Present ideas for husbands family

[MrandMrsW]

Hello mumsnet!

Wondered if you could help me - I'm stuck for ideas for my husbands family. MIL & partner, FIL & partner, grandma in law, 2 brothers + partners and a sister + partner. (5 couples + granny)

I barely know them despite being married for several years now, and we only see them 1-2 x per year. All the sort of people who already have everything. Last year we bought a bottle of wine and chocolates per couple, the year before a selection of home made cookies plus so other little bits e.g bath bombs, fancy hot chocolate etc.

My husband says he doesn't know what they want or what they like - again they don't get on too well.

Limited budget - perhaps up to £7-10 per couple. Any new ideas? Not giving gifts is not an option as the family would never let us forget it!

Why are you sorting out gifts for your husband's family? Surely it is his job?

There's some lovely food hampers at the moment some not costing the earth either Aldi have one and a chocolate one 20-15 pounds and BM have a nice one for 10pound if you're in a budget

Can you make a mini hamper - mini bottle of red, cheese, crackers, chutney and a tin of shortbread? I do similar for SIL as she enjoys it. It is a little generic but it's also hard to get wrong, in budget, and shows a token effort.

To PP, the job of gift buying is always split so people only buy for their own families. I buy everyone's gifts except my own as DH hates it and I enjoy it (very similar to the garden being his job because I hate it and he doesn't).

I second the hamper idea. We will be going to our local farm shop to get the things. Proper home made jam, biscuits, cheese, pate, chutneys etc.

For £7 I would go for Aldi prosseco at £5.49 and their luxury chocolate box at £1.49 and then if you have time and want to make it up to £10 make some biscotti and wrap it in cellphone and a ribbon bow.

Could you bake something for them? Several years I've made a stollen for my FIL. Some years I make a batch of piccalilli too.

We have a five pound per adult limit when buying for our brothers and sisters. One year I found a couple of christmassy mugs and paired them with a bottle of mulled wine and a small box of chocs per couple. That went down really well and I was within the price limit.

Stop all this exchanging of presents with people you barely know, don't get on with and hardly ever see. It's totally bonkers. You buy a token present for them and they (presumably) buy one for you? What does it achieve?

You say you feel that you 'must' carry on 'as they would never let you forget it' but you say you don't get on anyway, so what is there to lose?

Having said that, if you want to carry on with the present giving a bottle of cava/prosecco and box of nice biscuits/chocolates is more than enough. M&S always have loads of half price offers in the run up to Christmas.