Who's doing hampers this year and what are you putting in them?

[ArmadilloDaMan]

Thinking there must be at least a couple of people out there. I did them last year (big success) and am prob going to do them again this year.

So what are you putting in them?

Where are you getting your supplies?

LAst year I made gingerbread, filo mince parcels, truffles (rum and standard), cookies (2 types I think) and fudge.

I used shredded coloured paper or tissue paper in bottom (nicked from ds's stash), baskets from 'The Range' (cheapy shop), cellophane from local sewing shop, normal present curling ribbon and those foil takeaway style containers you can get from Asda cheap - they were fab, just stuck bows on top and ribbon round them.

SO what you doing - shop bought/homemade/mix of both?

Is anyone doing chutneys or similar - am thinking about it this year.

ooh i am thinking of doing a few this year but i have no idea what to put in them as yet!

will be lurking here for lots of ideas (quick question - when did you make all the biccies etc as i always find homemade stuff like that goes stale really quick and we don't get round to seeing some of the rellies til nearly new year time) thanks!

i'm doing some, well 3! I bought the hampers in poundland, crepe paper in wilkos, ribbon(to make bows or something like that) in Ikea, more tissue paper to shred from poundland.

Contents so far:

Dad/step mother: tea towel, 2 mugs, some kent made tea, posh(ish choccies), calender. so far has cost £10. I'm going to get a bottle or 2 of wine, and hopefully some local made mustard/jam or similar

MIL/FIL: calender, tea towel, mug(need one more!) kent made tea, candles, maltesers,walnut whips!, quiz game thingy. So far has cost £19, still got to get a few more bits, may include a bookmark/dvd/handcream/photoframe(maybe with dc pic in but use that idea a lot with MIL) and something made by my dd

Nan: calender, tea towel, choccies, biscuits, mug, kent made tea. So far has cost £13. Still got to get bookmark/jams/photoframe with dc's pic in(not used with her yet)

Was wondering where I could get the cellophane wrap stuff so thanks for that idea!

Biscuit dough tends to freeze reasonably well ime. I'd make dough and freeze in large sausage shape (wrap in clingfilm). Night before you go to see people, get out dough, slice (much easier to form/better shape from frozen) and add extra 5 mins to cooking time.

Dough keeps about a month in freezer well.

What else are you making? Lots of stuff will freeze part way through cooking process if not at end.

Am liking your contents Eddas - am going to try and put a couple of extra bits in this year (have slightly bigger budget than last year) - some good ideas there.

If you order early enough there are some sites online that do big rolls of cellophane very cheap (compared to inshop prices). Maybe googling will bring some up depending on how much you wnat.

I found some on ebay but not sure how much i'll need but I guess if I get too much I can keep it and use it another time.

I like the idea of homemade things but i'm too lazy

Lol at lazy - I'm too cheap to buy stuff I can cook

It wasn't too bad actually. It took me about 4 hours in total to cook (spread over 2 evenings) and dp helped me with the wrapping etc (took another couple of hours) but just bought ingrediants at normal shop so saved time really as not going christmas shopping for pressies.

Most of my recipes came out of last years Dec Good Food Magazine (comes out 3rd Nov I think).

For actually storing stuff made overnight we put made up hampers in car boot - it was so cold, was colder than our fridge which didn't have room.

Tags (telling them what was in it) we made out of dark blue card and wrote on in ordinary pencil (looks lovely and silvery).

With cooking this year I think I will do mix of perishable things like cookies and longer lasting stuff like fruit cake. Plus may do bottle of wine and similar to make it last longer when they actually get it.

I really should make the effort, maybe I can try to make some cookies to sell at the preschool. Must do trial runs though as never made them before!

I've just looked up cellophane on ebay. There's this one here LOADS but is it a good price?

or this maybe

have never bought it before so wouldn't know how much it is in a shop

I'd go for second personally, nicer looking. You don't get as much, but I think I used about 5 meters last year so I gues there would be plenty.

