I Make All My Christmas Gifts Myself Now

I Make All My Christmas Gifts Myself Now – They Cost Less and They Last

5 reasons I'll never buy a ready-made Christmas hamper again

Woman with four filled Christmas hamper baskets and one folded flat

Woman filling a gingham basket with Christmas gifts at her kitchen table

1. Ready-Made Hampers Cost Too Much for What's Inside

Every year it's the same. A lovely hamper in the shop, a hefty price tag, and when you open it, half of it is cardboard and shredded paper. And the basket is so flimsy it goes in the recycling straight after Christmas.

Now I buy one beautiful basket and fill it myself. Her favourite wine, a candle, hand cream, a box of chocolates. Everything I put in, I choose for her. And I know exactly what I'm spending.

Sage gingham basket reused on the sofa for throws after Christmas

2. The Gift Gets Used Up. The Basket Stays.

The chocolates are gone in a week. The candle has burnt down by January. But the basket? That stays in her home for years.

In the car for snacks and the kids' bits. In the living room for throws. In the bathroom for towels. Every time she picks it up, she thinks of you. Wrapping paper can't do that.

Hand tying a red ribbon and gift tag onto a filled red plaid basket

3. No More Wrapping Stress

I'm terrible at wrapping. Wonky corners, never enough paper, Sellotape everywhere. With the basket, I don't have to.

Fill it, tie a red ribbon round the handles, add a tag. Done in five minutes, and it looks like it came from a gift shop. It's quilted and soft, with a ruffled pocket on the front – just right for a card or a gift voucher.

Basket features and dimensions: 32 x 25 x 26 cm, padded handles, folds flat, ruffle pocket

4. It Holds Far More Than You'd Think

From the outside it's a pretty little basket. Inside, it's roomy: about 32 × 26 × 25 cm. A bottle of wine fits upright, with a box of chocolates, a candle and a few little extras alongside.

After Christmas it goes straight in the washing machine. Not using it for a while? Fold it flat and slide it into a drawer.

Woman handing a filled gingham basket to her neighbour at the front door, more baskets waiting in the hallway

5. Early Black Friday: Buy 1 Get 1 Free – or Buy 2 Get 2 Free

I've been making my own Christmas hampers for a few years now. Every year the list gets longer: my mum, my sister-in-law, the teacher, the neighbour who always takes in my parcels.

That's why this offer is perfect. Choose Buy 1 Get 1 Free for two gifts for the price of one. Got a longer list? Choose Buy 2 Get 2 Free: four baskets for the price of two. Sort almost all your Christmas gifts in one go – with a gift that lasts.

Choose from prints like red plaid and gingham to soft florals. Free tracked delivery to Ireland and a 90-day money-back guarantee.