make little stars and decorations to hang off the tree.
What are the best crafts to make with children?
Anything foodie is always good. Children are great at decorating labels and jars. And for people short of time, I did something called needle-punch embroidery, which
I’d never tried before. It’s really easy and fast – you create a kind of ragrug effect that looks lovely. What are your tips for achieving the perfect festive season?
The first thing is don’t be a martyr. You can’t go around sighing and telling everyone how exhausting it all is. That doesn’t work for anyone! The second is, if you’ve got people coming, ask them in advance for help by bringing something they like most. A pudding, cake, cheese, booze, whatever. Not only does it take the pressure off you, but it makes everyone feel involved and needed. My other tip is freeze as much as you can now to get ahead of the game.
And if you’re a ‘1.30pm Christmas lunch’ person, change to a ‘6pm Christmas dinner’ person. I was always a lunch person until I met
I adore all the sparkle!
my other half, Ben [Andersen], who was an evening person. What a revelation. It is so much easier.
What present would you love to receive this year? Anything green involving emeralds. I haven’t actually put in a direct request to Ben, but I’ll be dropping big hints.
What are your favourite Christmas traditions?
Our family doesn’t really have any big traditions. I’m afraid
Phil Spencer [Kirstie’s Location, Location, Location co-host] wipes the floor with me on that one. There are four Spencer siblings and they all have dogs. I discovered their family tradition is to hide cheese round the dining room after Christmas lunch and the person whose dog finds the cheese first is the winner. How awesomely eccentric is that!