Finished baskets!!

savingholmes

I've just made my first "birthday hamper" for a family member. A white cardboard self-assembly ikea storage box (suitable for CDs or small storage) as my hamper lined in red foil paper, a red glass plant pot, 12 ikea cream candles (had a box of 20 originally), a black leather purse, a hobby book, 3 small no 7 products, and a Rom-com DVD. Looks nice. Putting inside a much larger Ikea white box with lid also lined with red foil paper. Looks very nice. :j May add some chocs if I can find some suitable... but she's always on a diet so may not bother...:p

The ikea boxes alone are probably worth £12
the red pot is recycled
the cream candles approx £2
unused previous purchases black purse approx £2
Rom com DVD approx £4
hobby book approx £2
No-7 "younger" range approx £4 (part of a freebie if spent x got y free)

Total previous spend £24 - nice present, showing a bit more thought hopefully but not out of current budget!:T

Started a green and blue based birthday or Christmas hamper using a white basket that I bought at a charity shop unused as part of a set - £3 or £4 for set of 3. Lining with blue, gold and green foil strips (bought at Wilkos or The Works) for approx £1.

Have green glass dotted ridge bowl with shiny pebbles (recycled gift) worth approx £5
plus toiletries (free at hotel) worth approx £2
No 7 range approx £5 (part of previous freebie)
Turquoise on black thread necklace approx £2

Still need to add to this one poss DVD, chocs, mini wine or something like that...:D

I'm still thinking what others I can start... and put towards Christmas... I think some of the ideas on here are fab....

I've also used a clear lidded plastic box (sold by B&Q as a shoe box) that I got in the sales for £1 - lined with tissue paper and then put a load of craft stuff in - things I have collected and not used along the way including a T-shirt decorating kit... that I'm hoping my niece will like at Xmas... That's coming on well too! I think retail value would probably be approx £15-20 but won't cost me any new money. :j Even the tissue paper I got on special offer for approx 59p for a basic craft set at Wilko's last week....

Thanks everyone for the inspiration....:T :j :T

Any thoughts for birthday presents for my computer obsessed OH? He wants an HTC Touch phone for £150 but funnily enough has accepted that's not quite doable right now....

suebesue

rainmac wrote: »

sue, sit the basket/present on the cellophane facing you, bring the cello up above the basket at the front and behind (cut off what you don't need) and secure loosely with an elastic band, then 'faff' with the sides to make sure they are covered up. Move some of the longer cello from the front and back round the sides to cover them - secure with selotape. When you're happy, add the bow! Hope this makes sense!!!

Aw thank you for the explanation re cellophane - i have not been on the thread for ages and literally threw the cellophane over the pressy with some ribbon (yes i have the pictures to prove it ...!!!!!!:eek: and i fear it is nothing in terms of professionalism !! compared to others on this thread ) however my friend was really chuffed with the present and thats what matters :T ...unfortunately for me, cos i enjoyed doing this hamper so much i have decided to do all hampers for Christmas... for everybody.... ha ha ha, oh dear!

Am off on hols for a couple of weeks take care everybody
Suebesue

RustyFlange

Have a nice holiday suebesue

rainmac

Thanks suebesue, my explanatory pic makes me :rotfl: . It's rubbish isn't it!

mary43

rainmac - thanks for the diagram.............helps no end.........if you'd seen the pickle I got myself in when I wrapped MIL's you'd understand. I;d enough cellophane for two baskets..............lol

frozenpenguin

Hello, this is my first post and my very first hamper :wave:

I read about hampers in Martin Lewis's Thrifty Ways book and then ended up staying up one night til about 3am reading all the pages of this thread! (I was so engrossed I didn't realise what the time was...:o )

All of your hampers are amazing! I've become well and truly inspired by everyone's photos and did my first hamper for MIL's birthday last month. Me and my OH only had two weeks to think of something and I suggested a Steam Rally Survival Kit. My OH's family own vintage lorries and go to lots of steam fairs - MIL usually ends up spending a lot of time in the caravan on her own while the men are off playing lorries. I'm usually looking round the stalls for bargains...

OH did think doing a hamper would be (in his words) "a bit cheapskate" - when I suggested he go out and buy a present, he soon changed his tune and said he thought it would look okay and to carry on :rolleyes:

So this is what it looks like unwrapped...
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And wrapped up...
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It cost a grand total of £11.46 (not including the cellophane)

Small jigsaw puzzle £1 from charity shop (for when she's bored in the caravan)
Crossword puzzle book with pen £1.65 from Tesco (see above)
Book 21p from church jumble stall (see above again)
Big bag of strawberry and cream sweets £1 from local poundland style shop
Raspberry buscuits 60p from Ikea
Small bottle of Body Shop Peppermint Foot Lotion 25p from charity shop (to soothe tired feet after walking round steam rallies)
Carex anti-bacterial hand gel 97p from Tesco (it's incredible how dirty you get at a steam fair)
Face Wipes 58p (from a 4pack) from Ikea (see above)
Luxury face cloth £1.05 from Ponden Mill at Clarks Village Outlet Centre (see above again)
Happy Birthday teddy bear mug £1.24 from Hallmark Cards at Clarks Village Outlet Centre (so she can have her own special mug at rallies)
Malibu sun cream £1 from PoundLand (self-explantory)
Teddy bear hand puppet 50p from charity shop and we cheered him up with a nice bow - 8p ribbon from local sewing/craft shop (even though MIL is in her early 60's she's still got a thing about teddies!)

The basket was from Ikea, £1.33 from set of 3 and the tissue paper, ribbon and gift tag were from my bag of spare gift stuff at home.

The cellophane was from a local florists, 75p per metre - not sure if this is a good price or not! It seemed reasonable at the time, but then I only had a couple of days to find some! I'm gonna take a trip out to some local gardening centres and my local Craft Central store to see what sort of prices are available.

Really sorry about the long post - I'm just really chuffed that my first one turned out well! MIL was really pleased with it and even the OH had to admit it looked "alright I suppose" :rolleyes: x

Chris25

frozenpenguin, well done & welcome to the boards

mary43

frozenpenguin - hello and welcome -well done with your hamper.........some very thoughtful and useful pressies included there and the whole thing at a good price. :T

shaz_mum_of__2

Welcome frozen penguin

Lovely basket.....................love your quilt too.......................

Shaz

rainmac

Lovely basket of really useful stuff frozenpenguin

I bet this turns out to be your first of many hampers, making them is a bit addictive!