matthew briggs, creative director, sun branding solutions, chooses his five best design themes of what&rsquos out there for the 2014 festive season.holly, ivy, bells, baubles and of course santa himself plus elvin entourage the design cues for christmas packs are universal &ndash and actually, not that unwelcome. but every year, a few brands break ranks and embrace something a bit different. this year has been no exception. here&rsquos my five best themes of what&rsquos out there for the 2014 festive season.1 giftablesobviously a no brainer, but a few years ago you could only get a small selection of gifting sets. this year, giftables have bloomed. from beauty, to gardening and cooking, there are gift packs galore this year, in baubles, retro illustrated packs. add the fact that many retailers, including selfridges and asda, are personalising gifts online, and i&rsquom ashamed to say, you name it, i want it, purely for the packaging.2 xmas jumpersthe past few years have been all about wearing your funniest, silliest, sometimes sexiest and often cheapest, christmas jumper. this year, that trend has transcended wool and acrylic to go large on food. we&rsquove noticed brands and retailers alike introducing chocolates, cookies, cookie kits &ndash not to mention a christmas jumpershaped cake pan &ndash on shelf. no doubt it&rsquoll go even bigger this time next year.3 diy christmasfrom gingerbread houses and cookies to baubles and selfinfusible gin, everyone is tapping into diy gifts. crafting is on the increase, with readymixed ginger bread mixes just add butter and syrup from the likes of laura ashley, through to homemade cake mixes, it&rsquos all about the jars.4 chocolate sproutsthe contentious sprout can divide christmas dining tables, so to make eating your &lsquogreens&rsquo fun, m&s introduced the chocolate &lsquosprout&rsquo last year. this year they&rsquove &ldquosprouted&rdquo up everywhere. i think online retailer&rsquos not on the high street execution is the best however.5 scandistyle illustrationsthe scandistyle of cute, retro illos has been all over cards and wrapping for a few years now, this year, it&rsquos made an appearance on packs too, with benefit working it to the max. 
