Yes, we know what some of you are likely thinking: isn’t it still slightly early for us to be providing homemade festive-season hamper advice? That may seem the case, but with the cost-of-living crisis having reportedly led many Britons to spread out their Christmas spending over a longer period than they might have once done, we don’t think it’s too early at all. 

In any case, it can be good to prepare as early as possible for certain things – especially if you are interested in assembling your own Christmas hampers, and therefore need to gather a lot of essential materials together. You won’t want to risk finding yourself short of certain crucial items at the last minute. 

Below, we have outlined some of the steps that the Shredded-Paper.co.uk team would advise you to take now, in order to ensure your homemade hampers make the right impression on 25th December. 

Decide on themes for your Christmas hampers 

We’ve included this tip first, for the simple reason that the theme you choose for a hamper will inform and guide you with the rest of your hamper shopping and preparation. Plus, a big part of the point of putting together your own Christmas hampers is surely the opportunity to personalise them in special ways for the intended recipient. 

The actual theme that you choose for a given hamper doesn’t have to be something overly complicated. If you’re assembling a hamper for someone who loves their four-legged furry friend, for instance, a dog or cat-themed hamper could do the job nicely. Or if the intended recipient is on the green-fingered side, a gardening-themed hamper is sure to be well-received. 

Start getting together the items to include in the hamper 

Even if you’re merely grabbing a few products for now rather than trying to purchase everything that will go into a given hamper, doing so at a relatively early stage will enable you to have some fun with it. As part of this, you will be able to be opportunistic in grabbing some quirky items or bargains from places like the local Sunday market. 

And as we touched on above, the theme that you decided on for each hamper will guide you. A hamper for a garden lover, for example, could contain the likes of a hand tools gift set, some garden gloves, and some seeds and bulbs. Or a hamper intended for someone who adores their cat could feature a catnip toy and some well-chosen cat treats, among other feline-related offerings. 

Stock up on the materials that will protect the contained items 

So much of skilful Christmas hamper assembly is about knowing how to get the protective packaging elements right. You might choose to put each item into a small cellophane bag, for instance, and tie it up with jute twine. Other products that are to be included in the hamper, you may arrange to have wrapped in brown paper, with a colourful bow added. There are just so many fun possibilities. 

And of course, our own shredded paper can play a big role, too. In fact, our Yuletide store at Shredded-Paper.co.uk is already open. This means you have the chance right now to replenish your supplies of Christmas hamper kraft filling paper in more-or-less any colour or cut you like. 

The shredded paper in our range looks great – adding to the presentational quality of your hamper when the recipient opens it – and is an excellent all-round protective packaging material. It is tougher than tissue paper, for example, but also an environmentally friendlier option than bubble wrap. 

So, when you are on the lookout for the optimal Christmas hamper kraft filling paper over the coming weeks and months, why look further than our own online store? It’s worth remembering, too, the free delivery that we offer to most UK mainland postcodes.