Second one is probably way too much, and unless you are definately doing them again for the next few years or there is someone to share cost I wouldn't bother. You could decorate it - I'm sur eyou could get pens from art shop to do it, but ti's more work.

I can't remember exactly how much I paid last year but I thik it is equivalent to the second one (including postage and working on buy it now price).

am thinking of doing this and then maybe putting some cheese and biscuits in with it?

Cost of jars would push price up, but have most ingrediants like red wine vinegar adn spices. Plus looks really easy to make.

maybe make oatcakes to go with cheese (though couldn't find good recipe last year so bought dad some to go with his cheese)

can you save old jars of yours and then use them? put a bit of material and tie with a ribbon could still use the lid maybe if you black it out with a marker then cover with the material etc?

Lots of people ask for things lije that on freecycle(i believe) so you could ask for jars there?

my friend's mum might be able to get me a roll of cellophane for £4 so might wait for that? Will check out ebay's ended items in a bit to see how much they go for. i'll report back

£4 wouldn't be bad price.

WIll check out freecycle for jars - cheers for that idea

Other jars is good idea - but we don't really eat things in jars, cept jam and marmite and frankly a marmite jar would be wierd and we don't eat jam fast enough

Will ask around (friends an dfamily)a dn see if anyone does though.

I wouldn't eat enough jars either and marmite ones would be odd!

Maybe for next year,I know haven't had this one yet, but you could save them incase you want them and if you don't then recycle them.

I'm so excited about christmas this year is daft! [saddo emoticon]

this one looks good an ended item though, and none in their other items atm

Ahlf of mine was like that last year, other half had white snowflakes on.

I looooooooovvvvvvvvveeee christmas. I'm like a very overexcited child.

Hopefully ds will get really excite dthis year as he is 3 now and so will understand (well understand that he's getting pressies anyway ).

how about this one?

have you had enough of questions about cellophane yet

my dd is 3 now too so that's why i'm so excited. It'll be the first christmas that they get excited can't wait

Good price but not too fond of design - depends how big it actually is (IYSWIM)

this is nice though and not too expensive

I never get tired of talking about christmassy stuff - even cellophane

was just looking at that! might keep my eye on that shop as they're both from the same one. Got a while yet as i'm not planning on making them up til nearly christmas! Would prefer a silver design as i've got silver ribbon and red tissue/crepe paper!

I'll stop babbling about cellophane now so that maybe other people will give you hamper ideas

do you know, I've always used my plain cellophane, I never realized it would be so easy to get hold of lovely patterned stuff...my dh will have a fit!!!

Not quite a Christmas hamper which I'm working on at the moment (although I will be doing them) I'm creating a bouquet for my mum and dad who are moving house - am making 'flowers' from rolling up dustbin liners and dusters, sponges and brushes etc..pink gloves etc.. all the bits and bobs you need when you move in, am wrapping it in cellophane and a big ribbon!

I think I am gonna get that star one - would gold go well with green and red do you think?

I prefer patterned cellophane cos the contents of mine are homewrapped they can look quite dull (plus one colour shredded paper/tissue). Plain I think is good if you have patterned/decorated contents.

Your bouquet idea sounds lovely yummy. Are you quite good at presenting things? I can do the cooking etc but not good at wrapping. Dp is though and is very anal about it so it comes out looking fab.

What shape baskets are people using? I used rectangular last year, but am thinking round might look better/be easier to wrap in cellophane?

love the sound of that present YBM! think i'll start being more creative with presents now.

I think gold will go with red and green very well. I'd buy that one but as I said i have silver ribbon now so fingers crossed they get the same one in silver soon! I think i'll get some plain too.

My baskets are oval sort of shape. Rectangle would be easier but for £1 I can't complain!

I might collect things from now on to use in hampers and things and keep my eye out for hampers of varying sizes through the year.