My mum’s birthday is coming up soon and last week I was asking her what type of gift she would like. She surprised me by saying that her favourite present is the same one I give her on Mother’s Day, at Christmas and for some birthdays – a bundle of her favourite tasty treats.
I usually buy a lovely gift bag, or pick up a Christmas stocking from a charity shop, or hunt out a basket that I can reuse and make up a hamper myself. That way I can be sure that my mum gets all of her favourite brands of chocolates, biscuits and other tasty treats in one bundle.
Likewise, my brother really appreciates a similar gift I make for him on special occasions – I usually create a themed treat bag of American candy from a specialist sweetshop near to us. As a fan of Americana, it’s a bit of treat to tuck into Twinkies and Baby Ruth bars.
That’s what make’s this gift so special – you can truly personalise it to the person’s interests and preferences. It makes your loved one feel extra cared for if you’ve taken notice of their favourite treats and have shopped around to find the ideal items to fill a custom-made hamper for them.
But what if your friend is an Aussie expat and is missing their old favourites from back home? It can be tricky to source something from the other side of the globe, especially if you don’t want to buy in bulk and just want to gather together a selection of their all-time faves.
Thankfully, there are companies out there where you can source Australian hampers for UK delivery, packed full of Australian confectionery and savoury snacks, including the classic Vegemite, Cheezels and tasty TimTams. That’s the kind of things our Manchester-based Australian friends would want to bring back from home but that they find hard to get in England.
With many Australians living in the UK, Snack Box Hampers started up this ‘care package’ service to satisfy all the Aussie expats and they pride themselves on offering a great price – you can send Australian food hampers with delivery included to the UK for less than AU$50 (at the current exchange rate, that’s under £23GBP to be exact!) – making it a thrifty option when you’ve got an Aussie’s birthday coming up.
Another idea is to give a movie fan a gift bag full of cinema snacks, along with a DVD of a classic film. A while ago, I made my friend a little pack that contained everything she would need for a move night including her favourite film The Wizard of Oz and some retro sweets from our childhood.
Because we live far apart, I chose lightweight items and a smaller-sized big bag so that I could easily pop it in the post to her and she’d know I was thinking of her.
Also, a customised gift hamper doesn’t have to just be filled with foodie treats. I’ve previously shared a blog post full of ideas for creating a ‘pamper hamper’ and a gift basket for gardeners. Plus, here’s another article where I’ve made a new baby bundle box for my friend when she was expecting, so be sure to check out those article for more thrifty gifting ideas too.
See, a hamper really is a great option for every occasion – newborns, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, wedding anniversaries and so on. There’s no limit to the themes you can use to create a gift bag to suit their preferences and interests.
And it doesn’t have to cost a lot either – packs of sweets, small gifts and tasty little treats are usually low-cost but, when grouped together, look really impressive. The key to creating a present that feels opulent is to fill the basket, bag or hamper with delicate tissue or shredded paper before laying in the items, and then finish it all off with a bow for that final flourish.
Let me know in the comments below what you would want to receive in a gift hamper, I’d love to hear your ideas for a themed basket of treats or your favourite bundle of snacks. Plus, please share if you’ve made up your own personalised gift bag for a friend or family member, I’d love to hear what they thought of the gift you created.
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