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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Do you enjoy receiving homemade gifts?

56 replies

LokiBear · 06/08/2014 11:13

Disclaimer - Christmas post on the Christmas thread.

I've just been pintresting some Christmas ideas and saw some lovely ideas for home made gifts. Things like peppermint sugar scrubs for feet etc and it got me wondering. I love the idea of giving something homemade but I would hate it to be just another thing that gets shoved in a drawer. Do you like receiving home made stuff, or have you got any tried and tested creations that go down well?

OP posts:
OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 06/08/2014 14:14

I'm another that says - consumables - yes. I like home made cake, fudge, toffee, peppermint creams, flavoured alcohols.

toiletries of any kind, or ornaments, cushions etc - no

I don't use body lotion or body scrub, never will. Every Christmas I look guiltily at something that someone has given me and then either shove it in the cupboard or take it to the charity shop. Charity shops report surges of donations of toiletries just after christmas, mothers day, valentines and end of term.

We have no ornaments or cushions. This is because we don't like them and don't want any - it's not an invitation for others to decide that what we need is ornaments and cushions.

bouncinbean · 06/08/2014 14:18

You really need to know the person and get them something they would appreciate - and I think that whether its shop bought or homemade is irrelevant. Hence foot scrubs/toiletries would go down like a lead balloon with me - whether home made with love or from a fancy shop. A home made tea cosy, or chutney would be amazing for me.
This year I've decided to stop trying to second guess what people want for presents - after Halloween I am going to ask. It may not be romantic but I'm fed up of receiving rubbish presents and I've realised maybe my gifts were rubbish so this year I'm going to check!

secretblackandmidnighthag · 06/08/2014 14:40

bouncing I have a hideous knitted teacosy someone gave me in the shape of a country cottage, and I have to hide it at the bottom of a drawer. Yet so much work would have gone into it! It's a shame.

Original poster
LokiBear · 06/08/2014 15:52

Thanks all! It is really interesting to see how differently people feel. I wouldn't like to receive foot scrub either, which is why I asked. I am going to make santa sleigh s with candy canes and bars of chocolate though because the kids will love them!

OP posts:
MTWTFSS · 06/08/2014 16:03

My sister makes the best home-made cookies and I'd prefer to receive them to any other gift!

Allalonenow · 06/08/2014 16:06

I'd be glad to receive home made consumables, especially jams or marmalade, so much nicer than the BOGOF pack of bath products that is often given as an easy present.

I think it's especially nice to be given home made presents from children.

wafflyversatile · 06/08/2014 16:07

food is good because it is consumable - you're not expected to keep it on show forever.

if it's nice eat it, if it's not nice bin and say it was lovely.

as for homemade foot scrub I suppose it's the same as shop bought ones. either they use foot scrub or they don't.

wafflyversatile · 06/08/2014 16:09

A decent cake would cost at least £10 to make, Picklepest - more if you're putting on decorations, ribbon etc, and possibly buying a nice tin - which is a gift in itself: then it could run to £15-20. Ditto a nice scarf, or quilted item etc - good ingredients/materials/equipment cost money. Not to mention the effort.

Depends if it is a hobby anyway, or not. If you would spend the money anyway on your hobby then you might find you have more products than you want just for yourself anyway.

Lally112 · 06/08/2014 16:14

I'd be shocked at the xmas topic being used in AUGUST!!! which was the point I made originally. But as I said I like the rest of the post, just go all green and grinchy till at least nov when xmas is mentioned this early.

elQuintoConyo · 06/08/2014 19:11

But, this isn't the girst Christmas thread of the year! And not one goes by withput someone commenting negatively. It's beyond tedious.

Right, to answer the op: I don't receive many homemade things, so jam/chutney/marmalade would go down well here, I wouldn't end up with a cupboardful. Biccies and cakes gratefully received, also.

We don't drink much, I still have only had one snifter put of last Chridtmas's Baileys! It's clogging up fridge space, next to the fucking cava.

Smellies I never use. Ditto candles.

So, as a pp said, it depends on the thing you make: does it match the person you're making it for? I have just made a laundry bag for my friend's 41st birthday for her to use on holiday! She mentioned needi.g one a couple of months ago so I made her one - went down a storm Grin but I wouldn't expect everyone to be overjoyed unwrapping one on Christmas morning!

