Make-your-own Christmas jumper campaign ! #12jumpers

I'm sure Noel Edmonds started the trend for Christmas jumpers when he used to be on Christmas morning telly back in the eighties, but whoever is to blame, there's no getting away from them these days. I actually like Christmas jumpers because they're usually cute, funny or both, but it is a bit silly that they spend about 11 months of the year stuck at the back of the cupboard. If you fancy a more eco-friendly and ethical choice, how about upcycling an old jumper to create your own totally unique Christmas jumper? You can even enter it in the 12 Jumpers of Christmas competition run by LoveYourClothes, who also have lots of tips for creating your own festive masterpiece. Read on for all the details :

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Get crafty with your kids this Christmas and jazz up a jumper

Looking for something crafty and fun to do with the kids this Christmas? Why not have a go at jazzing up an old jumper into a Christmas one?! Love Your Clothes has got lots of tips and instructions on how to do it and your creation could even win a prize in their 12 Jumpers of Christmas competition.

According to new estimates from Love Your Clothes, UK consumers are likely to spend in excess of £300 million on Christmas jumpers this year, and 40% of Christmas jumper wearers plan on wearing them just once or twice this festive season. Upcycling a pre-loved jumper is a great way of saving money and the planet!

They’ve got lots of ideas and step by step guidance under the tips and inspiration section on their website: http://loveyourclothes.org.uk/12jumpers/ Check out the website to find out how to make a Christmas pudding jumper, a reindeer jumper and more! A Janome sewing machine will be awarded to the best design in the 12 Jumpers competition with subscriptions to Simply Sewing and Reloved magazines up for grabs for runners up. And if you’re not feeling crafty how about buying a pre-loved Christmas jumper or swap and share last year’s with friends and family instead ?

The clothing industry has the fifth-biggest environmental footprint of any UK industry. Upcycling an old jumper gives it a new festive lease of life. It is a great way of keeping clothes in use for longer offering a significant opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of clothing. Extending the length of time we wear clothes by just three months would lead to a 5-10% reduction in their carbon, water and waste footprints.

Giving an old jumper a new lease of life by customising it into a truly unique Christmas jumper is a great activity to do with children. You could use a jumper they’re about to grow out of to maximise its wear, or you could make the decoration removable so you can get more wear out of it after Christmas.

Sarah Clayton, Head of Clothing at WRAP, the organisation behind the Love Your Clothes campaign, said: “We are really excited to be launching our 12 Jumpers of Christmas campaign and hope it will inspire lots of people to get upcycling. With most Christmas jumpers being worn only a handful of times over the festive season, transforming an existing jumper into a one-off Christmas master piece is a great way of adding some ‘green’ style to your wardrobe this Christmas, and saving some cash at the same time.

“We know that the average lifetime of clothes is just over two years. Entering the 12 Jumpers competition is a great way for people to extend the lifetime of their old jumpers and make a jumper last for life not just for Christmas!”

Love Your Clothes recognises that buying a Christmas Jumper is often in response to charity fundraising appeals but would urge people to jazz up a jumper and make a charitable donation with the money they’ve saved to their chosen cause instead. They’ll be sharing top tips on Christmas jumpers and loving your clothes throughout November and December. Join in the fun by visiting loveyourclothes.org.uk/12jumpers/and following them on Twitter @loveyourclothes and #12jumpers.