​Labels Make All The Difference In Presentation

We can put it off no longer - we are now on the final straights towards the festive season and for all of us, no matter how much we might shudder at having to draw up a gift list and think about what to buy for uncle Frank or cousin Julie, or what to add to the office Secret Santa, it’s time to think about Christmas. 

With 2019 dominated by talk of a climate emergency and with so much media attention focused on plastic waste and over-consumption, it can be hard to get into the festive spirit, if we are in any way unsure that our gifts will be well received.

One way to cut down on waste and over-consumption without turning into Scrooge is to give homemade gifts this year, instead of shop-bought ones. Homemade shows that you care about what you give, that you’ve taken time to make the things that you are giving and that you want to ensure that your gifts will be used and appreciated, not just tossed to the back of a cupboard or listed on eBay on Boxing Day!

With that in mind, we thought that in today’s blog post, we’d offer up a few suggestions for some great Christmas gift ideas, as well as suggesting ways to make those homemade treats look their absolute best and at least as impressive as the shop-bought alternatives.

Jam Jars To The Ready

One of the easiest things to make to give as a Christmas gift is jam or marmalade. Of course, Seville oranges are just coming into season so a big batch of chunky shredded marmalade is an ideal choice. However, if you are planning to give your marmalade or jam to friends and family as a Christmas gift, you can’t really just wrap up a couple of jam jars of the stuff and hope for the best.

As the title of the blog suggests, presentation is everything when it comes to homemade gifts, so take some time to think about what kind of jam jars you’ll use and then browse our range of labels for jam jars to ensure that your gift is shown off to best effect.

If you can, why not make three different flavours of jam or marmalade and pop them in a presentation box or bag (we stock those too!)? For marmalade, try traditional Seville orange marmalade alongside lime marmalade and grapefruit marmalade. For jam, why not try a traditional strawberry jam, as well as a blackberry and apple jam and a good old-fashioned plum jam?

Our range of labels for jam jars has ones that are specific to the type of jam being made, as well as labels that are rather more generic but no less attractive and appealing.

More Ideas For Those Jam Jars

If you have plenty of jam jars and plenty of enthusiasm, why not go all out and make a batch of three tangy alternatives for those on your gift list who prefer pickles and chutneys to jams and marmalades? A straightforward tangy chutney is always welcome and you could team this with a jar of piccalilli and a jar of pickled onions, or perhaps a red onion relish and a chilli jam. All of these will go very nicely alongside a plate of cheeses or cold meats, so will probably be started and appreciated on Boxing Day, if you give them as Christmas gifts! 

Presentation Tips From The Pros

As we’ve already said, when it comes to wowing your friends and family with your homemade gifts, presentation is everything. This is the perfect time to explore our extensive range of labels for jam jars, as well as our ribbons and trims and our presentation gift boxes and bags. All of these add a little something to the overall effect and, together with your sensational home preserves, they’ll guarantee that yours are the gifts that everyone talks about over Christmas.

And you’ll have done your bit for the planet too, by not buying lots of expensive items that are probably unwanted and that will end up at the back of the drawer or cupboard. Instead, you’ll put a smile on everyone’s face and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that your gift will be gone in a jiffy, hoovered up by an eager bunch of gift recipients! All of those used jam jars will find their way back to you, in all likelihood with some cheeky requests for refills!

Are you planning to make all of your own Christmas gifts this year? If you have got some cracking ideas and you’d like to share them with us, get in touch with us via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and share your stories and photos. We love hearing from our friends and customers and seeing all the amazing home preserves and creative crafts you all produce, so feel free to send us your pics.