Homemade DIY gift hamper ideas on a budget

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If you’re looking for budget-friendly gift ideas then you’ll love my themes for a DIY homemade hamper. Hampers can be such a lovely way to show someone that you know them well by gathering all of the things that they love into a basket. But, on the contrary, they can also be a great gift for someone that you don’t know so well, because if you fill them with tasty treats they’re bound to go down a treat anyway.

However, pre-prepared hampers can be very expensive and most of the time it’ll be significantly cheaper to make your own – whether it be from store-bought items or homemade treasures.

To really shop on a budget, shop year-round during seasonal sales, and if it’s a Christmas hamper, use the January sales the previous year to buy cheap hamper basket kits and festive non-perishables (like candles, Christmas mugs, festive bath bombs, tree ornaments etc) – storing them away for the following year. The Boots after Christmas sale is also fantastic for creating a pamper hamper – with lots of reduced beauty and bath products.

Don’t forget to make the most of selling pages, charity shops and second-hand websites too – it’s easy to pick up new or nearly new bits for a fraction of the cost that you’d have paid originally, without compromising on the condition or the quality.

You could also re-use baskets given to you, opt for cheaper gift boxes or bags instead, or pop to the florist for cheap cellophane wrap (through using recyclable gift-wrap is more eco-friendly!). Tie with a lovely ribbon, or a homemade decoration, and you have a fantastic personalised and thoughtful gift.

Here are lots of different theme ideas for your homemade DIY gift hamper on a budget…

Travel theme

Obviously I would have to start off the hamper themes with my favourite thing of all – travel! If you know a travel-lover then here are some ideas for a travel themed gift hamper, with things for him, her and the kids! You could add in:

Gardening theme

Hampers can be easily themed to suit the recipient’s interests. A few years ago, I made a gardening hamper for my father-in-law who wanted to start a vegetable patch, and it was well received. For a keen gardener, you could include:

Consumable treats

Buying edible treats with your supermarket reward points can be a great way to fill a food hamper on a budget. But budget stores, like Aldi and Lidl, also have some fantastic seasonal options at affordable prices – so you can make a really full hamper without the high cost of a pre-prepared equivalent. And, if you’re a keen cook, you could make some of these goodies from scratch too. Consider things like:

Seasonal fruits
Cheeses, with crackers and chutney
Chocolates or sweets
Festive foods – Christmas cake / pudding, mince-pies, gingerbread cookies or shortbread
Speciality coffees or teas
Hot chocolate mix with marshmallows and a mug
Mulled wine or a craft beer selection
Miniature bottles of spirits or liqueurs
A collection of spices or exotic cooking ingredients

Christmas goodies

You could create a hamper filled with winter and Christmas themed treats. As I mentioned above, this theme can be a good one for a small budget, since you can easily pick up some of these things inexpensively a year in advance in the January sales. You could include:

Wellness and relaxation

You might want to base your hamper goodies around a ‘spa’ type theme, giving your recipient a pamper-package full of wellness and relaxation items. If you know them well, you might want to throw in a homemade gift coupon for an afternoon of babysitting too, so they can enjoy their hamper in peace! This can be a great gift for Mother’s Day – to help a busy mum relax. Think about:

Bath bombs or bath salts
Aromatic candles or essential oils
Cozy socks or a soft blanket
Relaxing herbal teas
Soothing skincare products or face-masks
A book or magazine
Chocolates

Cooking theme

If your recipient is a keen cook, then why not go all out on a cooking themed hamper full of useful items that they can enjoy using in their kitchen. You could add things like:

Herbs and spices
An apron
Oven mitts
Speciality cooking ingredients
Recipe cards or a cookbook
Gourmet cooking sauces or condiments
Novelty tea towels
Cupcake cases
Baking ingredients
Cake decoration items
Cookie cutters

Homemade theme

Even if your budget is small, if you’ve got a skill, why not make something personal to give this Christmas for the ultimate homemade DIY hamper? You could get the kids involved, and with the amount of rain we have here in the UK it could be a good way to keep busy in the warm too. Consider:

Hand-knitted scarves, blankets or throws
Homemade candles or soaps
Custom artwork or crafts
Jars of homemade jams, preserves or sauces
Personalised photo albums or scrapbooks
Home-cooked baked goods
Ornaments
DIY cookie or cake mixes in mason jars

Games and entertainment

A hamper can be a great way to make one gift for a whole family too – so you might want to include things to keep everyone entertained. Or, make something just for the kids to keep them busy over the winter months. Think about:

Board games
Card games
Puzzle books or brain teasers
A movie night package with snacks, DVDs or a streaming service gift card
Children’s craft items and activities
An escape room game
Colouring or activity books
Books or novels
Music CDs or playlists

Other theme ideas

There are lots of other themes that you could base your homemade DIY gift hamper on, so think about your budget, who you’re buying for and what their interests are – then let the ideas flow and be creative! Here are some more possible themes:

Reading
A particular sport
A football club
Movies
DIY
Grandparent themed goodies
Make-up, nails or hair-care
Cleaning (check this one won’t be offensive 😂 but my sister-in-law loves to clean – she asked for cleaning products one Christmas so we made her a cleaning theme gift-bag of goodies and she loved it!)
Arts and crafts
Picnic items
A car wash kit
Gaming
Children’s hobbies
Travel
Music
Memories