By Lucy Corry
I think I must suffer from festive amnesia. It's the only explanation for my dogged insistence on making Christmas gifts for people despite previous disasters and a chronic lack of time.
First there was the year I made the turkish delight that didn't set, followed by the time that the carefully brewed rhubarb vodka leaked all over the back seat of my car en route to being delivered.
Having a sprained wrist and getting ready to leave my job, house and emigrate didn't stop me the time I attempted making shortbread and jars of chutney, though the burns to my one useful hand did give me pause for thought.
It seems I'm not alone in this kind of Christmas DIY mania - John Lewis department stores have reported a rise in all manner of crafty paraphenalia.
As well as the obvious delight you get from making something yourself, there is also a financial incentive - just don't make the same mistake I did when I decided to make panforte, an Italian festive treat.