Our story

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St. Nicolas specialises in bespoke, handmade decorations which are unique, beautiful and objects to treasure for ever.

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Our small, London-based team is dedicated to creating fun, interesting and meaningful keepsakes and we love collaborating with our wide client base in the UK and around the world.

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For over 30 years we have worked with a small Christian charity in Thailand that helps women in rural areas find work within their community rather than having to leave home to work in a city. Some 300 skilled women work at home hand sewing our decorations and many have been part of the team for more than 10 years. Our ever-growing range of figures are made by this team as well as many of our building façade decorations.

As our business grew and more and more innovative designs were needed, we began working with our Indian partner and for more than 20 years have had a flourishing relationship with them. These Indian decorations are made using the traditional method of zardozi embroidery. Zari – meaning gold – embroidery originated in Persia and reached India in the 12th century. This is a highly skilled technique that traditionally used gold wires and jewels to embellish courtly robes. Today zardozi work is a rare and respected craft and is recognized as one of the ‘Ancient Handicrafts’ by the Government of India. The skill is handed down from generation to generation. St. Nicolas continues to support the same family-run business in Northern India that it has since 1999.

Here at St. Nicolas we are incredibly proud of the provenance of our products. All of our London based team visits our suppliers regularly and communicates with them on an almost daily basis.

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This close and long-term working relationship means that we are able to supply unique, handmade designs at competitive prices while at the same time ensuring the welfare of our artisans.

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We are a proud member of BAFTS (British Association of Fair Trade Suppliers) and supports the 10 Principles of Fair Trade, as set out by the World Fair Trade Organisation.

St. Nicolas specialises in unique keepsakes. All of our decorations are designed in London and handmade by our teams in India and Thailand and the time taken to design and make each one is reflected in their unique quality.