​Wicker hampers for Christmas

It's that time of year again when we start to think about creating beautiful handmade gifts for loved ones, especially with a real emphasis on home crafts and more sustainable, meaningful gifts that won't simply end up in landfill.

Wicker hampers have long been a traditional gift at Christmas and they are a lot of fun to make. What's more, they are also completely customisable to the recipient and you can set your own budget.

Stocking up on supplies

At Wares of Knutsford, we have a fantastic array of wicker hamper baskets, wicker shopping baskets, wicker trays... the list goes on! In fact, you'll find something to suit all needs and the beauty of these items is that they can be reused by your lucky recipient. For example, a wicker hamper will make a wonderful wicker picnic basket in the summertime, a shopping basket filled with beautifully decorated glass jars and gifts will be ideal for then becoming a regular shopper, and a tray filled with jams, jellies, homemade biscuits and more will then be extremely around the home for display purposes of more functional uses. Some of the wicker products that we sell are already lined with pretty fabrics to make them immediately usable, or you could create your own linings with fabric or tissue.

Why choose wicker?

Wicker is natural, timeless, eco-friendly and cost-effective. It also looks beautiful and will be an asset in the home long after the holiday season. Made from only woven natural fibres, wicker can last for years and it always looks lovely. Many people use wicker items to display floral displays, decorative items, potpourri or as pretty storage, and wicker looks particularly good in country-themed, vintage or coastal interior displays. There's always a spot for beautiful wicker in any home - and you can also regift baskets and hampers to make your own future gifts and keep the eco-friendly cycle of gifting sustainability going strong!

Ideas for filling your Christmas hampers

There are so many things you can put into your festive hampers and you can have a lot of fun making them too. Why not get the kids involved and make it a family affair? Gifts for friends and family will be all the more personal when they are handmade. Try:

- Filling jars with homemade coloured bath salts using Epsom salts, essential oils and some colouring.
- Making your own bath bombs and wrapping them in cello.
- Creating or buying beeswax moulds and placing them into recyclable and pretty kitchen beeswax wraps.
- Filling small gift boxes with handmade chocolate Florentines and decorating them with beautiful ribbons and tags.
- Making your own cookies, cakes and bakes - or filling glass jars with cookie ingredients and adding instructions for baking on a pretty tag.
- Filling small glass jars with handmade salves made from shea butter and your favourite essential oils for a natural, soothing skin or lip balm.
- Turning your hand at making your own chocolates with raw cacao, sugar and natural flavourings such as bourbon vanilla, hazelnuts and raisins - with a swig of rum!
- Making and pouring your own candles with beeswax or soy wax - check out our recent blog for tips and ideas to get started with this fun activity.
- Filling small glass jars with homemade mincemeat - an easy and fun project to begin now. You can easily make your own mincemeat with dried fruit, spirits of choice, spices and sugar, and it will only improve over time.
- Creating beautiful jams, jellies and chutneys. If you don't have any blackberry jam left from your recent batch of preserving, then try making a delicious chilli jam or a red onion chutney. You could gift these alongside artisan cheeses wrapped in beeswax, and homemade oatcakes for a really delicious Boxing Day treat.

Buying glass jars and wicker

Visit Wares of Knutsford, where we have updated our stocks to include plenty of new products in time for the festive crafty season. You'll find a range of wicker products and plenty of glass jars with all different types of lid, including screw and Mason. We also sell tags and other decorative items, as well as items in bulk if you are making beautiful handmade gifts for sale in your own small business.

Contact us

For any queries, please contact our team who will be delighted to help. We work hard to offer the finest quality products at the best prices and we really care about our customers and strive to give the best possible service at all times. Why not sign up for our newsletter to find out about the latest deals, news and promotions - or follow us on social media to keep up to date with everything new at Wares of Knutsford, including tutorials and plenty of festive gifting ideas.