Kirstie's Handmade Christmas is back!

Don't tell Kirstie Allsopp that crafting isn't for everyone. The presenter of Channel 4's most Christmassy of shows is passionate about the benefits of crafting and wants to spread the word about the positivity of making. Although she's yet to get the hang of knitting and crochet...

There's plenty of amazing craft TV shows out there but Kirstie's Handmade Christmas has become a staple of British festive TV in December. Kirstie's been filming the show for 7 years since it first aired in 2014, and she's not run out of Christmas craft juice yet. You can catch up on Kirstie's Christmases past anytime, with episodes from 2021 and 2020 available to stream for free on All4. Check out the trailer for last year's show below.

We meet up with her to find out what it's like flying the flag for crafting each year and filming one of the most festive TV shows on the planet. Read on to find out when the show is on TV, where you can watch it this year, and Kirstie's revelations about what it's like to film it.

When is the show filmed?

Kirstie had just finished filming the 2022 episodes. Surprisingly filming takes place quite late in the year – the daytime competition shows are filmed in October, while the prime time special episode (this year featuring Phil Spencer) is filmed in early November. “I’m starting the voiceovers for the daytime show tomorrow," she tells us, "and I’ve got a stinking cold! We’ve honed it down to have less voiceover and now we properly show things on camera and we prefer it that way."

Having been filming the show for almost a decade, Kirstie is genuinely passionate about the benefits of making, and fiercely defensive of the idea that craft is in some way not for everyone.

"The people who come on the show are so talented and so amazing and I get really cross with people who are a bit, like, 'oh you know crafting is for middle class housewives'; this kind of thing makes me feel murderous. It’s such a wide range of ages, people from all over the world, people from everywhere – there’s not a special group of people who have the luxury of crafting and a whole lot of others who are in the real world. We get so many people who come in and talk about their mental health – so that is fantastic and I really love that bit.

"And we also get people who bring their heritage to the show from all over the world – Israel, Afghanistan, Kenya, Mauritius – every corner of the world we’ve had someone bring a craft and they’ve got their traditional Christmas twist on it and bring their special thing. And it’s lovely talking about it and discovering about the people. We have this thing on the show where I get to do a little bit of crafting with each person, which is really nice and I love that element of it because I always learn something."

Where to watch Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 2022

Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 2022 is on Channel 4 and will start on Friday 9th December at 8pm. There are likely to be 10 teatime episodes, each 45 minutes long.

It's available to watch online on Channel 4's website.

What time is Kirstie's Handmade Christmas on?

The show airs every day at 8pm but you will be able to watch it on catch up and online after.

Who presents the TV series Handmade Christmas?

Kirstie Allsopp presents Kirstie's Handmade Christmas and has done since the show's conception in 2014. Kirstie is best known for co-presenting Location, Location, Location alongside Phil Spencer. Kirstie has been the number one supporter of the craft world and independent businesses, frequently expressing her love for the handmade on her social media.

Crafting is a solace, to just have a bit of clear brain time...

The show wouldn't be the same without Kirstie and we love her passion for all things creative. She gives every craft a go (even the tricky ones) showing that craft is for everyone and can be as meditative as it is fun. We can't wait to see Kirstie back on our screens in 2021. She's officially the queen of Christmas for us!

Where is the house in Kirstie's Handmade Christmas?

The show is filmed on set in Kirstie's house, and in a special marquee set up nearby.

"We did it twice this year – it’s a real sacrifice because I’m quite tidy and with film crews everything gets shifted around. The set for the daytime show is a whole load of stuff moved out of the house into a Christmas marquee. Where does she fit in all the Christmas props needed? "They’re all upstairs in my attic – if I ever stop doing Christmas telly I will have to have a Christmas decorations sale. In fact, I could open a Christmas decorations shop."

What can we expect from Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 2022?

Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 2022 looks set to be the best season yet! It will feature inspiring handmade projects, tasty bakes, and beautiful gift ideas. This year's competition rounds will feature everything from the best-decorated gingerbread house (join in by buying one of these gingerbread house kits) to the best knitted jumper. More rounds will include the best Christmas wreath, best handmade toy, and best decorated Christmas tree.

What has she learned from making the crafts on screen?

"When we did the first handmade show they said 'well you can’t just stand there – you've got to do it,' and I said 'I can’t possibly' and then of course that became part of what we did. And it’s part of the show, so there’s no going back. And of course I’ve learned things – I’ve learned things massively. And I’ve learned that everyone has a craft – I cannot knit or crochet, I really can’t – it's the rhythmical nature of it. I just can’t keep it in my brain.

"But it’s really part of me – of what I do. Personally my crafting is mending. So I now know how things are made. If I buy something – a picture which is done with quilling and it’s got a patch which is missing, or if I buy something that’s papier maché which is broken... I know how to fix it. I’m not saying I’m going to do a superb job of it but I know what I’m doing. I very rarely started a new project – I don’t have something on the go which is s piece of crafting which I’m starting from scratch but I’m always fixing things.

“I think it’s incredibly important. I think the repair shop has shown us that and I think it’s incredibly important and I think once you understand how to patch and repair things and give things a new lease of life, you become, it’s very interesting."

Gini’s trophy for Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 2020

Get crafting this Christmas with Kirstie!

We hope you're as excited as we are for Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 2022. It looks like it's going to be a brilliant series full of festive inspiration. Settle down for some of the best craft TV and make sure you have some mince pies on hand!

Discover more festive crafts with Gathered

If you want to start your handmade Christmas journey now then check out our Christmas crafts section here on Gathered. We have everything from crochet Christmas decorations to free Christmas knitting patterns and even a how to make a Christmas stocking tutorial.