A Handmade Christmas

It's no wonder why I was so ready for a rest over Christmas - I had been making and baking Christmas presents since October for family and friends. This year - homemade Christmas Hampers!

Another satisfying, simple and cheap item to make. It does take a little forward planning but you can feel smug due to the early start made, as your chutneys are maturing in the cupboard you can pop your feet up and avoid that last minute gift buying panic!

I saw a lot of hampers and foodie gifts in the shops this Christmas, and they are expensive for what they are - even buying the products separately and simply popping them in to a pretty basket is more cost-effective, and gives that personal touch too that only a handmade gift can bring (a great way around this if your cooking skills are not the best!)

Homemade Christmas Hamper

I totted up how much I spent overall, including all of the ingredients, jars, baskets, labels etc. and it worked out at £8.77 per hamper, a bargain! Especially when compared to the £20 plus ones on the High Street. And they didn't look too shoddy, even if I do say so myself!

My hampers included:

Orange Marmalade
Sweet Chilli Jam
Apple and Cranberry Chutney
Christmas Biscotti

I got most of the recipes from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/edible-gift a great resource for edible gifts for any time of year.

The best bit was turning up at my sister's on Boxing Day and seeing that the hamper had been opened and wares sampled (and ultimately enjoyed) already. I just need to think of something for next Christmas now...it's never too early! xx