AIBU to want to make homemade hampers for christmas presents

[PeppaTwig]

Christmas is going to be tight this year and we always end up spending more than we can afford. I had an idea to get baking and making and do hampers of yummy homemade treats for people (cookies, mini christmas cakes, chocolate truffles, peppermint creams etc.) They wouldn't be made on the cheap but would certainly save money overall compared to what we would normally spend out on pressies at Christmas.

DH says that his family will not apreciate them. His family are much more about spending masses of money on extravagant gifts (which is a whole different thread) and although they understand that we dont have as much money to spend on them as they do on us, DH thinks they wouldn't 'get it' at all and would wonder where their real presents were.

I guess what I'm really asking is, do you think that ths would be a nice gift or would you wonder where your clothes vouchers/DVD's/Kindles/Ipads were?

DH family sound like a nightmare. Why not just let him sort out the gifts?

I did that one year. It took a lot of time. I shopped around for a while to get the best deals on ingredients. You could customise them to suit people's individual preferences maybe. Or personalise them with individual decorations, icing etc. Does take up A LOT of time....

Are you sure its going to be cheaper? Stuff like yhis always costs more than you think in my experience.

I would also rather spend £10 on a gift someone liked, than £5 on one they didn't.

Its a shame they are such miserable gits though!

How would you feel if your inlaws gave you a present they knew you wouldn't like? With gifts it is the thought that counts and the fact that you know they won't like it seems rather mean to me.

Whilst I think hampers are ok for some people it depends on a lot of factors like is the stuff made actually nice or a load of old rubbish - not that I'm suggesting your's would be.

I personally would rather someone spent a few quid on something they knew I would like than a hamper full of food I'd probably buy at Christmas time anyway (chutneys, pickles etc).

If that makes me ungrateful or materialistic then so be it.

just wanted to say if your In laws wont appreciate it I WOULD. I would love love love that for christmas.
But to be honest if they aren't going to like it save yourself the time and effort. as i know i'd be heart broken if i did all that cooking ect and the recipient didn't appreciate it. It's why i don't knit presents!

This is exactly what we are doing - having started with mini Christmas cakes for both sets of in-laws at the weekend. Puds next weekend, followed by truffles and biscuits, interspersed with Whittards Christmas coffee, a bottle of wine and an M&S voucher too if they really need to sate their desire to buy something NOT homemade!

whostolemyname is right though - our gift bags have still worked out at around £20 each couple.

I love the idea of it, and would of course be very grateful that someone had gone to that much effort and put that much thought in.

But in all honesty, I wouldn't appreciate a gift like that. It is the sort of gift that is done for he giver not the reciever. The last thing I would want on Christmas Day is more combinations of sugar and fat around the house, and it would probably all end up being binned and with me feeling guilty. Any homemade sweet things I'd like, I will bake myself with the dc as a good Christmas holiday activity.

They sound lovely but perhaps not for DH family . I would get them a voucher or something you know would like and give the hampers to others who you think would appreciate them. Some people love homemade stuff , others aren't so keen. That way it will still save you some money.

I do think you have to listen to your DH a bit. If they want 'real gifts' then maybe a book or game would be ok if they don't see food as a gift, sometimes you can get 3for2 or BOGOF offers. You did say they know you don't have much.

I do have to say though - I love food and would love the feeling that someone thought about me. Would love to get a hamper as long as I didn't have to consume everything immediately. (Although I probably would) Off to hint to family living abroad that I would like hard-to-obtain-here condiments for Christmas.

In my recipe scrapbook there is a note which reads:

"Christmas Hampers.
WARNING! This is NOT a good idea. They cost a fortune in ingredients and all the fancy packaging materials you can't resist. They take forever to make and no matter how organised you think you're going to be, you'll end up spending Christmas Eve up to your neck in cellophane and biscuit dough looking like a frazzled wreck and cursing the day you ever thought it would be easier than the alternative. For the Love Of God, don't do it."

Then there's a list of about 100 or more lovely ideas for stuff to put in Christmas Hampers. I'm not doing them this year, I swear.

Well, maybe just a few jars of mincemeat...

My sister did this last year and I loved it. She did some packets of seeds from flowers in her garden, some fancy Mints, a bottle of wine, all in a nice wooden basket with fairy lights on. Was really nice to think of the time she spent on it. Am going to copy her this year! Not to the letter, but similar idea, tea towel done at DS nursery, maybe a home made Xmas dec - going to check out the Xmas thread for ideas!

mrsrawlinson

mrsrawlinson - :o thanks for reminding me why I don't do hampers. That is exactly how I feel too!

I'm making hampers too, for friends who have everything, and who appreciate the time and effort that goes into making them. As other posters have said, you should not underestimate the cost. To keep costs down I've been swapping veg from the garden with friends and neighbours and have made loads of different chutneys, plus Christmas cakes and biscuits. The chutneys/cakes keep for ages so there is no need to eat them immediately or throw them away. My DH is also a bit about it, but since the only gifts he buys at Christmas are for me I've gone ahead and done it anyway!

If you decide to go ahead with it then pop along to your local greengrocer/farm shop for those lovely wooden crates they get veg/fruit in - they make great containers for your gifts. Or maybe look out for offers on wine and do some booze hampers - again they don't need to be consumed immediately, and wine plus home-made chocs/cheesy nibbles make great gifts for some people

I love receiving homemade hampers. My mum does a food and wine type one for us each year, it's great.

DH's family, DH can sort them out. I would do hampers but one SIL has her housekeeper do her preserves for her (i kid you not), MIL would go on about how she does her own preserves and would I like the recipes as hers are so much nicer (and pull a face as she looked at mine) and other SIL would rant on about how I must have so much time on my hands being a SAHM...

I would love to receive such a hamper and am putting mini-hampers together (3 jars each of chutney/pickles) for 3 of my neighbours. There are chutney wars going on in this part of the south east - I will WIN!