Christmas Hampers - anyone making them this year? Can we share ideas?

[ErinAndTonic]

I'm saving for my wedding and thinking of making some handmade hampers for family to save a bit of money and hopefully get them just as lovely things.

Wondered if anyone else was making them - handmade or bought, and wanted to share ideas of what they plan to put in for different people?

Currently I'm thinking of making my own fruit gin, bacon jam and some sweet or savoury biscuits. Maybe pistachio spread too.

Quite like the idea of theming the hamper to the individual as well. Friend loves baking so may do her a baking hamper so less handmade.

Anyone else doing this this year?

I’m rubbish at making stuff for gifts but I do put hampers together for adults family members. I live in the Lakes so I put together food hampers using local produce such as Grasmere gingerbread and Kendal mint cake vodka!

I did make rum truffles years ago for neighbours. They were really easy!

Love this thread and love making hampers. What is bacon jam? Pistachio spread sounds gorgeous but I imagine costs a lot to make? I make things like chutney, jelly from various fruits herbs and foraged berries, florentines made with melted chocolate studded with colourful nuts, sweets and fruits, membranillo.

Also make hampers of homemade cosmetics like soap, room spray, pot pourri and bath salts with dried flowers and essential oils.

Looking forward to getting some new ideas thanks.

I'm here to steal your ideas

I am making -

Chilli and Tomato Jam
Christmas puddings
Cranberry Sauce
Christmas Pudding Tiffin Cakes
Different flavour salts
Spice Mixes
Pickled Onions
Black Garlic Jam
Mixed Berry Jam
Elderflower liquor (been in a dark cupboard since summer)

and an assortment of chutneys depending on what I have from the garden available.

I am also thinking this year of making big jars of granola with more Christmas type spices/fruit.

Just in case it helps a few things I've made in the past are:

Cinnamon sugar in glass jars from Ikea
Citrus infused maldon salt
Honeycomb which I then chocolate dipped (I believe BBC good food)
Coconut ice (also BBC good food
Nigellas chilli jam
Nigellas peanut butter cups
Mini truffles that looked like Christmas puddings
White chocolate peanut butter
Limoncello
Parma violet vodka (acquired taste I know!)
Chocolate bark - super easy one
Cupcake/cookie recipe in a jar
Mary berry's tomato chutney
Mango chutney (can't remember where from)
Blackberry chutney
Caramelised onion jam
Hairy bikers rum and raisin fudge
White chocolate fruit and nut fudge

There may be more but just in case it helps anyone who might want to give it a go 😊

I like to make it but also buy things too as it's less time consuming and especially with local or less big brand stuff is just as effective.

I've never thought about doing non edible items that are homemade, that's a good idea. Well, I'm quite creative so I've sort of thought about painting or making bespoke Christmas baubles but haven't actually tried it yet.

I've not made bacon jam before but I believe it's sort of like chilli jam but with tiny bits of crispy bacon in instead - I've had it on burgers and the like and it's very umami so thought it might be quite fun and unique to make.

Pistachio spread I was addicted to on a trip to Italy this year so wanted to try and recreate it - I've not costed it out yet, but was thinking of getting the bulk ingredients from Costco or Amazon which should help.

I quite like the idea of making things that aren't sold ready to buy in the shops on the regular.

May I ask if you could share the black garlic jam recipe, I'm very intrigued!

Also what flavour salts have you enjoyed? I liked my citrus one but interested to know any others that taste good.

I made rosemary salt a few months ago - great with Roast Potatoes.

A lemon pepper seasoning - which was great with “meaty fish” and chicken. I am thinking of trying a porcini mushroom salt but haven’t tried it yet.

Ingredients20 g olive oil
500 g red onion, cut into wedges
10 black garlic cloves, roughly chopped
200 g dark brown sugar
1 tsp black salt flakes (see Tips)
200 g balsamic vinegar

Fry the onions in the oil until soft.
Add the other ingredients, and cook down as you would a chutney to thicken. You can use a hand blender or food processor to break down the texture if you prefer a smother “jam”. Pour into warm/sterilised jars.

