Hand made Christmas gift ideas please

[GrouvilleMaLuv]

I’m hoping to make a few Christmas gifts this year so am looking for ideas of what I can start to do now or a signpost to places with crafty type things.

Ideally I’d like things that are food based. I know I can make sweet treats closer to the time but what can I prepare ahead.

I can also crochet (after a fashion, the scarf I’ve started is turning into a triangle 😂 so will start that again tonight). Can also sew. I’m not a very creative but can usually follow clear instructions 😂.

Gently but…. Do you know the recipients well enough to be sure they will want handmade stuff?

Every Christmas we get a hamper of homemade treats from SIL - she bakes, and preserves stuff, makes jams etc. It all goes in the bin as we’ve seen her kitchen and she doesn’t have the same hygiene rules we would follow.

And every birthday and Christmas for the last twenty years I’ve had personalised sewn/knitted/embroidered scarves, bags, and thingummies from my aunt - I wouldn’t dream of using any of them (none match my style or are practical) so they take up the top shelf of my wardrobe where I occasionally eye them resentfully and then once a year when she visits I get a few of them out so I look properly grateful.

I just think it’s more important to think about what the recipient would like than about what you would enjoy making…

Chocolate Orange fudge is popular with most people and freezes well. I use regular chocolate with Asda Extra Special Valencia orange extract which is much cheaper than choc orange. I use the recipe from the Jane's Patisserie website. The last couple of years I've made the Christmas Pudding truffles from the website as gifts for neighbours and they've loved them.

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I made lemon curd for ‘O’ level domestic science. Maybe I should make some more.

My chocolate mint vodka usually goes down well. My husband makes the Hairy Bikers Christmas pudding vodka but thinks it's better with rum. One year i made my grandparents apricots in brandy syrup.using dried apricots.
Apparently photo frames are quite easy if you want something crafty.

Truffles.
Always my favourite present.

Ooh. Following with interest.

I've made home made gifts for over 30 years (I do agree it's good to check that recipients aren't the type to bin home made goodies)

I make:

Chilli Jam
Chutney
Blackberry and Honey Jam
Apricot Brandy
Sloe Gin
Italian cookies

There's probably loads more. I need to go and check my Christmas notebook! I shall be back...

If anyone is familiar, I have just started the yearly Poncetastic thread (it has had no particular owner in recent years)

If not, hopefully the intro speaks for itself, but do join in!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5575724-poncetastic-christmas-thread-2026

I make the absolute best salted caramel chocolates. Genuinely better than any I’ve ever bought in any shop ever. Seriously considering selling them.

Always the same on these ‘handmade’ gift threads. I would rarely appreciate anything homemade unless they were from someone particularly talented or professional. They would probably be chucked away.

My boss was a skinflint and would give the team homemade crap for Christmas - one year something made out of felt, or weird decorations made from ribbon or hand knitted stuff in random colours. They all went straight in the bin.

The whole point of gifts is to give something thoughtful that reflects the recipient’s interests, not your own crafting or baking obsession.

What's 'always the same?'

Thankfully some people do actually appreciate these beautiful, hand made, thoughtful gifts.

Often, I cater exactly to the recipients taste. Thats the point. It can be personalised, their favourite colour / flavour / hobby etc.

Furthermore, a lot of folk who make home made items for friends and family are often artisans or actually go on to become specialists in their field.

I for example, evebtually became a chef after realising a passion for food and foraging when I was very young. I had my own food business and have been on Masterchef. So I can confidently say, folk are very appreciative of what I gift. Nobody is chucking my stuff out, I can assure you of that!

Likely a bit different to cookies made by toddlers.

😉

Last year I made a little selection of Christmas cookies for my friends- they went down well!! But then, I am usually the one who supplies treats for our summer picnics & gatherings.

Otherwise I agree, homemade gifts are very hit & miss. I personally wouldn't want a knitted, sewn or crochet anything. It's just not me.

Back to the cookies: You can make some of these in advance, end October or beginning November. They get better with a few weeks resting time!

happykitchen.rocks/german-christmas-cookies-lebkuchen/

I think you need to check people actually like what are going to gift them. I've been given a homemade Xmas cake before but no one in our household likes rich cake. We only like a sponge, carrot cake etc. I just took it in to an old person home when I visited my Auntie knowing she likes rich cake and she gave it to a lot of residents so it was not wasted.

Also check they don't like it too much.

I make shortbread occasionally. My carer really likes my shortbread to the extent he calls it 'crack' because when he took a batch home every time he got up to go to the bathroom, or in to another room he eat one.

I now threaten him, with, "I'll make shortbread".