Lessa54's crazy Christmas hampers

[Lessa54]

For various reasons, money is a bit tighter this year and as my crafty bug has come back with a vengeance, I came up with the bright idea of doing hand made hampers for my parents, my hubby's parents, my brother and his wife, and my hubby's sister and her husband. Grand total of 4 hampers....

Each hamper will have the following:

A small pot of homemade rhubarb and ginger jam
A pot of homemade spiced pumpkin chutney
2 bottles of homemade christmas beer
A set of 4 hardanger coasters
A set of 5 general handmade cards (doing two different designs so don't get bored)
A set of 5 handmade christmas cards

There may be some top ups depending on the people receiving (for example I'm adding some spare material to my hubby's sister's and BIL's hamper as she does home made bunting).

Anyway, this is how far I've got:

Jam - done


1 set of coasters done



First 10 general cards done (so that's two sets of 5 )

[rcperryls]

Can I get on your Christmas list? They are all going to love your gift. Homemade are always the best and yours is wonderful. Doesn't matter why you decided to go this route, it is so much better than bought!

Carole

[karen4bells]

Can I get on your Christmas list? They are all going to love your gift. Homemade are always the best and yours is wonderful. Doesn't matter why you decided to go this route, it is so much better than bought!

Carole

I totally agree!!! What a fantastic gift!!

[backafteradozenyrs]

Can I get on your Christmas list? They are all going to love your gift. Homemade are always the best and yours is wonderful. Doesn't matter why you decided to go this route, it is so much better than bought!

Carole

I'll 3rd's that (if there even is such a thing)

[Rose]

That is a great idea!!!!!!!

[tiffstitch]

That is excellent!! What a great idea for everyone.

[dwitt]

Love that idea for christmas presents. I always feel that homemade gifts mean so much more than going out and just buying stuff. Your family is going to everything!!!!!!!

[geekishly]

What lovely gifts. I am sure they will be a huge success.

[agi]

Such a fantastic idea, and so much work!

[MaggieM1750]

I am doing this too!
Found a lot of my ideas and inspiration on Pinterest.
Yes.. Hello my name is Maggie and I cannot stay out of Pinterest.

I've made about half of my items- spaghetti sauce and salsa. Strawberry jam and orange cranberry marmalade. I have yet to get my apples this year- maybe I'll make pie filling/ice cream topping with those. If I get myself together, I could maybe still squeeze in peaches.

I am getting together with a few girlfriends for a jar party. We're making a bunch of those gift in a jar type things- soups, chai tea, hot chocolate, cookie mixes.
I am also going to make a jar of air freshener- dried orange peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves, pine.. throw it into a pot of water and boil on your stove top. House smells like the holidays!

[Squirrel]

What creative people you are thinking up all these wonderful ideas for Christmas gifts. Amazing.

[Rose]

I am also going to make a jar of air freshener- dried orange peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves, pine.. throw it into a pot of water and boil on your stove top. House smells like the holidays!

Is there a recipe or instructions for your air freshener as I would love to make some of those this year.

[MaggieM1750]

Sort of.. but not really.
Use wide mouth pint sized jars, to fit the orange peels better
Then just fill it with a little of this and a little of that. Whatever you like.

Whole cloves and all spice, nutmeg (I think whole nutmeg is expensive)
Cinnamon Sticks
Dried Lemon, Oranges and Apples
Ginger Root

Bay Leaf
Mixed evergreen snips
Rosemary

Thats it. Fill the jar. Make it pretty. Give it away.
It's one of those simple things you never think to do.
Heres the link to the website I pinned it from
http://www.tatteredsisters.com/2011/10/ ... pices.html" target="_blank

[Rose]

Thank you!!!!!!

[Lessa54]

Maggie, can we swap hampers? Your hampers sound yummy

An update on progress with mine.

Second set of coasters done


Second design of general cards done too



The beer is also made and is settling in its bottles

[karen4bells]

Wow!!! Beautiful work!!

[Squirrel]

Great updates on the hampers, you are getting them together so well.

[Rose]

Awesome!!!!!!

[mig-3]

Great idea. Flawless execution as always.

Pumpkin chutney... Yum. I haven't had that since 1987. I was stationed in Vaihingen, (West) Germany and had made friends with a young lady stationed at RAF Mildenhall. She served homemade pumpkin chutney over a candlelit dinner.

I must be in old fart mode tonight.

[rcperryls]

Fantastic update. Those hampers are definitely going to be big hits!

Carole