With Christmas less than a week away my thoughts are starting to turn to Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. In the meantime, what better way to get into the Christmas foodie spirit than putting together a hamper full of your favourite treats, for a relative or friend? I love searching out tasty delicacies and so I’ve decided to share some hamper inspiration if you’d like to have a try at putting together your very own basket of goodies. I recommend curating your own hamper instead of buying a pre-made one – you get to choose items your friend will really appreciate and the process is so enjoyable!
Image Source: Fine Food Store
Apart from the yummy contents, hampers are great fun because you get to style up the food and drink you are presenting. Try using a vintage suitcase or bicycle basket instead of the more traditional picnic hamper. You could also recycle old biscuit tins or gift boxes. Prettify your hamper with ribbons or bows, perhaps hang a few Christmas decorations in the basket when you display it for it’s recipient. I’ve found that searching Christmas hamper on Ebay or Vintage Hamper on Etsy returns a great selection of inexpensive baskets to get you started.
Below are some of my favourite hampers and contents from across the inter-web. I’ll be posting the one I’ve made for my folks later in the week.
Image Source: Not On The High Street
If you’re stuck for where to start perhaps narrow down the types of food you want to include in your hamper – pick a country of origin (like the Spanish Hamper above) or include items that go towards making your friend’s favourite recipe. Of course there are also plenty of traditional Christmas items to choose from.
Image Source: Biscuiteers
Baking and decorating your own Christmas cookies and biscuits adds a personal touch to your Christmas hamper. Try displaying the biscuits in a retro tin, or purchase a vintage-style selection from Biscuiteers.
Image Source: Fortnum & Mason
There’s nothing like Fortnum & Mason for some swanky sophisticated style. Try using the initials of your hampers recipient on the basket instead of F&M. If you can’t afford to fill a chest this size, make a mini version with a few quality items – a nice wine and good cheese perhaps.
Image Source: A Quarter Of
Bring back memories of childhood with a hamper filled with retro sweets – think flying saucers, wham bars, sherbet dib-dabs!
Of course your Christmas Hamper need not contain food at all! Try creating a basket full of crafting goods or perhaps a personal hamper full of toiletries. Of course for the Vintage Stylist/Decorator perhaps put together a selection of vintage finds for transforming the home. Etsy, Folksy and NotOnTheHighStreet are great online market places for unique handmade and vintage items but since we’ve missed the posting deadlines now, if you’re putting something together for Christmas, head to your local independent boutiques, Christmas markets and even charity shops for original items.
Image Source: Oxfam Fashion Blog
Have a look at this great post on the Oxfam fashion blog about putting together your very own vintage knits hamper.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my round up of hamper ideas – remember this can be tailored for birthdays and other holidays too. I’d love to hear if you’ve ever made your own hamper present and what your favourite items to include are. I’ll be back with a post later in the week about hampers i’ve made.
