Making own hamper from M&S for PIL - help!

[littlecupcake]

I've got a large basket to fill with lovely goodies from M&S for PIL. I'm heading over to the store later on today, and need ideas of what to fill the basket with. PIL don't get on with us so this HAS to be the perfect hamper gift so that they can't criticise

So far on my list I've got nuts (posh Christmassy ones), chutney, Christmas jam, Christmas tea, shortbread, Christmas cake and some chocolates (I've got my eye on the ones with the gold sparkly stuff on the top). What am I missing? Is there anything on the list that you wouldn't include?

They're visiting next weekend so I thought Christmas fayre would be lovely because they probably haven't brought it all already and they can scoff it in the run up to the Big Day.

I'm also going to give them a bottle of drink each - gin for MIL and whiskey for FIL. And a pointsettia. Unless anyone else has any other ideas???

Thanks so much!

My favourites from M&S are the following:
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe ground coffee in a brown bag
Italian dessert chocolates
shortbread
mincepies

Dont forget the pannetone as the box will bulk up your basket.

I have tasted all of the above & the coffee and chocs are gorgeous.

How about tins of salmon & some jars of antipasti?

A cheddar trickle and cheese biscuits and some pate.

A bottle of port.

Ooh and if they still do them, some orange slices dipped in plain chocolate.

Cheddar truckle, stupid autocorrect.

Don't try to hard, they sound as if they will criticise whatever you do. Buy some lovley treats for yourselves instead.

Add a large bag of crisps - kettle chips or the like that will take up space and they are perfect for nibbles or if they're entertaining!

I've done hampers before and you need to fill all the gaps so it looks nice, have you got shredded paper or something similar? Also I wrap mine in clear wrap you can get big rolls from ebay for £5 ish and copious amounts of ribbon.

Good luck hope they are grateful to have a caring DIL.

We've also put in Christmas decorations, socks, candle, anything with a Christmas motif on it to go with the food and alcohol.

They also have the cellophane wrap in asda and poundworld for cheaper btw, im also off to M&S tomorrow too, to attempt to do a 'cheese n biscuits and wine hamper'.

Thanks SO much for all your suggestions, I thought I'd report back on what I filled the hamper with. Unfortunately MIL didn't even glance at it when I placed it next to her and wished her a merry christmas next year she WILL be getting the Oxfam Goat in spite of my decision to not wrap it in cellophane so that she could have a rummage around to see what we'd given her.

So.... We filled it with:
Bottle of mulled wine
Christmas chutney
Champagne and strawberry conserve
Christmas tea
Box of shortbread biscuits
Stollen slices
Belgian chocolates
Mini Florentines

Also gave MIL a bottle of sloe gin and FIL a bottle of whiskey. Then they had a lovely pointsettia, too.

I try too hard. Don't know why I bother. My parents would have loved it!

littlecupcake MIL is similar. She gave us back the 2013 Christmas present six months later as she didn't want it. I gave it to my sister (soup machine) and she was over the moon.

This year I have persuaded DP that if he wants to get her something expensive that we buy it from John Lewis and keep the receipt. That way she can just exchange it for whatever she wants and not be insulted by us just handing over cash.

:( for you though that they were so rude in front of you.

Goodness, Tinselaffe, that's terrible! What makes them so rude?? They must have gone to the same finishing school for awful MIL's! I'm just thankful that the annual visit is behind us and we can get on and enjoy our own little christmas now. Hope your mil is more appreciative this year, and great idea about john lewis receipt.