What's on in London in December: the best Christmas markets and late-night parties for design fans
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1. A Peninsula Christmas
December 3-22 at Greenwich Peninsula
An alternative Christmas, conjured up by award-winning events wizards Secret Productions, opens this weekend in this buzzing community of new homes and shops. Artist Spencer Jenkins has framed the Peninsula Garden with a hand-woven festive willow arch. Children meet Santa, grown-ups meet in the Tepee Snug Bar with mulled wine/cider, and hot hog roasts — open until 2am Fridays and Saturdays, so use the new night Tube. A designer Christmas Market adds to the fun.
2. Christmas Past
Now until January 8 at The Geffrye Museum of the Home. Free
Inspired Christmas decorations, lighting and music are added to period living rooms at this enchanting museum. The Hidden Art pop-up shop, with gifts by leading London designer/makers, is open until December 11. A Christmas Greenery Workshop on December 9 costs £50 including all materials.
Saturday and Sunday December 3-4 at The Good Place, 61 Chelsea Manor Street, SW3, and at Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre, The Broadway, Crouch End N8. Saturday December 3 only, Richmond Adult Community College, Parkshot, Richmond, Surrey
Founded in 2005, Etsy is a successful online marketplace for artists, crafters and makers, with 1.7 million sellers worldwide. Meet the best in London at special Christmas markets, selling original gifts. Chelsea has 11 sellers while Richmond presents 40 local designer/makers, prices from £5, with a modern calligraphy workshop on Saturday from 2-4pm. Crouch End presents 80 sellers, prices from £3. Workshops include Christmas decorations, jewellery, calligraphy, and shibori/indigo dyeing. The Mexican tin tropical decoration set, pictured, byDeja Ooh, is £12 at etsy.com.
4. Oxo Tower party
Thursday December 1, 5-8pm at Oxo Tower Wharf, SE1
The 25 independent design studios and shops at Oxo Tower Wharf are throwing a late-night party with a lighting spectacular backdrop. Browse ceramics and prints with London themes from Snowden Flood, upmarket recycled textiles by Lauren Shanley (pictured) and woven scarves by Doreen Gittens of Archipelago Textiles. Free music, drinks and snacks. Across the way at Bargehouse, the London Illustration Fair, from December 1-4, has 60 artists selling artwork, cards, prints and more. Entry £8.
Designer-traders will be out in force through December, with handcrafted gifts, pictured, at selling shows all over London. Makers are at Dogstar, 389 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton SW9 (December 3-4) and at the Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, Peckham SE15 on December 10 and 11.
They’ll be at the Museum of Docklands on December 8 (4pm-9pm), and they’ll fill the Boxpark row of shipping container boutiques alongside Shoreditch station on December 10-11, also offering workshops for lettering, screenprinting and sign-painting.