As the holiday party invitations start arriving, why not put your crafty skills to use this Christmas?  How about putting together personalized gift baskets for your loved ones this holiday season.  We’ve put together some tips and ideas to help you create beautiful gift baskets.

Getting Started:

It’s important to think about the following when designing your gift baskets:

  • How many gift baskets would you be making?
  • Will you be making multiple versions of the same themed basket?  If yes, what unique items can you place in each one to make it personalized for the recipient?
  • What is your budget?

It is not as difficult as it seems. If you are making similar baskets for everyone, you could head to stores that sell in bulk to grab great offers. If you intend to make unique baskets for each recipient, it is just a question of getting your thoughts organized.

Gifts Ideas:

Your gifts need not be expensive, small thoughtful gifts make an ever lasting impression.  Try to do something specific to the person’s interests.

  • Movie buffs- a DVD and some gourmet pop corn
  • Relaxation lovers- fuzzy socks, tea, and a good book
  • Car enthusiasts- detailer quality car wash and, scrub mit, and a chamois, (use a wash bucket as your container)
  • Coffee lovers - a big coffee cup with a gourmet coffee blend
  • Music lovers – an iPod gift card and a gel skin (make sure you know what model they have)
  • Wine lovers - a bottle of their favorite variety of wine, cheese, crackers and a couple of wine glasses.
  • Garden lovers - a beautiful vase or pot filled with a variety of flower or herb seeds with some luxurious gardener’s hand lotion.
  • Baking lovers - a recipe book, some homemade treats and a baking tool to accompany the recipe book (i.e. a pastry book = pastry cutter, cookie recipes = cookie cutters etc.)
  • Winter theme  -  lip balm, moisturizer , mittens and hot packs for cold winter days!
  • Candle lovers – different scented candles and votive or tea light holders
  • Tea Lovers- teapot and tea cozy set, variety of mints and muffins or scones.
  • New Years theme - ice bucket, a bottle of Champagne , party hats, sparklers and balloons.

The list is really endless on what you can put in a basket.  Get creative!  Make sure to size your gift basket or container in proportion to the items selected.  If the vessel is too big your gifts will look sparse, if too small the presentation looks crowded and unbalanced.

Container ideas:

  • Vases, flower pots or pails
  • Wicker baskets, fabric boxes, or hat boxes
  • Mugs, mixing bowls, or pasta pots
  • Cookie jars or cookie tins
  • Go green and re-purpose items you already have
    • cover shoe boxes in brown butcher paper, have your kids draw and decorate the paper!
    • re-usable shopping bags

Tip: One of the tips that most pros give out is to shop for next years gift baskets this year. Most stores have a sale post Christmas where you could buy fabulous Christmas ornaments, candles and other holiday related paraphernalia and discounted prices. You could also stock up on great looking wrapping paper at these sales.  Check out overstock.com for great deals.

Fillers:

Fillers might be necessary to hold the gift items in place, to fill in empty spaces, and to lift your gift up so they are visible. If your container is very deep you can use floral foam or crumpled newspaper to bring it up to the correct level.

  • For empty spaces try small silk flowers or greenery, wrapped candies (Hershey’s Kisses look great), candy canes or other small items.
  • Colorful shred from party supply stores and straw or colored tissue paper placed attractively as fans,
  • newspaper, brown paper, old maps, music sheets, etc. work great
  • Peanuts in shells and coffee beans are also unique fillers.
  • Place heavier and larger items in the center at the bottom.
  • Place the smaller gifts and food items around the larger items.
  • It is also a good idea to practice assembling your gift basket with various gift placements to get just the right arrangement.

Wrapping Ideas:

  • Transparent cellophane, raffia , tulle and ribbons.
  • Incorporate the wrapping materials as part of the present. Decorative towels, scarves or linen make great wrapping materials
  • Brown butcher paper
  • Odds and ends of wrapping paper turned wrong side out decorated by you with stamps or let your kids color it.

Enjoy the festive season. Amidst all the planning and shopping and packing of gifts take time out for yourself. Above all don’t fret or stress over getting the perfect look.  If you create gift baskets with the recipient in mind, the sentiment will be apparent and it will be the perfect Christmas gift!

Happy Holidays!

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