A Homemade gift baskets are a great personalized gift that you can make for family and friends.
Decide on a theme
Before you purchase any supplies for your gift basket, it is important that you decide on the theme that you want to use. For instance, you may want to make a gift basket for an upcoming baby shower. Or maybe as a gift for your college student that just went off to school. Whatever the occasion, deciding on your theme will help you in choosing the size and color of the basket that you want to use.
Choose the right basket
You want to make sure that you don't spend too much money on the basket itself-- you need to save some cash for the goodies that you want to fill it with! Check your local dollar store-- they often have inexpensive baskets for sale. In addition, craft stores and discount mass market retailers sell reasonably priced baskets. A good tip is to stock up on baskets at the end of the holiday season. You can often get baskets for 50 to 75 % off at end of the season sales.
You can also make a gift basket without using a basket at all. Fill a large terra cotta pot with gardening supplies, or stuff a large colander with gourmet cooking items. Use your imagination-- the possibilities are endless.
Once you have the "basket" picked out, it's time to start loading it up. You may want to line the bottom of the basket with colored tissue paper, raffia or fabric. Here are some ideas for how to fill your gift basket:
Dinner and a Movie Basket"" Fill your basket with a copy of a favorite DVD and ingredients to make a nice dinner. Some suggestions include gourmet pasta, jarred gourmet sauce, and a loaf of Italian bread. Include a bottle of wine or sparkling cider to drink and some popcorn to enjoy with the movie.
Starving College Student Basket-- Your college student will love receiving this basket filled with things that he or she needs. Include a pre-paid phone card, toiletries like toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant, emergency snack items and a subscription to your hometown newspaper.
Beautiful Baby Basket-- Fill a blue, pink or white basket with baby wipes, lotion, bath soap, rattles, burp cloths, small stuffed toys, pacifiers and a thermometer.
Book Lovers Basket-- Purchase a variety of discount books and include gourmet hot chocolate packets, a big mug, bubble bath and some scented candles.
Gardener's Delight Basket""Fill a basket or terra cotta pot with seed packets, gardening gloves, a small trowel and a gardening magazine.
Beachy Keen Basket-- Include flip flops, sunscreen lotion, a trashy romance novel, a roll-up beach mat and a small pedicure kit.
Mexican Fiesta Basket-- Purchase a small potted cactus, maracas, a mini sombrero, gourmet tortilla chips, homemade salsa, and margarita mix.
Dress Up Basket-- Want to make your little girl feel special? Purchase discount dress up clothes, shoes, jewelry, a princess crown, a jeweled mirror and other accessories and make your girl her very own dress up basket.
Sweets for Your Sweet Basket-- Include hand dipped chocolates, a bouquet of cookies (just insert lollipop sticks into home baked sugar cookies), chocolate covered pretzels, a caramel apple and peppermint candies. Include a book of romantic poetry.
Pop Culture Basket-- Get a tell-all book by a former teen idol. Add some record albums or 45's, a deck of pop culture trivia cards and some snacks or popular candy from the 50's, 60's or 70's.
Car Care Basket-- Load up a bucket with some car wash soap, motor oil, a tire gauge, a can of fix-a-flat, a wind shield scraper and a roadside map. If your budget permits, a membership to a roadside assistance plan would also be a good idea. The bucket can be stored in the car and used for washing the car!
First Apartment Basket-- If you know someone who is moving out on their own for the first time, make them an "apartment warning" basket and fill it with recipe cards, cleaning products, candles and a small plant.
Finally, once your basket is filled, wrap the entire thing in cellophane and tie at the top with ribbon. This finishing touch will give your gift basket a professional look.
