Don’t Forget The Dog This Christmas!

Christmas fairs have grown and continue to grow in popularity. From small school fairs to Farmers’ markets, from village fundraisers through to glittering city Christmas markets, we are spoiled for choice. Shopping at a Christmas fair or market is an outing in itself. There is often live music, locally produced food and drink and an opportunity to talk with the makers and producers. Local fairs are a great place to meet and catch up with friends, and visiting one of our big city Christmas markets may well become a family tradition as you wander through the quaint wooden stalls, sample warm crepes and delight in the festive cheer all around. 

As a crafter, Christmas markets provide a great opportunity for you to sell a whole array of products, and many of you will produce festive ranges for this purpose. In a packed market, how can your products stand out from others? Part of this will be down to the presentation of your stand, but part of it will be cornering a market which others are not. So, what are some Christmas fair ideas which might give you a distinctive edge? One niche which is growing, though not yet saturated, is that of the pet accessory market.  

We Brits love our pets! We’ve always been known as a nation of animal lovers and with good reason. Even in times when levels of animal welfare were well below what would be acceptable today, there were voices to speak out and raise the standards. Books such as Black Beauty, first published during the Victorian era, highlighted the cruelty to horses which was occurring across the country at the time. The RSPCA was set up in 1824 by a group of clergy and philanthropists, including William Wilberforce, better known for his tireless efforts to abolish the slave trade. Later, Lord Shaftesbury, one of the great Victorian social reformers, was a part of its leadership team.  

In our crazily fast-paced world, our love and care for animals doesn’t seem to have changed. Dogs may well be the favourite, but rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and even budgerigars are all central parts of many a family home and held closely to the hearts of countless children. Owning and caring for a pet is beneficial on multiple levels. They provide companionship and will always listen and, for dogs in particular, give unreserved devotion. Taking care of a pet teaches children responsibility for another life, which is dependent on them.  

Dogs have long been the champions and companions of those with sight deficiencies, and also, lesser known but equally valuable, hearing loss. More recently, the therapeutic value of pets has been acknowledged and a warm, furry, cuddly animal, however small, can induce a great sense of calm and well-being in a child who struggles to self-regulate. There is now specific training for therapy dogs which can be beneficial not only to their owners (often children who struggle with autism or other sensory processing difficulties) but also when taken into care homes or to other groups with specific needs, e.g. children coping with bereavement. 

So, why not treat these heroic hounds to some well-earned treats this Christmas? Here are some Christmas fair ideas which might just fit the bill: Dog bowls are always needed, and there is plenty of scope to make them personalised with their own name or a colour theme chosen by their owners. Ceramic may be the traditional material of choice, but stainless steel and wood are a good combination too, allowing for two bowls side by side for food and water. Do some research with your doggie friends and find out what they would most appreciate in a bespoke bowl or feeding station for their much-loved pet.  

Every dog needs a lead, and it’s handy to have a spare one too. Leads are often made of leather and there is most certainly an opportunity here to provide a range of colours and even to personalise it with the dog’s name. However, there are plenty of other textiles which make classy, fun and functional leads. For a natural look, cotton and hemp rope both look and feel great. For a fun, multi-coloured look, paracord ticks the box. This, too, is durable and feels good and chunky to hold. The colour combinations for this textile are endless, and both these and the colour of the hardware can be customised. For an added twist, macrame will give an extra level of interest to any of the above textiles and might just prove to be that something extra required for Christmas. For a super eco-friendly lead, you could look at recycling climbing ropes or upcycling used denim.  Make sure you promote these eco credentials alongside your products.  

Recycled cloth can also be used to create rope toys and leather offcuts, recycled plastics and webbing can all be turned into toys for chewing, tugging and retrieving. Again, if you are reusing and upcycling waste materials in this way, be sure to advertise it boldly and clearly. You will be offering a Christmas gift which saves landfill as well as having durability and longevity.  

For our final suggestion of Christmas fair ideas, we recommend looking at the whole range of dog blankets, pillows and coats. There are infinite combinations of textile, colour, style and ways to make each item personalised to a particular breed or individual dog. Let your imagination run riot! If you’re not a dog owner, do take time to quiz your friends who are and find out what they would most appreciate in this line. Think about the practicalities such as washing and drying, colours which will absorb a bit of dirt and materials which will be tough and hard wearing as well as cosy and comfortable. 

Have fun imagining and creating a range of durable, classy and individual pet accessories, knowing that they will not only please your human customers but will benefit the much-loved and loyal troop of pets in our nation.