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Gift baskets are a great way to make a personal gift for family or friends. This article includes many ideas of containers and themes to help you get started on a gift basket for everyone on your list. Gift baskets can be a lot of fun for you and the recipient and don't have to cost a lot of money.
The first thing to consider is who you are giving the basket to:
The container or "basket" doesn't have to be expensive. Pick a theme (some are listed below) and find a container that goes with the theme that can hold some items or have items attached to it. You want the container and the items to go together and for everything to be usable and practical. (This is not to say that a few fun things can't be thrown in too.) Below are some of my ideas for containers but there certainly are many more possibilities.
The items that go within the gift basket should be tied together by a common theme. The themes below are gift basket recipes that can be modified to fit your needs or to get you started on developing your own themed gift basket.
Use a basket or usable container with some or all of the following:
Use a nice basket with some or all of the following:
Use a rubber/plastic storage box with some or all of the following:
Use a basket or a camera bag with some or all of the following:
Use a square basket or plastic box with some or all of the following:
Use a rubber storage container with some or all of the following:
Use a colander or bowl with some or all of the following:
Use a clay plant pot, bucket or watering can with some or all of the following:
Use a cat bowl or pet bed with some or all of the following:
Use a dog bowl or pet bed with some or all of the following:
Dogs come in all sizes so make sure you are buying for the right size dog. Also if it is for a puppy, chewy stuff is the best.
Use a tool box or tool tray with some or all of the following:
Use a basket or gig bag with some or all of the following:
Use a small pack or canvas bag with some or all of the following:
Use a basket or reusable container with some or all of the following:
Use a wine cooling bucket with some or all of the following:
Use a nice holiday basket with some or all of the following:
Once you have obtained your items here are some fillers to put around them.
If you buy colored cellophane you can cover the entire container with it disguising what is inside. Tie a ribbon around the whole thing or paste a ribbon on top. Have fun!
I bought the basket from a garage sale this summer and added a ribbon. The only items that I had to buy was the teapot, and the tea bags. Total cost for making the basket was about $20.00 or less.
This is an amazingly inexpensive gift, party favor, etc. You will want to make several and keep one for yourself!
I hate Easter basket type gifts! This might sound harsh but what I really hate is the basket that these gifts come in. What do you do with them after the gift is gone?
I use pinking sheers to cut up all old magazines, candy wrappers, colored paper of any kind and keep it to use as basket stuffing when giving a gift or making baskets for friends.
You can make baskets for gifts and holidays, by buying the shrink wrap paper to put over it and then blow dry it. You can use anything to load the items in you want to cover.
I save money on gifts by giving baskets with handmade items. Example: Cookie making basket, including, cookie mix, sprinkles, cutters, couple of hot pads, wooden spoon.
Making Your Own Gift Baskets. When you have a large family, creating gift baskets is a wonderful way to give everyone a gift without breaking the bank. Making your own gift baskets is easy and economical.
For gift baskets, find something that goes with the theme. The "basket" does not have to be an actual basket but can be anything that will hold the contents, i.e. a watering can for a gardening basket or a bowl for a kitchen basket.
I decided to make gift baskets with items I got from Freecycle or elsewhere for free. The larger gift has a dish as the base, which will be a keepsake for the hostess. The smaller ones have six cookies and a travel sized bottle of shower gel from Bath and Body Works.
Never pass up baskets which are somewhat used or being sold cheap. Save them all for Christmas gifts. Anything can be put in them, two or three items of the same theme, such as yarn, crochet, and crochet book, etc., and then wrapped with pretty cellophane paper and a ribbon.
I buy wicker baskets at yardsales and paint them white if they look slightly tawdry, and cut off the bows and ribbons. I use spray paint outside. When they are done, I put them away for Christmas or any occasion for which I need a gift.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Does anyone have instructions to make the paper bag gift baskets? You use crepe paper, material for lining, clothes pins, glue, etc. I have the measurements of the crepe paper, but I don't quite remember how to assemble it and all. Any suggestions?
It is easy to make. You will cut your paper bag at the bottom fold. There is no need to measure this at all. Now cut the top of the bag in half. You can use that to warp your gift in. The basket is opened up and you will fold it back to form points to keep it opened. You can now cover the bag with your crepe paper and fill up the basket. You can add a string around the basket and decorate it the way you want.
I have an old tobacco basket hanging on an out building and I would like to add some life to it. Any ideas on how to jazz it up? I would love to see some pics. Thanks.
i did one years ago, no pics of it. but i painted mine on the inside to simulate an american flag. just use some stencils for your stars the rest is just stripes.
I have one that belonged to my father-in-law. I'm planning to use it to post family pictures in the family room. Hope to get to it soon. Other ideas are appreciated.
I had the same idea for the same object "an old tobacco basket"/the one I am talking about is flat.
Depending on the size of your dining room table - I thought of shellacing one (to help perserve it) and useing it as our dining room table's Lazy Susan.
All of the bowls would then move in unison, as the basket would be the only item moving under them.
SO instead of having to pass the bowls of food to you, the person would "spin" the basket to the bowl they desired to get food out of.
Good Luck and let us know what you ended up doing with it
What works best to hold things together, like to stick them together in gift baskets? Hot glue doesn't work.
By Dee
Glue dots!
I need to know what do you put in a basket that will have smoked halibut in it? Please help, the person getting the basket is a 68 year young grandma.
By Karen
I would add a couple of kinds of gourmet crackers, two kinds of cheese, olives, scones, and a nice bottle of wine or sparkling grape juice.
I need easy to follow directions for weaving an egg basket. I have 2 sets of instructions, but they are confusing. I am a beginner basket-weaver. Thanks.
By Page from Richmond, VA
This is a page about making filler for gift baskets. Rather than buying filler for your homemade gift baskets you can use materials that you already have.
Everyone can use a "Basket of Sunshine" now and again to brighten their day. This is a page about making a "Basket of Sunshine".
Decorate a paper bowl with magazine clipping to create a colorful gift basket. Add your items and wrap with cellophane paper and gift.
