This could be my last Christmas selling family trees and personalised baubles on Not On The High Street – here’s why
I’ve been a Not On The High Street partner since 2014. In its best years, that platform brought me and my lovely collaborator Amy Swann hundreds of sales and enough profit to keep our tiny independent businesses alive.
I’ve been immensely proud of that platform. It’s been a huge part of my livelihood, so I’m writing this blog post to share the family trees and Christmas baubles which I’ve sent to hundreds of happy, thoughtful gift-giving people over the last few years.
A personalised family tree handwritten just for you in calligraphy
This beautiful family tree gift was illustrated by Welsh artist Amy Swann. It’s a bright, vibrant spring tree full of life, with blossom and little birds. I add the calligraphy by hand.
The high-quality print on luxury art paper is perfect for my calligraphy nibs and ink.
Ordering your family tree on Not On The High Street is so simple: all you need to do is send me your family’s names. We can include up to 22 people on the family tree, and I’ll add them in beautiful handwritten calligraphy.
A finished family tree, framed ready for gifting. Names are handwritten onto the print with quality black calligraphy ink.
Developing something new - after 15 years as a calligrapher!
I’ve been a calligrapher since 2005 - 20 years! - and those years have passed me by in the blink of an eye. I write family trees, personalised poems and song lyrics in calligraphy. I teach calligraphy workshops around Cumbria.
It took me 15 years of writing on flat surfaces before I learnt to write beautifully and smoothly on anything that wasn’t completely flat.
Personalised name baubles written by hand in calligraphy - available on Not On The High St.
Hand-painted Christmas name baubles, personalised with calligraphy
My personalised Christmas baubles broke the mould. They’re painted, illustrated and written entirely by hand. I use the same calligraphy pen and pointed metal nib that I use on paper for calligraphy commissions.
Christmas baubles in calligraphy - each of these designs is a different colour with a different leaf pattern. Millie’s my favourite!
Over the last five years I’ve developed a collection of hand-painted personalised calligraphy Christmas baubles which have been really popular as keepsake gifts.
The first year I introduced these on Not On The High Street, they did really well. I expanded my collection from simple personalised baubles to personalised glitter baubles, and I’ve sold hundreds between my NOTHS and Etsy shops.
But last year I sold just about enough baubles on Not On The High Street to break even.
Not On The High Street takes a hefty commission from independent sellers, who they call partners. And while it’s felt amazing to be called a Not On The High Street partner for the last 12 years, the platform no longer supports my business the way it used to.
Personalised Christmas baubles with names in calligraphy, hand painted leaves and sparkly glitter accents
Where to buy my personalised Christmas name baubles in 2026
So I will be listing all of my beautiful Christmas baubles on NOTHS today.
They come in greens and blues and red and pink, with personalised names, painted leaves, Christmas berries and sparkling glitter.
Every bauble I sell is carefully gift boxed, and I’ll even write a personalised calligraphy name tag for every little gift box.
It’s important to me that these feel like a really special gift (which was the ethos of Not On The High Street when it called itself the home of thoughtful gifting in the past).
Bright baubles with names handwritten in calligraphy - these are £32 on Not On The High St and in my Etsy shop.
How Not On The High Street has changed the experience of small independent businesses in 2026
When I joined in 2014, Not On The High Street changed my business by bringing me sales and doubling the profit I made through the year.
I remember always seeing sellers who were excited to join the platform, sharing their products and posting Not On The High Street graphics on their socials. But now I see more talk around the negative impacts of Not On The High Street for the smallest independent retailers, crafters and makers.
New fees for small makers on Not On The High Street
In July this year Not On The High Street introduced a monthly charge for sellers whose sales are less than £150 in a month, on top of the commission fees and the huge joining fee that many sellers paid when they joined Not On The High Street. The new charge is £16.99 + VAT per month (£20.39 including VAT). This feels like a blow, and it’s below the belt.
Not On The High Street is now owned by German private equity firm Executive Equity Partners. The platform has been through another change of ownership, and this time people have been genuinely hurt by the change.
Why are small makers leaving Not On The High Street?
Hundreds of small crafters and makers left Not On The High Street in the last couple of months.
I followed their conversations on Instagram closely because at the moment I feel as though I can’t afford to leave Not On The High Street. But honestly, I wish I could vote with my feet and support these makers who have been forced off a platform they can no longer afford.
What will happen to Not On The High Street this Christmas?
So let’s see how this Christmas plays out on NOTHS.
It’s always been the big platform in the UK for independent artisans, crafters and makers. And while I’ve had lovely support over the years from the team working behind the scenes at NOTHS, there are other platforms whose owners offer the genuine love and support for independent crafts and makers that Not On The High Street has lost.
I really hope to have a lovely last Christmas on Not On The High Street.
A tiny part of me wishes that something there would change. That the brand would realise it owes something to the people at their dining tables, working 18-hour days, making things with their fingers and with love. That NOTHS would turn something around in its policies to genuinely support those people again.
I know that shoppers who bought from the platform all those years ago joined because they wanted that as well: to buy from people making gifts with their hands, one at a time, pouring their hearts and souls into the craft and skill that they loved.
Where to buy a personalised family tree or Christmas name bauble in 2026
For Christmas 2026, here’s where you can buy a personalised family tree handwritten with all the names of your family, or keepsake baubles personalised with special names – hand-painted, handwritten, beautifully crafted and made with love.
I’ll keep my Not On The High St shop open at least until January.
I’m selling baubles and calligraphy gifts on a lovely new platform: Ingenious Gifts genuinely supports smaller makers.
My own website has a growing shop: By Moon & Tide Calligraphy
Find all of my personalised calligraphy baubles and family trees on Etsy
