A Cosy, Crafty Christmas: 5 Small Makers We Love (Plus a Weekend Craft Plan)

21 October 2026

Every December our kitchen table disappears under scissors, glue sticks, half-coloured gift tags and at least one papercraft fridge that someone swears they'll finish after dinner. It's the cosiest mess of the year, and we wouldn't swap it.

This post is a little thank-you to the small makers who fill that table with good things: two Aussie sticker shops, a family art studio in Auckland and two UK sites packed with free printables for kids. You'll also find a weekend craft plan you can steal, and a few bits from our own Flat-Pack Snack Kitchen papercraft range.

Small makers we love this Christmas

None of these are paid spots. They're simply people whose work makes us happy, and we think it'll make you happy too.

Glenn Jones Art (Auckland, New Zealand)

Glenn Jones Art is an Auckland family business that started in 2014. Glenn is the artist, Julia runs the business, and their kids pitch in with ideas. They make cheerful, Kiwi-flavoured art prints and canvases, plus calendars, puzzles, tea towels and magnets.

Our favourite is the Food Friends series: nine prints of classic New Zealand food pairs holding hands, from Chip and Dip to Marmite and Toast, Pineapple Lump and Jaffa, and Peanut Butter and Jam. Their own words say it best: every print is "made to make someone smile". A lovely pick for the kitchen wall of anyone who misses home.

Marshmallow Studio (Queensland)

Marshmallow Studio is run by husband and wife Chan and Kev, who started it in 2017. Everything is drawn by hand: planner stickers, washi tape, planners, notebooks and desk accessories, starring a cast of characters including Freckle Bear and Chubby Bee.

Their 2027 collection is already out, so if someone you know spends the Christmas holidays setting up next year's planner, this is where to look. They ship worldwide from Queensland.

Cherry Rabbit (Australia)

Cherry Rabbit is the shop of an illustrator who, in her own words, works with "her team of cats". Expect soft, dreamy sticker sheets, washi tapes, art prints, postcards and keychains.

Snack fans should head straight for the Konbini sticker sheet, full of Japanese convenience store snacks, and its cafe-food sister sheet, Kissaten. They're exactly the sort of stickers you hoard for something special.

KiddyCharts (UK)

KiddyCharts is best known for its free printable reward charts, and also has a huge library of colouring pages, printable games, crafts and activities for families. It's run as a community interest company, and all of its shop printables are now free.

For December, have a look at the Christmas section. Their printable Christmas Day treasure hunt is a brilliant way to stretch out Christmas morning.

Mum in the Madhouse (UK)

Mum in the Madhouse is Jen Walshaw's family blog (she's been blogging for more than 16 years), full of kids' crafts, free colouring pages and activity sheets, and recipes for cooking with children.

Start with her Christmas printables, then browse homemade gifts for ideas the kids can make for grandparents and teachers.

Monkey and Mouse (Scotland)

Monkey and Mouse is Jenny's family blog from near Perth in Scotland (the other Perth), with home education diaries full of crafty, outdoorsy ideas for days at home and out exploring. A lovely read for anyone planning a slow, hands-on school holiday.

A cosy weekend craft plan

Here's how we'd spend a rainy December weekend with all of the above. Nothing needs buying except card and glue.

Friday night: print the lot

Use card, not paper, for anything that stands up. 160 to 220 gsm is the sweet spot: sturdy enough to hold a shape, thin enough for a home printer.
Print at 100% or "actual size". "Fit to page" shrinks things slightly, and then the tabs stop lining up.
Print colouring pages on plain paper so felt-tips don't bleed through and you can run off extras for visiting cousins.

Saturday morning: build something

Score every fold first. Run an empty ballpoint pen along a ruler on each fold line. Crisp folds are the difference between "aww" and "what is it?"
Glue stick for little hands, PVA for strength. PVA holds better but needs a minute of pressing. A peg makes a great extra pair of hands.
Grown-ups do the knife bits. Windows and slots are a job for a craft knife and a cutting mat, not safety scissors.

New this year: 25 free Christmas colouring pages starring Biscuit and the snack gang.

Our free snack papercrafts include a one-sheet Snacky Christmas Tree, a gentle warm-up before anything with moving parts.

Saturday afternoon: wrap with stickers

Plain brown paper plus a sheet of good stickers looks far fancier than shiny paper ever does. Give each child one sheet and one present and let them go. Finish with a tag from our free printable Christmas gift tags.

Sunday: bake and bag

Bake one simple biscuit dough, cut out shapes and let everyone ice their own. Bag them up for neighbours, teachers and the bus driver. It's the cheapest gift on this list, and the one people remember.

From our own kitchen table

A few of our own things that fit nicely into the plan above. Prices are in AUD.

The Whole Flat-Pack Snack Kitchen: 5 Papercraft Kits ($32.00 AUD)

A fridge, an oven, a cabinet, a sink and a microwave that line up into one tiny kitchen, with doors that open, a drawer that slides and a tap that turns. Each kit comes with its own printable flat-pack carton and assembly manual, plus colour-in and design-your-own sheets. It's an instant PDF in A4 and US Letter, so it works as a last-minute present too.

Ding! the Retro Microwave Papercraft Kit ($9.50 AUD)

Turn the dial and the turntable really spins; slide the lever and a DING! flag pops out of the roof. It comes with three two-sided snacks, including Lukewarm Larry the leftover pizza slice. A proper two to three hour build for ages 10 to 108. The clock says 12:00. It always will.

Christmas Biscuit Gift Bags (from $23.95 AUD)

For Sunday's baking. Choose bag toppers (40), clear gusset bags (50), clear flat bags (50), heat-seal bags (100) or Christmas cards (40), all with cheery Santa, snowman and tree designs.

Chocolate Biscuit Scented Memo Pads ($24.95 AUD)

80 chocolate-scented sheets, shaped like a biscuit or a chocolate bar. Perfect for writing the weekend plan on, or for slipping in a stocking.

Want more ideas? Browse our Christmas gift guide, the sticky notes or the sticker packs, or read our stocking fillers under $30 AUD and food gifts you can't eat.

Timing

The papercraft kits are instant downloads, so they're ready the moment you check out. Physical items ship free over $50 AUD: we pack in 1 to 3 business days, and most deliveries take 10 to 18 business days after that. For Christmas, order by Fri 20 Nov. The advent calendar may now land a little after door one on 1 December, so open any missed doors in one go.

Questions we get asked

What card should I use for a Christmas papercraft printable?

160 to 220 gsm card from a stationery or office shop. Most home inkjet and laser printers handle it; feed one sheet at a time if yours jams.

Which papercraft kit suits younger children?

Our Little Snackers kits, the Chill Chest fridge and the Little Bake Oven, are made for ages 5 and up with a grown-up helping. The Snack Architects kits, like Ding!, are for ages 10 to 108.