Still need to pick up a few gifts? Here’s a selection of our favourite shop picks from staff at the Whitworth.

If you’re not in the Oxford Road area this December or don’t have the time to drop by and have a browse in-person, you can check out the Whitworth’s online shop.

Steph – Visitor Team Assistant

Each year my family buys a new Christmas tree decoration. As the Christmas decorations passed down from my nanna have started to become a bit too fragile to put on our Christmas tree, we have started to lean toward decorations reminiscent of vintage styles even more.

The paper and wooden decorations designed by East End Press in Glasgow and printed by hand in Jaipur certainly don’t disappoint. You can buy a pack of three beautiful wooden decorations featuring designs of traditional festive foliage, which look like they have been taken from a Victorian Christmas card, for just £12.50, or you can buy a plucky little robin redbreast and other individual wooden decorations for £5.00.

The East End Press garlands really pop in shades of pink and blue, with accents of gold. And, since they’re made from paper, they’re perfect if you don’t have the space needed to store a big chunky garland. Fancy making your own Christmas decorations? Grab one of their paper chain craft kits and carry on the tradition of making festive paper ornaments for the tree.

With such bright, cheery colours I’d be tempted to leave the garlands up way past Christmas to stave off the January Blues. All East End Press products are made from FSC certified sustainably sourced wood or paper made from pulped down cotton waste and the inks they used are nontoxic water-based inks, so they’re kinder to the environment than a lot of other Christmas decorations.

I also love the little brass decorations by Pivot, some of which seem to be a nod to vintage style baubles in their design. In the end, however, I opted for a beautiful celestial brass bee as a proud Mancunian. The brass will last a long time if cared for properly, meaning this decoration could become a family heirloom one day. Pivot provide training programmes for people living in hostels, enabling them to move on from temporary accommodation by teaching them how to design, market and sell jewellery. It’s a worthwhile cause which makes their decorations all the more special.

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Rabia – Artist, Practitioner and Volunteer

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Ed – Head of Civic Engagement and Education

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Dominic – Project Producer

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We hope you have enjoyed our little gift guide for Xmas 2024. May your Christmas shopping be as stress free as possible, your tree lights be without tangles and your hearts be merry and bright this festive season! – The Whitworth Elves