Features > Make Your Own Christmas Hamper

Make Your Own Christmas Hamper

Christmas hampers are a fantastic Christmas gift as they contain lots of little goodies which people will enjoy. By making your own Christmas hampers, not only are you putting a lot of love and thought into the hamper, but you can also tailor it to suit the exact needs of the recipient – with the added bonus that it is often cheaper to create your own hamper than to buy a pre-created one!

The Hamper
The hamper doesn’t necessarily have to be the traditional wicker basket – it can be anything from an ordinary box which you decorate yourself through to a storage box which in itself can be used. Make sure you buy a hamper which will fit the goods – a hamper which is too small will not be able to contain all the Christmas goodies; a hamper which is too large will make you seem mean as there will be large gaps between the gifts.

The Filling
You will need to pack your Christmas hamper out with some filling. Cheap wrapping paper is a good idea – you can even reuse old wrapping paper. If you have a shredder (which isn’t a cross-shredder), you can shred colourful paper (such as magazines) into long strips to use as a filling.

You might also want to consider adding dried flowers, pot pourri or glitter to the top of the filling for added sparkle.

The Gifts
Now for the fun bit – filling the hamper with all your Christmas gifts! Naturally you’ll want to tailor your hamper to the person or people you are giving it too, however if you are stuck for ideas, here are some of the top Christmas hamper gifts on Checkout Spy:

Wine or beer: if you are doing several hampers, look for special offers around Christmas time
Chocolate: everyone loves chocolate! There are some fabulous chocolate gifts around, from the traditional chocolate bar through to chocolate santas or posh truffles.
Fruits: Want to go for a healthier option? Stock up on some exotic fruit such as papaya, mango and jackfruit. Your local Chinese or Asian supermarket will often carry unusual varieties of fruit or vegetable which will make a colourful, exciting hamper.
Tea, Coffee & Hot Chocolate: For the tea lover, go for a festive brew, perhaps tea with cinnamon flavourings. For coffee lovers, a rich breakfast coffee with real tang; For hot chocolate lovers, look for white hot chocolate for something a bit different. If you have room, also consider a cafetiere or some mugs.
CDs & DVDs: Not a traditional hamper gift, however a CD or DVD is the perfect size for a hamper.
Pets: if there are pets in the family, consider adding some festive pet treats or a pet toy.
Sweets: Little jars of old-fashioned sweets are lovely to look at and a joy to eat and are perfect for adding to your Christmas hamper.
Cosmetics: Perfect for ladies – cosmetics such as handcreams and moisturisers are a lovely addition to any Christmas hamper.
Home-made Gifts: Home made alcohol, cookies and chocolates are always popular so add a couple to your hamper!

The Decoration
Once you are happy with the way that you have filled your hamper, assuming you haven’t bought a closed box, you’ll need some cellophane to wrap the hamper in.

Once you have wrapped the hamper and secured it firmly, tie a big ribbon around it. If you want some extra pizzazz, add some glitter to the cellophane to really make it stand out.