MollySolverson · 06/08/2014 19:20

I prefer consumables (edible/toiletries) than a thing I have to keep. If I don't love it, or if I do but don't really have the space or already have another of the same item which I love more, then I'm stuck with it.

bimbobaggins · 06/08/2014 21:03

Yes elQuinto, it is tedious.

I dont understand why people comment negatively ! I love christmas and i like to get organised early.If i can get any tips and ideas from other people then even better.

if you think its too early to think about christmas surely the answer would be dont go on that topic

Namechangearoonie123 · 06/08/2014 21:07

I gave loads of people caramel vodka last year, even my mother in law who I thought might not like it. It cost about £12 a bottle to make so it wasn't that cheap.

They'd all drunk it within a week Shock

My mil drank it every night over ice with a splash of lemonade - said it made her Christmas.

LizzieMint · 06/08/2014 21:26

Caramel vodka sounds amazing! please please please share how to make it...

MollySolverson · 06/08/2014 21:38

I generally do fruity booze (pick the fruit myself, so no small amount off effort goes into it), among other things. Its always been drunk within the week! I'd love the caramel vodka recipe too!

Elswyth · 06/08/2014 21:50

I think I'd quite like the flavoured vodka after reading this Grin Sounds delicious.

MostWicked · 06/08/2014 22:10

Fruity booze and boozy fruit would always be well received here!

AngelsWithSilverWings · 06/08/2014 22:12

Last Christmas we were given a Kilner jar filled with sloes (picked by our friends) and gin plus six bottles and a set of instructions.

We followed the instructions and then took a couple of bottles of the sloe gin on a camping trip. Delicious!

DH had just purchased a set of Kilner jars and has today started off some blackberry gin , some blueberry gin and some plum gin made with plums from our garden.

We hope to be able to give some bottles as gifts this Christmas.

Namechangearoonie123 · 06/08/2014 22:20

You put chopped up Werthers Original in vodka.

It's that simple.

You either 'cook' it in the dishwasher so it melts. Or you just shake it every couple of days for a month and it melts.

You pour out half the bottle of vodka into another bottle and use half and half vodka and werthers - this means you get almost 2 bottles out of one vodka.

everydayaschoolday · 06/08/2014 22:33

I'd love homemade foodie/toiletries gifts. I prefer consumables as our home is quite minimalistic. I have kept 2 gifted home made ornaments for the kids for the christmas tree, as they have great sentimental value. Homemade Sloe gin would be very appreciated, but not skittles vodka….

OscarWinningActress · 06/08/2014 22:39

I would LOVE a tin of homemade cookies (three insatiable kids and hollow-legged husband) or fudge or cake or something like that. Bubble bath or soap would always be appreciated here as well as things like knitted scarves, hats (Canada...can never have too many) or quilts/blankets/afghans for movie night.

LynetteScavo · 06/08/2014 22:45

It depends what it is. My brother is an amazing cook, so something made by his would be most welcome.

Jewelry, if it's to my taste, likewise something knitted. We all know of hand knitted jumpers which are awful, and others which are amazing.

The mango chutney I was given last year was never eaten. I'm not a chutney person, but jam would go down well, as would any sort of home created alcohol.

I was given some honey from someones bee hive last year.....amazing. My family all give other adults something they have made...except me because I'm rubbish at making things. Sometimes I feel it turns into a bit of a competition....."Oh, here is some lemon marmalade I made while I was travelling though Sicily..." "Thank you so much, for you I have a necklace made with pearls I collected while diving in Bora Bora" While I just give every a bottle of Body Shop bubble bath.

PistolWhipped · 06/08/2014 23:34

My baby was born five months ago and the hand-knitted clothes we received, although not to my taste some of the time, were hugely appreciated and I absolutely loved the look on the old person's face when I opened up the gift and ooh-ed and aah-ed. The time and patience and hard work involved was a delight to behold. However, if a friend of mine, who earned lots of money, gave me summat home made for a gift, I'd tell her to fuck right off.

PistolWhipped · 06/08/2014 23:38

Anyone who gives chutney for a gift should be disembowelled with a fish fork.

Namechangearoonie123 · 07/08/2014 00:07

I'd be delighted with home made chutney, we get through more than a jar a week here.