Make your own festive foodie gifts
Nothing says ‘thoughtful’ like a homemade gift, so why not skip the Christmas shopping rush this year and get cosy cooking up some pressies in the kitchen, instead.
Try out your baking skills with our easy edible festive gift ideas, we’re sure your friends and family will love.
Recipe in a jar gift
A recipe in a jar gift is super easy and cheap to make and is an ideal pressie for both kids and grown-ups.
This gift idea is perfect for the cookie lovers in your life and is suitable for aspiring or experienced bakers.
You will need:
- Large glass food storage jar
- Cookie recipe
- Cookie recipe dry ingredients
- Large gift tags
- Festive ribbons and bows
All you need to do is find your favourite cookie recipe. This can be online, from a cook book or you can use a treasured family recipe. For ours we’ve used a choc chip and nut cookie recipe.
We’ve used:
- Flour
- Brown sugar
- Cranberries
- Pistachios
- And choc chips
Simply, layer up the jar carefully as per the recipe, adding in all the dry ingredients, one after the other.
Write out your recipe on a gift tag with all the details of what the recipe is, what they need to add, and how long to bake it for. Our wilko jars have a tight seal and the ingredients will last for around a month... unless they're like us and want to enjoy the cookies straight away!
Finish off your gift in a jar with some personalised touches. We think adding festive ribbons and bows is the perfect finishing look for this yummy Christmas treat.
Top tip: Tie our mini rolling pin to the top of the jar to encourage the kids to get involved.
We like to give this gift just before Christmas, so it can be baked and enjoyed in December.
Mini baked gifts – perfect for token gifts
These mini gifts are the perfect way to say thank you to neighbours, teachers or colleagues. They’re easy to do and your pressie will mean more because it has a super personalised touch.
You will need:
- Mince pies (or festive treat of your choice)
- Cellophane wrap bags
- Festive ribbon and bows
To start you’ll need a tasty Christmas treat. We’ve used mince pies, but gingerbread cookies or shortbread would also work well.
Top tip – if you’re very short for time, you can always use shop bought; just sprinkle a little icing sugar on the top for that authentic home-baked look and no one will know the difference!
Add a few of your treats to your cellophane bags. We've used wilko 5 pack Christmas gift bags, as they have a gorgeous snowflake design that we love. Alternatively, you could use regular cellophane cut into circles and secured with some colourful festive ribbon, to get a similar effect.
Now it's time to decorate the bags and we think this is the fun part! Why not get the kids involved with adding festive decorations, such as ribbon or bows to finish the look. Let the kids write their names on the tags for that personalised touch that's sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.
We like to make these lovely mini gifts in batches and then deliver on the same day to spread our special yummy Christmas cheer! Be sure to advise your recipients to consume according to best before dates.
Home brew gifts
Homebrew gift sets make a great Christmas present, but are even better if you’ve done the legwork and brewed it for them – to make the perfect personalised gift.
If you start brewing their favourite tipple now you can deliver the perfect boozy gift just in time for Christmas eve! There's something for everyone in our huge home brew range, including wine, beer and cider as well as all the equipment you need. Budding wine tasters might enjoy creating their own Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay or rosé, while beer buffs can choose from a wide range of kits from a trendy IPA to a classic stout.
For a festive treat – why not brew your own red wine and add some Christmassy spices to make a mulled wine. It tastes at its best when served warm so advise your recipients to gently heat on the stove before drinking.
Top tip – tie some cinnamon sticks to the bottle so they can add them in when heating the wine.
Once your brew is ready add to glass bottles with a secure lid. We have a range of different sizes so you can make your brew go further by using smaller jars like our 500ml bottle for a single serving, while our 900ml bottles make the perfect gift for a couple.
Now add festive ribbon and a bow for the finishing touch. You can even go the extra mile by adding a personalised label.
If you’re feeling particularly generous, why not add even more punch to your present by adding a set of trendy glasses to enjoy their tasty tipple in!
We love the idea of making your own gifts this Christmas…
Are you planning on making and baking festive gifts this year? If so, we’d love to hear your tips for DIY gifts and see pics of your home-made pressies! Let us know on Facebook and Instagram.
For more Christmas inspiration visit our Christmas ideas and advice page.
