Christmas design round-up

Mary Katrantzou’s Christmas Tree for the Design Museum

Fashion designer Mary Katrantzou has designed the Christmas tree for the Design Museum this year. The tree is an intricate 2D print displayed on the museum’s outer wall and features one of Katrantzou’s signature patterns from her Autumn/Winter 2012 collection. Katrantzou says, ‘The print was inspired by formal gardens and artful box parterres, these were layered to create a maze-like print reminiscent of a hand embroidered lace motif.’

The tree will be on display until 9 January 2013 at Design Museum, Shad Thames, London, SE1.

Deck the Walls

StolenSpace Galley is hosting a retrospective this December with an entire exhibition dedicated to the celebration of an overlooked art form – the greetings card. Deck The Walls aims to showcase Christmas cards in all their festive splendor and includes vintage designs, contemporary depictions of religious icons and off-the-wall interpretations of traditional Christmas characters.  

You can visit Deck The Walls until 23 December at StolenSpace Gallery, Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1. 

Christmas Gifs

Ryan Todd has collaborated with digital design consultancy Enjoythis to create an ingenious online platform, Christmas Gifs, which exhibits Christmas-themed animations. These seasonal offerings, including the cheeky revolving Pudding Head by illustrator Adam Hayes and the melting snowman by graphic artist Tim Lahan, can be sent to your nearest and dearest this Christmas as delightful e-cards. You can see them at http://christmasgifs.org/

Joule in the crown

Creative consultancy Moving Brands has given the humble Christmas bauble a new lease of life with its MB Joule digital ornament. Constructed from laser-cut card, screen-printed conductive ink, batteries and miniscule LED lights, the ornament is folded into its three-dimensional shape to complete its tiny electric circuit. The LEDs then light up, forming an illuminated tree decoration. Visit the Moving Brands website to design and download your own joule pattern.

Two (or more) Turtle Doves

Paper manufacturers Antalis McNaughton and Arjowiggins have created hundreds of delicate ornaments in the shape of turtle doves. The decorations are crafted out of Keaykolour’s up-cycled paper from its reKreate range, which use waste fibres to cut the use of dyes and pulp by up to 50 per cent, and are bird-shaped to raise awareness about the illegal hunting of turtle doves. 

Mark Humphrey’s Perspex Tree

Designer Mark Humphrey has created a towering Christmas sculpture for the seven-storey vaulted atrium of the Grosvenor House Apartments in London’s Park Lane. Humphrey’s riff on a traditional tree gives off a luscious green glow and is constructed out of perfectly-formed perspex circles from base to apex.

Snowman stationery

Lee Washington has given his adorable Little man stationery range a festive twist this December with novelty Snowman paperclips, bookmarks and Christmas cards. Each tiny snowman is made out of laser cut polypropylene and with prices ranging from £3 to £5 will make the perfect stocking filler for any book worm. You can pick them up at http://www.littlemanshop.com/

Music’s Snow Machine

Determined to defy the forecasters this week, Manchester-based Music took meteorology into their own hands. Using a snow machine on the roof of its office, Music transformed the surrounding snow-free streets into a winter wonderland.