Get in the festive spirit with our blend of charming winter projects, all designed to get you in the mood for creating a bespoke handmade Christmas that the whole family can enjoy.

Welcome guests into your home with Felicity Hall's cosy cottage banner (below, left) and use your free gift (below, centre) to send cute button-nosed reindeer cards to your friends.

Don't miss the second in our stunning Belle & Boo series - a beautiful dove design (below, right) guaranteed to become the focal point of any little girls bedroom. Scroll down to find out what else you'll find in our November issue...

With December just around the corner, it's time to start planning decorations for your home. For the table decorations, try Emily Peacock's stunning Mexican folk art angel table cloth and napkins (below, left). They're perfectly bold for Christmas day but pretty and versitile enough to be used right through to Spring.

Then there's the hearth and what better way to display your stitching skills than with a handmade stocking covered in Fairisle-inspired patterns? Sophie Simpson has created bunting, stockings and padded decorations (below, right) for our November issue.

When it comes to gifts, we believe that handmade is best which is why this month we've come up with heaps of ideas for you to delve into.

Lucie Heaton has designed a winter friends gift set which includes everything from a penguin hot waterbottle to polar bear pajama bag. Then there's the second in Jacqui Pearce's retro gift series a bold make-up bag that's perfect for glamerous gals.

And finally, who could resist Erin Stanton's trio of woodland critter hoops? Not us!

Find heaps of cosy ideas to keep your fingers nimble through the winter months in
CrossStitcher issue 259 on sale until 27th November