I used White Sea salt flakes but understand black salt gives a flavour. Keeps about a month in the fridge.

Love all these suggestions.
I've currently got Limoncello, Orangecello and Passion fruit vodka marinating.
Additionally I will make chilli garlic crisp oil,
cheese star biscuits, chocolate refrigerator cake. Lemon salt and vanilla vodka. Plus I seen a recipe for a cream liqueur.

On the non edible side I've made dried oranges with cloves, a wreath using grapevines and dried lemon and orange slices. Also some pine cones with wax for fire starters (log burners and fire pits as opposed to reckless Prodigy behaviour). Also included are a handful of pine cones with Christmas ribbon. Just for decoration. And finally a Christmas pot holder as a few years back I was give a stash of Christmas fabric but just in squares. I'm not a quilter and it was all I could think to make.

Will probably put some herbal and homemade stuff into mini hampers. At the moment I have
Elderberry syrup
Plum brandy
Apple cider vinegar
Lip balms
Various teas
Hand cream

I'm doing little chocolate gift boxes (not quite hampers) with hot chocolate bombs, cakesicles, bark, truffles and mini Christmas cakes if I get a chance to make them. I might also add in some glass charms which are easy to make.

There are some great ideas on this thread!

Not a food hamper, but I've done a year of blind dates with a book hamper.
I bought 12 books, all from the charity shop. They were all in really good condition and looked brand new.
I wrapped them all in brown paper and wrote whether it was fact or fiction and then a few key words.

Hairy bikers Christmas vodka, although my husband prefers it made with a rum base.
I use the used fruit to make rocky road

@MyCatHasStaff could you tell me more about the glass charms please?

Great thread! Yes, I want to make hampers / edible gifts this year.

My brother's partner made us all a hamper one year and it was great! Most memorable things were homemade chutney, biscuits for cheese (they were almost like savoury shortbread?) and homemade marshmallows.

@Warelodge

What a brilliant idea. I love it. Thanks.

Brilliant thread, especially as I've decided to make hampers this year, my question is Where is the best place to buy the hamper basket from ?

I always love these threads, so thank you OP. Someone will be along in a minute to say they hate getting hampers, no one likes homemade gifts, it works out more expensive, they don't want to eat stuff you've made etc etc and basically piss on your chips.

SO just to say I LOVE getting homemade stuff and so do all my friends!!! Some lovely ideas on here so far. One year I did homemade liqueurs and put two martini glasses (charity shop or Ikea) and a mixer in. It went down really well!!

@OnionBag They are little rings with beads and charms that go around the base of a wine glass so you know which is your glass. You can get the rings (often listed as earring hoops) and beads from Ebay. Very easy to make.

Sounds wonderful I would love to have one. I have got hampers from Charity shops in the past or you could just cover a cardboard box

Thanks @MyCatHasStaff 😊

If anybody has a surplus of items and can't bring themselves to chuck/upcycle, feel free to send this way >

Probably cheaper to get a crate and paint it Christmas colours or even leave it natural. Hampers are expensive.

Wooden crates with Xmas paper over them work just as well.

My creativity stretches as far as hand painted Xmas baubles and starts at a paint a pot studio then they fire it for me. You can personalize them. I can.make nice cupcakes and decorate them well with either fondant icing with festive theme or butter ream icing coloured green and swirled as in Xmas tree with coloured balls used as baubles and a gold star on the top. I can make ginger and cinnamon cookies and put them in a bag with a see through front so presented nicely. I can make hand made Xmas wreaths with Holly, Xmas tree sprigs, ivy and moss and oasis to hold things in place. They can either go on a grave or on a front door depending on the base used. I can make a yummy vanilla fudge but I find I just end up eating it myself instead of gifting.