DMU Makers shine at Winter Wonderland 2025
This year’s Campus Centre ‘Winter Wonderland’ announced the festive season in style, and triumphantly delivered on the high standards associated with this much-loved annual celebration. The event, on the first Tuesday in December, saw De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) collaborate with the DMU Made team to coordinate festive vibes, food & drink and an outstanding Makers Market. As in previous years, Students and Alumni were at the heart of Winter Wonderland, with over 20 DMU makers and crafters offering up a wealth of homemade gifts and goodies to a packed-out Campus Centre.
A ‘Crafternoon Club’ winner engages with Winter Wonderland visitors
A reported 60% of 18-34 year-olds dream of starting their own businesses, and for a number of the student and graduate stall-holders, Winter Wonderland 2025 was their very first experience of trading. The wide variety of stalls present perfectly represented the ‘Be Enterprising’ spirit featured in DMU’s Graduate Attributes. Stall-holders had found their way to Winter Wonderland through different routes, with four of the business owners ‘winning’ their stands through a DMU Made ‘Crafternoon Club’ competition in late November.
Weronika Wilk, a DMU Architecture Graduate, was one of the four Crafternoon Club winners and said afterwards “I found Winter Wonderland amazing and really fulfilling. I really liked people approaching me, talking to me about my work and asking questions about how I made it. This was my first fair, previously I had just been trying to sell products online through Etsy or Instagram, but that method doesn’t allow me to observe people’s reactions to my products. Through Winter Wonderland I made new connections and gained 30 new followers in just one day. Overall I’m really happy, it was my first time selling my products in this way, I sold 21 products and was able to see which products of mine people really like!”
Weronika’s stand was busy throughout the day!
As the Christmas music played and delicious food and drink were savoured, the crowds at Winter Wonderland stocked up on unique festive gifts, handmade with love. The success of the event in recent years is reflected in its new longer running hours. Where the festivities had once been packed into 2 hours, Winter Wonderland is now an all-day affair, allowing crowds to visit, browse and relax from 10am – 4pm.
An incredible array of creative home-made goods were on offer to Winter Wonderland visitors
Are you a DMU student or recent graduate interested in freelancing, or starting or developing your own business or venture? Head to www.dmumade.com/takepart to sign-up for FREE DMU Made programmes and opportunities.
Are you a maker or crafter? The DMU Made Studio is a Make Space open to all current DMU students and recent graduates, open in line with Library opening hours (currently 7am – 2am). Find us on the first floor of the Kimberlin Library, Room 1.06, and please join us for January’s free Crafternoon Club session. Book your space HERE.
