What to look out for at next weekend’s Handmade Chelsea so you get ahead of the Christmas shopping game

In the run-up to Christmas, shopping should be a pleasure, not a chore. And although shopping online has its conveniences, finding a gift that’s original, beautifully crafted and sold by the maker all add to the fun (or effort, depending on how you rate Christmas) of buying and giving.

Handmade Chelsea is the luxury craft fair that ticks all the boxes. Clear a space in your diary next weekend and get ahead of the game before the rush at Chelsea Old Town Hall. It’s been turned into a gift emporium for contemporary jewellery, ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles and even furniture, all celebrating British craft and design. So successful has the Handmade in Britain brand been since its launch in 2007, that Handmade Oxford launched this spring, joining the popular annual fairs at Kew and Edinburgh.

Handmade attracts trade buyers and collectors as well as present-hunters and homeowners looking for a stylish update or centrepiece, all chatting about techniques, materials and inspiration direct with the makers. Some craftspeople, such as jeweller Emily Nixon, have legions of fans, who come to see what their favourite designer is making for Christmas. Recent graduates also exhibit more experimental work here for £100 and upwards.

Makers new to this year’s fair include Carolyn T Ceramics, who uses colourful detailing at her Wimbledon studio; Ben Taggart Modelmaking & Design, who can create an architectural model of your home to any size; AnnaLeaClelia Tunesi, who works with white glaze on black volcanic clay; and Collingwood-Norris and her jolly Scottish knits and silk scarves.

The Handmade founder, Piysh Suri, may have begun the brand in the teeth of the Crash, but the economic fireball also brought green shoots, as consumers started to consider more carefully what they bought, who made it, where it came from, and what materials it’s made out of. Provenance and appreciation of the handmade gained traction, and today Christmas is about things that are meaningful, long-lasting and beautiful.

Expect nature to be a strong theme: Justine Munson decorates her porcelain with roses, wild flowers and striking thistles; Camilla Thomas weaves throws, cushions and fabrics in sea green and teal inspired by the seaside; and Pomarius creates stunning bronze sculptures from fruits, nuts, chillies and other plants and produce.

Pastel pendant lights by Laura-Jane Atkinson make a fresh change from the well-trodden path of industrial-chic; and Barbora Rybarova designs one-of-a-kind or limited collections of jewellery using carefully sourced rough-cut gems.

Many makers take commissions, so you can personalise your gift, too. “Commissioning is a very big part of our shows,” Piysh Suri says. “Visitors may ask for something in a different colour or a different size in time for Christmas. And many of our exhibitors do gift vouchers,” which means you can say you’ve met the maker, but leave the tricky issue of choosing the exact piece of jewellery to the receiver. And – pssst – if you can’t get over to the fair, you can now shop the fair online, all year round. That’s progress.

Handmade Chelsea runs 9-11 November at Chelsea Old Town Hall (handmadeinbritain.co.uk); £8