Handmade Christmas Gifts.

[rackhampearl]

I really feel like handmaking my families Christmas gifts this year. Would you be disappointed to receive a handmade gift? Or are there any handmade gifts that you've received that you absolutely love? Would love to hear your experiences.

I've stopped with the gifts for everyone - except my parents and the dcs. I hate Christmas shopping!

I won't use homemade foods. I've seen too many people with mucky kitchens, or letting their cold ridden little darlings help.

My sil made me a cross stitch one year. It cost me about £75 to have it properly blocked (?) and framed.

A crochet blanket would be fantastic, or knitted blanket. I want a blanket!!

Mulled wine wouldn’t do it for me, because red wine gives me the most vicious hangover, but fudge, biscuits or cakes with lashings of butter cream would be amazing.

Yes you can rack , just give people plenty of notice in case they have started their shopping. Just say you are cutting back on Christmas and not buying gifts. No one will think you are tight, they’ll be breathing a sigh of relief.
I know lots of people who are struggling already at the thought of all the gifts they have to buy and want to cut back but they are too frightened to because they are worried what people will think of them.

It depends why you are doing it

If it's to save money, you might find that it doesn't really - good quality ingredients cost

If it's because you've just learnt a new skill and you're really good at it, great. Share your home made candles far and wide

If it's because you're done with commercialisation, well, where are you getting the ingredients from?

If it's because you're bored and want a project to keep you occupied, fine, but maybe just given them as general gifts, not necessarily for Christmas

Etc etc...

I won't use homemade foods. I've seen too many people with mucky kitchens, or letting their cold ridden little darlings help.

I think if people had any experience at all with commercial factories or kitchens they'd be a lot less precious about home made food.

Inward shudder at various stories told by a friend who works in food production.

Oh, cross post. If it's because you are stuck for inspiration, either just ask outright what people want or propose that you stop doing adult to adult presents altogether

Agree Laurie, DHs Aunt works for a well known baked goods company and she has told me the most horrible stories. She won't go anywhere near the boxed baked goods in the supermarket. It's literally just a wage for her now.

I do think it depends on the person and the gift. I wouldn’t dislike handmade gifts and even if I dint like the gift I would appreciate the effort the person made as I know it can be very time consuming.

I’ve done homemade gifts for some people and I know they have liked them because they have been used/ displayed. I’ve made personalised cushions for my cousin and her husband (very niche interests) and they have them on their couches to this day. I’ve made my uncle a lap blanket to use with his wheelchair and it’s been very well used and loved to the point I will need to make him a new one soon. I’ve made personalised candles for my mum and my aunt, with a photo of my late gran and verse that means a lot to the family. Again both out on display.

I know MIL wouldn’t appreciate hand made things as she’s very fussy so I just buy her gifts. I have other family member that would be a bit hit or miss with handmade gifts so I don’t risk it.

For me I’ve had some good and not so good handmade gifts. I’m not keen on anything with lots of sparkle/glitter/rhinestones so gifts containing them are not my favourite. One year I got a pair of handmade slippers and they were amazing and really comfortable.

I've also bought fabric to try to do beeswax wraps. I did spend a fortune on some from the beeswax company & use them a lot.

The wine is ok but there's so little effort in it, I don't really think it constitutes a real homemade gift. I recently tried making candles with essential oils & a small votive burnt v quickly & not a great scent throw.

I've made in the past, bath salts with essential oils & also my vg homemade granola. In in a kilner jar with festive fabric & ribbon. Fun to do & not that taxing.

Flavoured gin would be good.

My Christmas pudding vodka was a big hit a few years ago - well at least by the number of repeat orders I got!!!!
I only do food if I know it will be to the taste of the recipient
Boozy truffles and home made toffee usually ok
My elderly parents have no standard gift needs but do appreciate a bit of home cooking - I also always take them out for lunch in January

I love homemade. I’d rather have something that someone has taken their time over rather than any old mass produced item with little thought behind it. I can’t believe so many on this thread don’t like homemade! What a shame!

