Home made hampers - naff or no?

[IVFfirsttimer91]

Hi all! We’re expecting our first baby in the new year, so this year finances are a bit strained!

We were thinking that instead of buying gifts this year that we would make our families hampers with home made preserves, chutneys, sauces and sweet bits (fudge - we just started a business making it) in them?

I would be super happy to get something like this, but I don’t know if it’s going to come across as cheap or something? My family tends to throw money around a bit especially at Christmas and I don’t want them to think that we are being tight.

Do you think that that would be something you would be happy to receive? Or should we go back to the drawing board?

I would love to receive this. We often get a fancy Fortnum hamper from in-laws for Christmas, which doesn’t mean much (cos they’re very wealthy, it’s an entirely thoughtless gift they send to lots of people)… something homemade with love and based around things we enjoy (fudge, marmalade etc) would be wonderful 🌟

I would also love a hamper. We’ve had to ask MIL to stop buying random toiletries for Xmas and birthdays as we have a bathroom full of body butter! I’d much rather something edible that can be used up. A few years ago I gave BIL & gf a mulled wine kit so put all the spices together tied in muslin, ok bottle of wine, 2 mulled wine glasses and some homemade chocolate orange biscotti. I put it in a Christmas gift box rather than a hamper. I got a message a few days later from gf to say how much they’d enjoyed the mulled wine.

I wouldn’t want jams and chutneys included as we’ve already got a cupboard full of that sort of stuff and don’t eat it often enough.

Bot otherwise it sounds lovely.

If I had family members who I knew were brilliant in the kitchen then I would love this.
Add in the fact that you have a baby due very soon , they will be very aware of the time and money constraints upon you.

As for the gifts, if you hold of some big jars , like those kielner jars but I know they’re pricey, filled with fudge or chutney/ jam they’d be lovely.
In fact if you tried to fob me off with bought fudge I’d be offended 🤣

If you can tailor it then even more thoughtful.

I love marmalade but only without peel
And fudge but only vanilla. No fancy new fangled salted or alcohol flavours.

just in cases we’re distantly related , obvs

I'd love this. It shows you care, and it sounds like you are actually good at making stuff.

Will it save money? These things are often more expensive to make than the value of the gift iyswim, especially if you're going to spend money on lovely presentation.

Most people I know would love it, but the kind of people who think they need to "throw money around" at Christmas less so.

I completely agree with this poster. A hamper of lovely home made foods would be a great gift. Cheap, unwanted tat that had been tarted up to look special, not so much. If someone could only afford £1 for a bar of chocolate then I’d be happy with a wrapped bar of chocolate, or nothing! I once received a box of home made goodies from a family member for Christmas, and have been slightly wistful that it’s not been repeated as it was such a lovely thing to receive (and eat).

I would love this!

I too would love it. A family member made everyone homemade hampers with chilli jam, soy candle, cordial, sloe gin, garlic salt…can’t remember the rest but it was amazing. She had been doing a bit each month in the lead up. It was delicious and I hugely appreciated the effort. All was eaten/used!

OP what MN thinks doesn't matter sorry. We are not your family.
If they are the sort of people to 'throw money around'. Are they really going to appreciate your gift no matter how amazing and thoughtful it is?

I'd love your gift - if tailored to DH and I (not a load of sauces that he won't eat and that I'll be stuck finishing). However I don't use money to show off even if I can afford it, and appreciate thoughtfulness more.

It might be better to come clean and say you have money issues, especially when you're trying to start a new business. Than trying to keep up appearances.

I make all my family fudge at Xmas. Super easy and cheap but looks nice in a jar with cellophane and ribbon!

Sounds lovely. There are some right miserable sods on Mumsnet.

While I would think it was an incredibly thoughtful present, for us it would be just another thing to get rid of after Christmas. We don’t eat chutneys/pickles/jams stuff.
A bottle of wine would be perfect for us!
But you know your families best, if you know it would be eaten and appreciated then go for if.

I don’t think that makes us miserable sods either, we just don’t like that sort of stuff. Not something we would ever buy or use.

Not liking a particular sort of present doesn't make you a miserable sod.