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Homemade Christmas hampers are a fantastic yuletide gift and the great news is they needn’t cost a huge amount to make. A hamper can be any size and price and filled with all manner of gifts – the more personal the better.
With so much flexibility, they are a great present to give when money is tight. What you put inside shows thought for the person who receives it.
There are many places you can go to get containers, gifts and decorations. UK hamper specialists Virginia Hayward Ltd offer the baskets and packaging they use for their pre-packed hampers to those wishing to make their own. (www.virginiahayward.com/product/wicker-baskets-hampers-and-trays).
Sourcing the container
Traditional hampers are made from wicker baskets but there are many lower priced alternatives such as shoe boxes covered with Christmas paper, wallpaper or gift wrap. Gift boxes from shops such as WH Smith and Paperchase can be customised to suit.
The filling
‘Buy one get one free’ offers are good for filling up your hamper- items such as biscuits, chutney, jam, bottles of wine or fizz. Keeping an eye out in the sales is a good idea as many gifts can be picked up cheaply.
Making your own food and drink is an extra personal touch. Fudge, peppermint creams, truffles and shortbread are all quick and easy to make. You could also make preserves from foraged food~You could also make preserves from foraged food}. Crab apples and sweet chestnuts are good for this and there are plenty of shops offering preserving equipment on the High Street such as Lakeland and Waitrose.
Themes are great for Xmas hampers. An example movie hamper could contain a few DVD’s, popcorn, a jar of hotdogs, a film magazine, movie memorabilia mugs and T-shirts. A gardening hamper could have gloves, seeds, gardening magazines, books, plant labels and some windowsill pots. Only your imagination limits you.
Adding a few photos to your hamper is a nice touch and a note or poem from yourself could be used too.
Decoration
The basket or box can be decorated with ribbons, organza netting, material off-cuts, tissue paper or packing shred and you can even make your own pompoms to tie onto the lid. The finishing touches are added with the decorations. Your decorations can also be given the personal touch, using glitter pens to write out a tag or adorn the box with meaningful messages.
