Copying shop bought gifts

tinselfairy

There have been lots of inspiring posts about home made hampers and hot chocolate gift sets that people have made and they have usually been cheaper than buying a ready made one from the shops.
This year I was given a beautiful black lantern with Christmas tree shaped windows and inside was a miniature bottle of balieys and a couple of chocolate, delish!
It was bought like it from a shop, but I realised how it could easily be made up and probably quiet reasonably priced too as so many Christmas items are vastly reduced just now.
Anyone get any gifts they think they could duplicate or has inspired them towards a gift idea for next year?

Luna69

I often do this or attempt to anyway. I made hampers this year, but they weren't what I'd planned due to one thing or another but I hope to be more organised next year and plan them now! Or as much as I can.
I did get a present from my brother and sister in law that I liked and could probaby easily be done... it was a stack of 4 nesting boxes, the largest one had a box of biscuits in it, next size was a box of mince pies, next was some toffees and the smallest one had some chocolate truffles in. They were stacked up and tied together with some lovely ribbon with a bow on top and looked really nice.
I've kept the boxes packed into each other, to re use next year or use individually for little hampers or gifts. I may keep a look out for nesting boxes to use next year and do different themed stacks for different people. I rarely get out to shops at the moment, but I know that Au Naturel used to sell those type of boxes. Probably could do it with different size baskets too.
Yvonne

rose_sparky

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I seem to be "hamper" obsessed at the moment and cannot go shopping without hamper contents in mind!

When I'm sitting on the psychiatrists couch I will blame you lot!!

polly5

Must say a after reading all the threads on here about these wonderful hampers you have all made ,I have started already a collecting box that I can use to collect small gifts (at bargain prices of course), baskets, trimmings, tissue paper etc, so Xmas 2007 will be very organised.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all for inspiring me

:hello: :hello: :hello: :hello: :hello: :hello: :hello: :hello: :hello:

hazzie123

I`m the same with the hampers this year,already bought £20 worth of smellies to put in.I`m going to do my own version for bottle of bubbley/boxed chocolates this year.Dunno why but I`m really excited already about christmas!

ambernora

I have already started to think of different hamper ideas that I can use for next christmas, already started shopping for them too

hilstep2000

I'm doing them next year too! I've bought a load of gifts in the Boots' sale, but I'll use them for birthdays!

Trow

Am I alone in having a real dislike for the gift sets tha come out at Christmas? I think they are overpriced and show a real lack of thought for the intended recipient - of course there are exceptions, where the gift is a token or the gift is one that the individual would really like - but it's not my thing I'm afraid, and I wouldn't want to copy them!

Having said that - I think some of the hampers people have made and shown here are amazing, and they are tailored for the person receiving it - and IMO is so much more than a shop bought gift set... much nicer than just copying what the shops do!

Gettin_me_own_back

Just come back from BandQ, bought some lovely sparkley gold and silver wire effect baskets. They had 4 different sizes, bought 4 large silvery ones at £2.29 each, also picked up some cheap silver tree decs to go inside. Looks like I will have more hampers next year than friends to hand them to.
I also bought 2 mini christmas trees, 49p each, will hang some nice chocolates on them and give them to nephews instead of selection boxes. SIL will be very pleased.
In case anyone is thinking of doing a DIY basket next year, they had loads of bits at £1 each.

tinselfairy

Trow wrote:

Am I alone in having a real dislike for the gift sets tha come out at Christmas? I think they are overpriced and show a real lack of thought for the intended recipient - of course there are exceptions, where the gift is a token or the gift is one that the individual would really like - but it's not my thing I'm afraid, and I wouldn't want to copy them!QUOTE]


I agree wholeheartedly that some of the gift sets that appear in shops for Christmas are dreadfully overpriced and can be full of useless bits and bobs.
Just sometimes though they can prove to be inspiring, an excellent example being the plastic boxes filled with sweets. They are definitely going to be gifts I will do for this Christmas.