So how do you actually make a hamper then?

[KwaziisEyepatch]

Previous years inspired presents for FIL have included a set of Allen keys (his idea) and every Clarkson book ever written (I'm doing my hail marys in penance). I think he'd love a hamper of things he's not usually allowed to gorge on - chocs, posh biscuits, sherry, stinky cheese etc. But I've never done one before. How do you actually put one together? Is there a best place to buy them, do you line them and how do you wrap them up?

We are doing this for our parents this year, I have bought some wicker hampers and tissue paper from Hobbycraft and will fill with mini sized chocs/biscuits/jams/wine/port etc,cheeses and hams will be bought nearer the big day.

Home Bargains have lovely hamper baskets. I usually scrunch up paper (tissue if I have it) in the bottom and fill with stuff. You can get cellophane from florists but its not essential

Baskets from Wilkos, Pound land, BM. Line the baskets with some Christmassy material and fill up with shredded paper in between the gifts. Get a shed load of cellophane from amazon/ebay/florists/hobby craft, gather at the top and wrap with a huge Cris assy ribbon

If you don't want to use a basket, there are some nice red and white spotted boxes in Wilkos at the moment in different sizes. These would look good with gifts in, filled with shredded tissue paper, leave the lid off, cover with cellophane and ribbon.

I'm doing gift boxes for most people this year. I'm doing movie themed and food ones

Thanks, there's a Home Bargains near us I've never been to so I'll try there. Looking forward to having an excuse to scour M&S food aisles. Don't rate my chances of resisting the odd treat for us at the same time....

I love making up hampers. I make one for my parents every year which I give to them at the beginning of December so they can eat the Christmassy contents in the run-up. We live in London and they don't so I fill it with food produce which they wouldn't be able to get where they live. This year am also doing small hampers for the children in the extended family ranging from 4 to 17.

In the past I have bought hamper baskets from home bargains but have found some lovely ones on eBay this year. I seem to remember that John Lewis also had some nice ones last year but they sold out very quickly. I bought a massive roll of cellophane from eBay 2 years ago which is still going strong. It has white dots on it to look like snowballs. Then I add some Christmassy stickers and different kinds of ribbon.

I have done pamper hampers using wicker baskets and also a £1.50 bath from wilkos, toiletries hampers using a bin, princess hamper using a princess foot stool turnt upside down, movie night hamper using dvd holder, amazon do some lovely cellophane wrap x

Here is a good site for wicker baskets but do sell out quickly xx
cheapwickerbaskets.co.uk

I got a really nice one in wait rose yesterday. It was a vintagey looking great crate, good size and came with the brown shredded paper and a gift tag for £5 which I thought was a really good price

Pic:

Ooo, I remember seeing that one in waitrose last year after I'd already bought mine and made a note on my Christmas spreadsheet for future hampers!