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Christmas

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Original poster

Do you think a hamper at Christmas is a boring present ?

112 replies

lulu55xxx · 16/12/2025 12:54

Basically me and my friend have reached a time now (40) where we have everything.
There’s nothing we really need so for Christmas this year I’m making her a hamper.
Im gonna get some nice bits from M&S (cake ,biscuits ,nice chutney etc etc ) I’ve got her a Yankee candle (her fav smell ) some nice chocolates but my partner has said it’s a “boring “
gift .
Ive asked her all year as she has me and we couldn’t think of anything.
Rather than buy her things she doesn’t want or need ..I thought a nice hamper (with things she likes ) would be nice ?
or is it boring ?

OP posts:
Happyholidays78 · 16/12/2025 22:00

Another lover of a hamper here, it's not boring, it is thoughtful & useful.

AngelinaFibres · 16/12/2025 22:02

My SIL did a hamper for my parents one year. She didn't really know my parents at all even though she'd been with my brother for years. She bought things that her parents would have liked. My parents are very, very different from hers. They didn't eat any of it. Pointless waste of time and money and created the ' oh I always fo a hamper for my in laws every year. They really look forward to it". They didn't, they were being polite.

OnTheBoardwalk · 16/12/2025 22:11

@AngelinaFibres ah that’s what I love about a hamper, getting things you wouldn’t normally eat

what was in the hamper that they couldn’t eat any of it? I'll admit if there's any fudge in mine I gave it my mum

suki1964 · 16/12/2025 22:19

Im a lot older and have memories of hampers for our elderly grandparents and spinster/ widowed aunts - those that had barely any pension to get by on, it was our way ( as a family ) to ensure they had the treats they couldn't stretch too

Being the age I am, with my friends being the same or older, we are of the age where we have everything we can afford so pressie finding is hard I admit

We tend to go for experiences now, even a freebie run by the council or the lottery or whoever - , whoever does the inviting buys the coffees, lunch, drinks whatever

Me and bestie love musicals, we are more then happy to buy each other tickets to theatre nights at the cinema ( we live very rural and very few shows make it to us )

One thing I always say is - it's Christmas, it's not OUR birthday so I never go overboard on pressies - no matter who.

JillMW · 16/12/2025 22:24

I don’t like receiving hampers. Bits of food that I would buy anyway or expensive “ treats” that stay in the cupboard until past the sell by date. If I was going to receive a hamper I would prefer one that contained things suitable for the food bank, I would love to share it forward

JillMW · 16/12/2025 22:34

Ddakji · 16/12/2025 17:09

I’ve done this a few times with stuff from Fortnum’s and it always seems well received.

i have received a lot of Fortnum hampers. I feel I have to say a very big thank you as the giver loves to look extravagant. To be honest I have only had one pack of biscuits in one that I enjoyed. The rest of the stuff is cramming my cupboards. I keep asking people to take a tin of something but no one ever does. The hampers are in my loft waiting for anyone who would like one, sadly there are loads.

SunnieShine · 16/12/2025 22:37

The problem with hampers is there is always a couple of things you don't like.

Jok77 · 17/12/2025 05:46

I think it is a very thoughtful gift as you have filled it with her favourite things...a hamper full of favourite things for your favourite person!

Ddakji · 17/12/2025 06:48

JillMW · 16/12/2025 22:34

i have received a lot of Fortnum hampers. I feel I have to say a very big thank you as the giver loves to look extravagant. To be honest I have only had one pack of biscuits in one that I enjoyed. The rest of the stuff is cramming my cupboards. I keep asking people to take a tin of something but no one ever does. The hampers are in my loft waiting for anyone who would like one, sadly there are loads.

Show quote history

You miss my point. I’ve done what the OP does, ie buy the stuff separately and tailored to the recipient. It’s not a generic hamper. And it’s stuff I know they like.

Nochoiceofuser · 17/12/2025 07:53

I love receiving food gifts (and nice candles), something I would definitely use instead of something that I might not. We've given/received 'hampers' for gifts a few times, sometimes it's a traditional style hamper sometimes it's a themed collection (one year bought a relative a Chinese food 'hamper' which was a wok filled with sauces, dried noodles, jasmine rice etc)
If it's things you know she'll like then it's more thoughtful than, for example, socks or bubble bath (nothing wrong with either of them as gifts if that's what the recipient likes but they tend to be the 'go to' gift if you're not sure what to buy!)

Nochoiceofuser · 17/12/2025 08:00

Lifereallyisajourney · 16/12/2025 17:04

It just depends on the receiver doesn't it.

I'm doing my DD a hot chocolate hamper/herbal tea hamper this year. She will absolutely love it. My DS would hate a gift like that though

I once did a hot chocolate gift for my friend's child, nice mug with some hot chocolate sachets, sprinkles and marshmallows, even tucked in a couple of candy canes in to make it more festive

Nochoiceofuser · 17/12/2025 08:09

Becs51 · 16/12/2025 21:29

Wow such a mixed reaction on here! I’d love a hamper but never had one! It’s making me worried now that I’ve just done one for our Christmas guests in our Yorkshire holiday cottage. I spent the weekend sourcing lots of Yorkshire foodie treats to fill it with. I really hope they like it and don’t think it’s naff🙈

We've had similar in some holiday cottages we've stayed in and really loved them, even sought out some of our favourite things to take home to keep the holiday feeling going after we're home 😊

Twiglets1 · 17/12/2025 08:14

I think a hamper is nice as long as it has thoughtful gifts inside that you know the recipient likes. The ready made ones aren’t great in my opinion as always contain some stuff you don’t want plus no one wants several wicker baskets collected over the years.

