4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[missuscluck]

I know some of you are making for Christmas hampers. I have been looking at what to put my goodies in. I was thinking jute bags or baskets. What does everyone else use and has anyone come accross anything good that would do the job either on the net or in the shops.

[Lesley]

I buy baskets whenever I see them and this year I bought some jute bags which hold 3 jars of jam from a stall on the Farmers' Market (she sold me 10 as a favour as they use them to sell their own jam and the minimum order is quite high)

 

I know Christian has bought stuff from somewhere which doesn't have a minimum order........he'll be back next week..........

 

My containers usually find their way back to me - sometimes full (of new goodies) and sometimes empty

[Cinnamon]

I bought nice jute bags on ebay last year. They were just the right size to hold all the goodies & I thought it would encourage the recipients to re use the bags at the supermarket

 

They also did dyed bags in lovely bright colours,which I may go for this year.

 

I bound the handles together with some really pretty raffia,& added a sprig of holly - I must say that they looked really nice

 

I noticed that Tesco had some super bags made out of recycled plastic,in Cath Kidston prints too

[missuscluck]

Grrr. I have just spent the evening making my own bags from hessian. I bought the hessian earlyer in the year to make small bags with for my honey. I made a prototype and left it, thnking I would make more closer to the time.

After a very poor honey harvest there is no honey to give for presents, so I have made a few bags in appropriate sizes to suit out of the hessian.

Thay are lovley but they were a compleat pain in the bum to make. My sewing machine is still wailing nooooooo.....and I have broken 2 needles.

Never again will I attempt to make anything out of a sack.

[Lesley]

Oh dear Lynda - I've nearly killed my sewing machine so many times by trying to sew unsuitable things.......

 

You could just cut the hessian into circles and tie with raffia?

 

I'm hoping to have a little honey this weekend.....I put some unwired foundation in so that I could make cut comb this year to use for presents

[missuscluck]

Oh yes. Cut comb is lovley. We have given it as presents before. We have also done it as a chunk floating in clear honey which was also good. I have seen it done like that in shops selling for a price!! Im sulking about my honey still.

 

I have got up refreshed after last nights trauma and am now pleased with my handiwork after a good nights sleep. This is a picture of the one I made for my non existant honey.

 

 

This is going to some friends with a jar of honey and a jar of jam in. They wont mind that the honey is set and crystalised at the top!! (not fed up at all really )

 

I have made some more last night in the same vain in various sizes but with no bee on. Some of them have blue gingham handles. I have now run out of hessian. Mrcluck asked me if I would like some more getting.

 

Think ill buy them next time.

[Karen & co.]

Your bag is lovley Lynda Could you use course linen instead of hessian? or un-dyed denim both might be easier to sew.

 

Karen x

[chickencam]

They may have been a pain to make but they are lovely

[missuscluck]

Thankyou Karen, the linen sounds a good idea. That would do the trick without the grief.

[Seagazer]

Lovely bag

[Lesley]

I love the bag!

[Maccbean]

I bought some bags for my business which I hoped to print on (but it didnt work) from Midpac, they were £7.00 plus VAT for ten bags (plus P&P, sorry cant remember how much), but I thought they were a bargain.

 

http://www.midpac.co.uk/shop/jute-bags/natural-jute/250mm-natural-jute_2623.htm

 

Cheers

Debbie

[missuscluck]

Thankyou for that link. They have lots of good stuff. You have to register for them to calculate your postage costs. Ill register later and see how much they are charging.

[BeckyBoo]

That's a great site thanks for that. If anyone is making hampers and is running out of jars, I've got people on Freecycle saving baby food jars for me. Stage 4 (which is when baby is about 10 months old) is a really good size big enough to get a decent amount but not too big that you use everything in one jar.

I'm going to accost the mums at school on Monday too and ask them for more as I'm running out again, but anyway, an easy and cheap way to jar your preserves AND keep the jars out of landfill (not everyone recycles!)

 

Mrs B

[Jules.]

What a lovely bag

 

Mrs Bertie what a great idea!

[Christian]

I am back from holiday and HAD to mark all forums read as it was too much to plod through.

 

Funny how Lesley knew I would notice this thread! Christmas Hampers is a thread I would never miss!!

 

 

I know Christian has bought stuff from somewhere which doesn't have a minimum order........he'll be back next week..........

 

 

I bought green paper bags in the end similar to the ones on Debbies link above. Dark green with twisted handles. I bought 75 of them! Won't run out for a while.

 

Still trying to source hessian/jute bags big enough. Might be pming you Lynda. That bee bag is wonderful.

 

I saw these on a website and really like them. Simple to make I would think. I have a sewing machine, but am not very good with it yet.

 

 

Any tips or anyone closeby that fancies giving me a crash course? Snowy??

[missuscluck]

Hi Christian. Welcome back from your hols.

 

Those little bags are cute. I dont think they would be too hard to make.

 

When we went to the Lakes the cottage we stayed in had those stuffed hearts hanging on the backs of some of the doors.

I loved them and have had it on my 'to do' list to make some. I have a tin of very old buttons donated to me and I thought these would make ice embelishments on them. I need to get out and find some pretty fabric.

 

Thankyou for reminding me and inspiring me. Im not in a great rush to sew hessian again though. Perhaps as Karen suggested some heavy natural linen would be just as good.

 

What would you put in those bags though?? They dont look very large. Cant see jars of jam clunking about in them. Far too delicate. Bath salts/soap may be. I cant think of anything foody.

[Cooks]

your all so clever, I feel such a failure...