I am on a mission but am unsure how to start off!Help!xx

smartsaver2011

Hi people,

I'm really proud of my OH today as he has finally listened to me about saving money and christmas (Hurrah!)

We are going to do hampers, for which there is a thread.

However...I am not sure where to get the baskets or gifts boxes from. They all range in price and really need something cheap and cheerfull! In regards to size just average really nothing light a F&M hamper!

Sorry to bother but cannot seem to find an answer!

Any help appreciated and then I can crack on with Christmas!

xx

loopylass

I am on the hunt for wicker baskets too and will be hitting a few places tomorrow
I have read before people have bought them from wilkinsons, poundland, ikea, poundstretcher those sorts of places so if i find any on my travels i will post where

Tracey2609

Some garden centres sell wicker baskets for flower arranging - but I'm not sure that they will be very cheap! Homebase sell wicker or woven baskets.

macma

Why not good quality storage boxes ? they then have another life.I did this for my daughter for several years the food was fab and the box went on to store stuff.We bought under bed (plastic) ok they weren't particularly attractive but they had so many more uses than a while attractive-not very functional wicker basket.I've got one in the garage now I occasionally gaze lovingly at it but I don't use it

fatblackandwhite

If you have a Dunelm near you they have some christmassy (Obviously) decoration storage boxes. They are flat packed and you have to 'build' them but when built they are just like large gift boxes from a card shop. You can recycle the middle storage bits. They even have handles and a lid (although I cannot get the large product sticker off my lid). YOu could even wrap the middle bits up and then they get a decoration storage box and a hamper!!

They had small (Way bigger than a shoe box), Medium (actually quite large) and large (mahoosive). The first two sizes were £2.99. Dont know about the biggest as I didnt check that one.

The site is down at the mo or else I would find a pic for you. They are gold, silver or red and have hearts and gingerbread men on.

midnightraven3

for my childrens hampers, and 2 gardening ones i bought these
someone posted on here about them (sorry i cant remember who)
they have 2 carrying handles and ideal for children afterwards

http://groceries.asda.com/asda-estore/search/searchcontainer.jsp?trailSize=1&searchString=tub&domainName=Products&headerVersion=v1&_requestid=147192

its a rubbish picture on the site, but i think you will know what they are
like these but smaller (but not too small)
http://www.wickes.co.uk/soft-bucket/invt/160179/

they do them in red silver blue & pink

karren

what about getting a cardboard box, and then using samples of wallpaper to cover that go with thier deco? thats my plan as free then, and tasteful.

beerqueen

I used to look out for suitable sized boxes being chucked out by the supermarket and then cover with Christmas paper. I then put a layer of scrunched up newspaper in the bottom with another piece of Christmas paper over the top so you could sort of nestle the contents in amongst it to stop them all just rolling around. I've also begged some straw or hay in the past from a friend who keeps horses to put in the bottom. And one time when I was making a few smaller ones up, I bought some cat litter trays in Poundland!! I think they had red ones for two for £1 and they did the job too!

rosalie-lavender

I have bought wicker baskets in the 99p shop so it is worth having a look round the poundshops/99p shops. I also agree a cardboard box covered in paper looks quite good.

krlyr

You can find free patterns to print onto paper, card, etc. (saw one in the Freebies forum recently) so you could buy some decent thickness card, print patterns onto it and make your own boxes. Shred coloured tissue paper to line it and perhaps wrap in cellophane afterwards.
Charity shops could be worth checking - I did a "luxury" bath set for a Secret Santa at work - bought homemade bits from Folksy (website for homemade crafts), found a wicker basket for 99p in a charity shop, shredded tissue paper and wrapped with cellophane and a bow. The recipient was really impressed - they thought it was from Lush at first (which is what I was hoping for, as I knew they were a Lush fan). The same amount of stuff probably would have cost double from Lush and only come in a cardboard box.

Alternatively, find something that will double up as a gift. If you're gifting household decorations (e.g. my mum and uncle gift each other Christmas decorations), stack them inside a vase and the vase doubles up as a present. Storage boxes, as mentioned, then go on to have another use. Canvas tote bags can be bought cheaply off Ebay and customised with fabric paints or pens - everyone gets a Christmas bag with gifts and can use the bags again in the future.
Or for a useless but gimmicky way - get to your local carpet shop and see if they have any inner cardboard tubes going free. Saw into smaller lengths, put the gifts inside (pad out with tissue paper, especially if there's anything delicate or likely to leak if squeezed) and use wrapping paper to make a giant Christmas cracker!

Gleek

If you want specifically wicker baskets, B&Q had them on sale a bit ago, not sure if there'd be any left.

Alternatively, anything will do - my grandad's tea hamper is in a box cut to size and wrapped in Christmas paper inside and out.