A Valentine's Day Hamper

Piecing Together a Thoughtful Collection of Gifts for Your Special Someone

by Kendra Clark

Image courtesy of Shawnee Wilborn on Unsplash

This year, Valentine’s Day might be slightly different from your regular annual celebrations. With the restrictions in place now and throughout all of last year, relationships have definitely been tested. Because of this, this year would be the perfect year to create a personalised handmade hamper for your significant other to show just how much they mean to you and how well you know them. Hampers are a really nice gift to both make and receive and they don’t have to be as expensive as a nice piece of jewellery or a fancy watch. So why not take advantage of this lockdown and make something creative for someone you care about? This would also be a really nice thing to make for a parent, sibling or a friend who is struggling at the moment and it can be as cheap as you like it to be.

Something Cosy

The first staple of your hamper should be something cosy and fluffy, to keep them warm this winter. If you’re looking for something that isn’t too expensive, stick with some cosy socks or some fluffy pyjamas. Something a little bit more mid-range price wise, would be some nice joggers or a jumper blanket, a jumper blanket is perfect for someone who is always cold and loves being all wrapped up and cosy. The thought and effort of making a gift hamper is the most important thing and is what whoever is receiving your hamper will love most, but if you really want to splash out for someone who loves comfort, some Ugg slippers is perfect for any girl.

Something personalised

It’s always nice receiving something that’s personalised as it shows how well the person knows you. For under £20 on Etsy you can get a custom Spotify plaque or a custom keychain for under £5 of their favourite song which they will treasure forever. This is perfect for a music lover or someone who has a very special song to them. Another personalised gift idea is a name necklace, which are available on Etsy for under £15. Of course you can get all these things much more expensive, but hampers are meant to have a few things in them so don’t spend too much on one single thing!

Something to encourage self-care

Self-care can mean different things to different people and it’s important that people take care of themselves, especially the ones you love. Basic self-care gift ideas are face masks, a nice water bottle, a body scrub, candles or bath bombs, all of this you can get very cheap. To spice this up a bit, you may want to have a look at bath bombs and candles that contain rings in the middle of them. These are easily available through a quick google search and it’s much more exciting than a regular bath bomb or candle.

Something for the both of you to do together

Although there may not seem like an endless amount of date ideas when we’re in lockdown, there are some, and why not plan for the future? A simple but sweet addition to your hamper could be a scratch off poster for date ideas or movies that you could watch together. This is perfect for indecisive people who can never choose movies or restaurants! Another, much more expensive thing you could add would be a booking for a weekend away glamping in one of those luxurious glamping pods. This would be a great thing to do once restrictions are lifted and the weather is much nicer.

Something sweet

You probably know your significant others favourite sweets and snacks better than anyone so this is a really easy and cute idea. However if you want to go the extra mile whilst still staying cheap, you should get a personalised chocolate bar with their name or a sweet message on it.

Something for them

Of course this whole hamper is for them, but I’m talking about something more personal which would link to their hobbies or just something that you think they would enjoy. Whatever their hobbies are, a gift aligning with them would go down really well. Some suggestions are a cookbook, some protein powder, a nice plant or a book that has good reviews. This type of gift shows that you don’t have to spend an absurd amount of money on gifts to get them something they like, and it also shows how well you know them.

Piecing it all together

If you’re the crafty type, this will probably be the most fun part of making a gift hamper, but if you aren’t, it could be your worst nightmare. Either way, here are some ideas to get you started and inspired because the presentation is important. Obviously you need something to put your gifts in but this is just the base of a hamper and doesn’t have to be the nicest thing in the world. A simple box or basket will do just make sure you buy this last so you know that it’s big enough for all your gifts to fit into. Next, fill this with some type of confetti or tissue paper, red and white would go best to match the Valentine’s theme. This may seem tedious and unimportant but make sure you arrange the gifts neatly with the larger things being at the back standing up or lying flat down at the bottom. You could even add a bow to go the extra mile but they’ll probably be much more interested in what’s inside. To finish your perfect hamper off, make sure you get them a nice card along with some of their favourite flowers.