But a collection of treat items geared towards the person & preferably in a box that can be easily recycled yes, lovely.

MsOtisReflects · 17/12/2025 09:46

Jiski · 16/12/2025 21:04

It’s lovely as long as she really likes what you’ve put in. Choose long use by dates as she’ll already have nice stuff in for Christmas.

A hamper full of ‘long use by date’ products is my idea of punishment.

I don’t like them anyway. I buy the food and drink I like throughout the year, and someone else’s idea of a ‘treat’ might not be mine. (Little fills me with more mock horror than MN ‘s favourite nice mug and a posh teabag.)

I do genuinely love to give and receive gifts - but I’d rather a book on a subject I’d never have chosen myself, than a basket full of UPFs.

patooties · 17/12/2025 10:28

I like a hamper - I occasionally make them - but personal ones - so no generic chutney / biscuits.
I did one for my sister last year which had a multipack of biscuit boosts, one of those blueberry vanilla cakes from Gailses, a Greggs sausage roll, beef hula hoops, a can of Diet Coke, some shit magazines (take a break / chat type nonsense) and some nice fluffy socks. She loved it.
I made a BIL one a few years ago with spicy nuts, jamon Serrano, 20 fags, a football magazine, liquorice and IPA.

longtompot · 17/12/2025 11:07

I don't think they are boring at all. I haven't had many, but the ones I've had I've really liked.
I made some in the past which I put in things the recipients liked plus some little things like fridge magnet games, that don't take up too much space in the house.
I used to do them for my kids for friends birthday presents, but in a mug. We'd get a cheap mug from Poundland and put in sweets and other bits and bobs. Most kids liked them, though we did hear that one was less than impressed by theirs.
I guess, as is the case with a lot of things, some people like them and some people don't.

hernameis · 17/12/2025 11:20

I make up a hamper for DH and another for DS every Xmas, they love them but I know what treats they like/don't like. They aren't always food items so lots of flexibility.

I was chatting to a vendor at an Xmas fair and she told me that every year she and her girlfriends meet up in town, set a budget and then shop for a gift to buy themselves, everyone ends up with something they really want. I thought that was a really good approach,

Rosamutabilis · 17/12/2025 11:40

I hate hampers, they are the gift of last resort when you've got absolutely no idea what to give and is a sign that present giving needs to stop.
Last year, my friend and I, who had exchanged birthday and Christmas presents for 45 years, decided to stop. I was the brave one who suggested it and she leapt on the idea. What we decided to do instead was to go out for a special meal or afternoon tea which has worked out really well.

vanillalattes · 17/12/2025 11:44

I’m personally not a fan. The last thing I need at Christmas is more food and mostly I find it goes unused and forgotten about.

Lifereallyisajourney · 17/12/2025 11:50

Nochoiceofuser · 17/12/2025 08:00

I once did a hot chocolate gift for my friend's child, nice mug with some hot chocolate sachets, sprinkles and marshmallows, even tucked in a couple of candy canes in to make it more festive

Show quote history

The candy canes were a nice touch, I might add some to DD's. Did the girl like it?

I've got DD a little cat shaped tea infuser to go with her hamper, it's very cute

Oneofthepotters · 17/12/2025 11:58

It sounds lovely. OP has very clearly said it’s not instead of doing the usual fun things, but something to mark the occasion. I would be delighted to receive it. I’ve done 2 this Christmas, not because I couldn’t think of anything else but because I’d carefully selected items I knew the recipients would love and use and won’t just be more ‘stuff’.

LivingDeadGirlUK · 17/12/2025 12:00

NuffSaidSam · 16/12/2025 12:59

I love a personalised hamper. It's a bit like a stocking for adults. I think it's a top level present. Just make sure she actually likes/can eat what's in there because a hamper full of stuff you can't/don't want to eat/use is a rubbish gift.

I was trying to articulate why I like hampers so much and this is absolutely this, its a grown up stocking :)

FictionalCharacter · 17/12/2025 12:12

I would love that. I’ve very rarely received hampers and to me it’s a real treat.

Twiglets1 · 17/12/2025 12:13

patooties · 17/12/2025 10:28

I like a hamper - I occasionally make them - but personal ones - so no generic chutney / biscuits.
I did one for my sister last year which had a multipack of biscuit boosts, one of those blueberry vanilla cakes from Gailses, a Greggs sausage roll, beef hula hoops, a can of Diet Coke, some shit magazines (take a break / chat type nonsense) and some nice fluffy socks. She loved it.
I made a BIL one a few years ago with spicy nuts, jamon Serrano, 20 fags, a football magazine, liquorice and IPA.

They are much more thoughtful than shop bought hampers and much nicer in my opinion.

SIL got her brother a hamper for his Birthday one year filled with all his favourite things and that was a big hit. Generic hampers have been a miss in the past.

HolyMoly24 · 17/12/2025 12:14

I love a hamper, especially if it has been put together by someone who knows me well so has all my favourite bits in rather than a generic off the shelf one.