I’ve made gifts before now and they’ve always been well received. That being said, I’ve never done food gifts (because I am a terrible baker/cook), alcohol (wouldn’t occur to me as I don’t drink) or soaps/toiletries (because I don’t appreciate receiving them, so again don’t think to gift them!).

I crocheted a blanket for my mum for her birthday earlier in the year - my dad is getting the same pattern in different colours for his birthday in a couple of months! - and I’ve made hats for my nephews (and one for me!). For my friend’s birthday, I bought a set of ‘cheap’ crochet hooks and made a case for them in fabric that were colours I knew she’d love - she was so touched by it!

I’ve given items that I’ve used pyrography on too, but I appreciate that’s a bit of niche hobby requiring more specific equipment!

Can you sew/crochet/knit? There are lots of simple patterns for Christmas decorations that would most likely be well received.

I think making gifts is a lovely idea and I try to include something homemade each year - this year I’m crocheting hats for chocolate oranges as part of my nephews’ and niece’s gifts!

It depends if you are any good at it! My aunt does chutney every year and it’s AMAZING. She didn’t do it one year and bought everyone “proper presents” instead. Everyone complained.

I am funny about home made food as gifts.. Not sure why as I happily eat at other peoples houses.. I am also not a great condiment fan so chutney/jam type things are not a great gift for me.

Worst home made gift I ever got was a picture of Jesus on a piece of wood.. My sister sent it to me as if I would like it up somewhere. Odly I have since then returned to church and go regular but I would still not have something like that up.

I made some crochet scarfs for 2 of my friends I see both of them with them years later so I know they were appreciated.

I would like the mulled wine but unlikely to actually do more than use the wine..

I would like the soap

DH would eat the chocolate even if I wanted some. He cant leave that stuff.

I made Christmas pudding flavoured rum one year, then used the fruits from that to make rum and raisin fudge to go with it.

I make mulled wine a lot, but in a way that makes that idea a bit less exciting.

Gin marmalade sounds amazing!

Soap would depend how it actually worked. My attempts at soap making have been universally disastrous.

Sloe gin or a knitted throw for my house I would LOVE. The latter would be expensive in materials I know, no idea about sloe gin and I’m no where near posh enough to have made it!

Honeysuckle I know someone who would love both the rum and the rum and raisin fudge. Excellent idea. I've been pleasantly surprised by this thread. Even the ones who are honest about not liking homemade gifts are being very polite about it. Is this a Mumsnet first ? Thank you all. I think I'll give it a go regardless and if I get bad/no feedback I'll take that as a fail.

Jesus on a piece of wood well I know what I’m asking for this year!

I have been making homemade Christmas presents for years. They include Christmas bunting, Christmas appliquéd mats, homemade soap (not melt and pour), hand made Christmas decorations, cherry brandy, sloe gin, damson gin, hand knitted scarves, Christmas wreaths homemade fudge, truffles and many other things. They are given mainly to family, and as far as I’m aware they are happy with these gifts. Though I suppose they wouldn’t really say if they didn’t like them now I come to think of it.
I do it mainly to save money, and also I would rather put more thought and effort in, instead of spending huge amounts.

Worst home made gift I ever got was a picture of Jesus on a piece of wood.

rack if you do it, for god's sake put the spices in a muslin. Took me fucking ages combing through raisins to pull out bits of cinnamon and cloves. I got some nice Kilner style bottles in Wilko's.

I'm not keen on homemade food presents, probably because I was once gifted some rather grey looking shortbread in an old takeaway box. I'm also not keen on the homemade bath salts / pickled limes in a recycled coffee jar type of stuff.

If you're a skilled crafter then homemade can be wonderful. I have a much treasured crocheted blanket and a knitted hat, gloves and scarf from a friend who is really talented.

@honeysucklejasmine Can you share the recipe for the Xmas pudding rum? Sounds lovely