Some of the UK’s best-loved children’s characters are coming to a Christmas tree near you; or they could be if your youngster spots them! An entirely new range of The Gruffalo & Friends decorations is now available to buy.
Released in September, the The Gruffalo & Friends collection is bringing the magic of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s iconic stories into homes this festive season, ready to adorn trees and add those decorative touches to your living room.
The collection features The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Stick Man and Zog, with everything from traditional hanging decorations and baubles to resin figures, wooden decorations and garlands.
It’s the result of a collaboration between well-known British seasonal ornament designer, Gisela Graham, and Magic Light Pictures, the company responsible for taking the stories to screen.
You’ll find them stocked at many garden centres and Christmas shops around the country, and online as well.
Storybook decorations to spark joy and Christmassy memories
There are some Christmas decorations that simply make you smile.
And then there are the ones that bring back memories of reading a favourite story with your children.
That is exactly what Gisela Graham appears to have had in mind with its hugely characterful The Gruffalo & Friends Christmas collection, which brings together some of the most recognisable characters from the much-loved books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
As the Dad of a Gruffalo-obsessed four-year-old, I can confirm that these would certainly bring a smile to my daughter’s face; and a smile just as large to her parent’s faces.
Christmas tree ornaments often have memories attached to them, and there is something quite charming about the prospect of having some of your child’s favourite storybook characters on the tree every Christmas for years to come.
I know with my daughter, we have visited just about every Gruffalo-themed attraction in the UK in recent years, from Blackpool’s The Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse (multiple times) to Chessington World of Adventure’s and the Gruffalo River Boat Adventure ride, with book launches, forest trails and just about everything in between.
Being able to capture all of these memories in some decorations that come out at the most special time of the year feels so special and fitting. Now we just have to hunt some down and buy them!
From The Gruffalo to Zog
The Gruffalo himself naturally takes centre stage in the range, but one of the nicest things about the collection is that it goes well beyond a single character.
There are decorations featuring The Gruffalo and Mouse, The Gruffalo’s Child, Stick Man and Zog, making it possible to create a whole little storybook world on your Christmas tree.
Among the decorations currently available are resin book-style decorations featuring The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Stick Man and Zog, alongside character baubles and wooden hanging decorations. Retailers are also stocking pieces such as a Gruffalo & Friends wooden layered decoration and a wooden Gruffalo & Friends garland.
The Stick Man is another great choice for Christmas, given that the book itself features Christmas!
A Christmas tree for storybook fans
Perhaps the biggest attraction is the nostalgia.
For parents who grew up with The Gruffalo and have since read it countless times to their own children, these decorations offer something a little different from the usual licensed Christmas merchandise.
A Gruffalo hanging from the tree can become part of the family Christmas tradition – brought out every December alongside the familiar baubles and decorations that have accumulated over the years.
And there is plenty of scope for getting creative.
A woodland-themed tree featuring Gruffalo, Mouse and The Gruffalo’s Child decorations would work beautifully, while the addition of Stick Man and Zog opens the door to a much more colourful Gruffalo & Friends display.
The wooden garlands are designed to bring the characters beyond the tree and onto mantelpieces, shelves, doorways and other festive displays.
The perfect time for The Gruffalo
The arrival of the collection also comes at an interesting time for fans of Donaldson and Scheffler’s characters. The recent release of a new book in the Gruffalo story, Gruffalo Granny, has put the loveable characters at the forefront of people’s minds once again.
The popularity of the wider The Gruffalo & Friends universe continues to grow, with the characters increasingly becoming part of Christmas itself. The BBC previously brought several of the characters together for special Christmas idents, while new festive editions and activity books have also helped make Gruffalo and Friends increasingly associated with the Christmas season.
It therefore feels like a natural progression to see the characters appearing on Christmas trees.
And let’s be honest – Christmas and The Gruffalo seem like a pretty perfect combination.
There’s something wonderfully cosy about combining the snowy, woodland world of the stories with twinkling Christmas lights and traditional festive decorations.
Whether you are buying one special decoration to mark a child’s first Christmas, adding to a growing collection or going all-out with a complete Gruffalo-themed tree, Gisela Graham’s range is likely to appeal to families looking for something a little more personal than the usual baubles.
The collection is available through a number of UK retailers, with the range including resin figures, glass baubles, wooden decorations and garlands.
So, if you’re planning your Christmas decorating already, don’t be surprised if The Gruffalo makes an appearance on your tree this year.
After all, Christmas in the deep, dark wood sounds rather magical.
You can find more information about the range on the Gisela Graham website.
All photos copyright of Gisela Graham, September 2026, The Gruffalo & Friends
