​Last week was a bits and bobs week.

I washed a load of fabric that was stored in my shed. It was in a box, all nicely sealed up, but it smelled stale, and it was a sunny day, so into the washing machine it went with a cup of white vinegar and then onto the line to dry in the sunshine. It smells so fresh and lovely now, and it's ready to be used.

I kept up with the dishcloths when I was sitting of an evening. This keeps my hands busy, and fills the present box at the same time. 

I tried a different style of kitchen towel, using tea towels and pot holders from my stash. They're quick to make but double the price of the style I usually do, so I'll think about whether or not I'll continue with them.

In the kitchen I gave the vanilla bottles a good shake up. I like to do this every couple of weeks while it's brewing. 

And as February is my biggest preserving month, I  went through the canning shed and sorted jars and lids, and flats and rings. I put a few loads through the dishwasher so they're ready to use. They were clean, but they'd been stored in the shed and some were a little dusty. I'd rather wash them all and know they are spotless and ready to use. 

I made some labels on the SNC for the spice mixes for the hampers, and applied them to the jars. Now they're ready to fill when I make the mixes later in the year. 

Some of the very best handmade gifts don’t come from the craft room at all — they come from the pantry and February is the perfect month to work on pantry and foodie gifts. Fruits and vegetables are not only plentiful, but they're cheap too, and readily available. .

Pantry gifts are one of my favourite categories of handmade Christmas presents. They’re practical, thoughtful, and always appreciated. Best of all, they’re consumable. They get used, enjoyed, and when they’re gone, they’re gone — no clutter, no storage issues, no awkward “where do I put this?” moments.

That’s what makes them perfect.

Handmade pantry gifts also fit beautifully into a planned, year-long handmade Christmas. Many of them can be made well in advance, improve with time, and use simple, inexpensive ingredients. When you spread the work across the year, they’re relaxed and enjoyable to make — not stressful or rushed.

Think about the gifts people genuinely love to receive:

• a jar of homemade jam
• a bottle of flavoured vinegar
• a rich vanilla extract
• a coffee syrup or infused sugar
• a chutney or relish that turns a simple meal into something special

These are everyday luxuries. Things people don’t always make for themselves, but are delighted to be given.

One of the biggest advantages of pantry gifts is how efficient they are. You can make several gifts at once, working in batches. One cooking session can produce half a dozen or more presents, all ready to label, wrap, and put away. That’s a huge win for time, energy, and budget.

They’re also wonderfully flexible. Pantry gifts can be dressed up or down depending on who they’re for. A simple jar of homemade jam with a handwritten label is perfect for neighbours or work colleagues. Add fabric toppers, ribbon, or a gift tag, and the same item becomes something special for family or close friends. The gift stays the same — the presentation does the extra work.

Planning pantry gifts early also gives you control over seasonality. Long-keeping items like vanilla extract, infused vinegars, syrups, and marmalades are ideal to make in the first half of the year. Jams, pickles, and relishes can be scheduled when produce is affordable or in season. Nothing is rushed, and nothing is wasted.

Pantry gifts are also incredibly forgiving. They don’t need perfect stitching or precise measurements. They don’t care if your handwriting isn’t fancy. What matters is that they’re homemade, thoughtfully prepared, and given with intention.

Another bonus? Pantry gifts are easy to personalise. A chilli lover gets chilli oil. A tea drinker gets infused honey. A coffee fan gets flavoured beans or syrup. Small adjustments turn a simple recipe into a gift that feels chosen, not generic.

In a handmade Christmas, pantry gifts quietly do a lot of heavy lifting. They fill out your gift list without overwhelming your time or budget. They balance more complex handmade projects. And they bring genuine joy because they’re meant to be used and enjoyed and they are the ideal gift for the person who has everything, or someone who simply doesn’t need more "stuff".

If you’re planning a handmade Christmas, start in the pantry this month. One jar, one bottle, one batch at a time. By December, your shelves — and your present box — will be full of gifts that feel generous, practical, and completely clutter-free.

Week 5 of the Handmade Christmas Challenge was one of those quietly satisfying weeks where a lot got done without feeling rushed — the kind of progress that really shows the power of starting early.

My week began with an absolute gift: 7.86 kilos of freshly picked apricots, straight from the tree. Summer fruit is one of the joys of this season, and stone fruits are my clear favourite. 

Out came the jam jars, and 4 kilos were turned into rich, golden apricot jam, now neatly lined up on the pantry shelves — a very welcome addition to our handmade Christmas stash. The rest were stewed, with some set aside for breakfasts (stewed apricots with yoghurt and muesli is just delicious), and the remainder bagged and frozen for winter crumbles and pies. Future me will be very grateful.

This is one of the reasons I love including food gifts in my Handmade Christmas plan — they make the most of seasonal abundance and spread the work across the year.

In the evenings I crocheted more cotton dishcloths. Some are for us, some are destined for Hannah’s Christmas stocking, and others went straight into the present box.

Dishcloths are one of my favourite Handmade Christmas items because they are quick to make, easy to batch and as a gift they're useful and always appreciated. 
They’re perfect “sitting projects” (think watching TV of an evening or on car journeys or waiting for something/someone) and a great way to make steady progress without thinking too hard.

This week I also reviewed my to-make list. I’m a planner at heart, and breaking the list down into individual items made everything feel much more manageable.

Here’s what the maths looks like:
178 handmade items planned for the year
That works out to 16 items a month
Or just 4 items a week

Batch making is the secret! It sounds like a lot when you see it all written out, but when I go over the list, the reality is much calmer:
• Many items can be batch made
• Most projects are quick
• Only a couple will take a few hours from start to finish
The key is treating Handmade Christmas as planned work, not something squeezed in when I feel like it. Even though the work is enjoyable and relaxing, it still has a purpose.

When I counted what’s already done, I couldn’t help but do a happy dance — I’m not just on track, I’m ahead.

What’s in the present box so far:
• Dishcloths (14)
• Canning mats (2)
• Pot holders (2)
• Kitchen towels (3)
• Gift bags (4)
• Cutlery rolls (2)
• Vanilla extract (still brewing – enough for 4 bottles)
• Apricot jam (4)
• Etched jam jars (6)

That’s 37 items already completed — two months (and a bit) ahead of schedule. Woo hoo!

That’s the heart of the Handmade Christmas Challenge — small, regular effort that adds up to a relaxed, joyful Christmas, finished well before December.

If you’re joining along, remember: you don’t need to do everything at once. You just need to keep working on your gift list.