Gift baskets let you include several gift items in a basket that the recipient can reuse.
Gift baskets are an excellent way to combine several small gift items into one package. You can buy pre-arranged gift baskets from many specialty shops and online retailers or you can make one of your own. Homemade gift baskets will save you money and allow you to fill the basket with more personal items. The possibilities for types of gift baskets are endless, because you can create gift baskets around a number of themes.
Themes and Contents
Your gift basket should be centered around a theme so that all the contents of the basket coordinate with each other. When choosing a theme for your gift basket, consider the interests of the recipients and the occasion for giving the gift. Food items are popular contents of gift baskets: you can make a basket of homemade sweets for Christmas, fresh seasonal fruit or assemble gourmet foods and beverages. Adults might enjoy a gardening, tea party, bath and spa, health items or book themed gift basket. Children's gift baskets might revolve around a favorite TV show or character, craft and art supplies or sports theme. Your basket should contain one larger, more expensive item placed in the center of the basket. Include several smaller, related items around the basket as well. For example, a book-themed gift basket might include one book, bookmarks, a clip-on book reading light, snack foods and items that relate specifically to the book.
The Basket
The most commonly used container for gift baskets is a standard basket that you can purchase at any craft or mass merchandise store. While this is the most logical container for many types of gift baskets, some gift themes allow for more creative types of baskets. The container you choose should coordinate with the theme of the gift basket and be useful to the recipient after the contents of the basket are used. Gift baskets for ladies could be packaged inside a ladies' purse or cosmetic bag. Young boys will surely enjoy a gift basket arranged in the back of a toy dump truck. Infant gift baskets can be contained in a wicker laundry basket, small baby bath tub or a reusable plastic storage bin in a fun color. Western-themed gift baskets would look impressive arranged in a large cowboy hat, while gardening baskets look great inside flower pots or watering cans.
Presentation Tips
The presentation of your gift basket is likely to have a greater impact than the contents of the basket itself. Some people may fear they aren't creative enough to design a presentable gift basket, but there are several materials to make the job easy. First, you will need to fill the basket with packing materials, such as packing peanuts, so the gifts stand out of the basket. Cover the peanuts with tissue paper, fabric or raffia to make it look more presentable. As you arrange your items, try to make it as symmetrical as possible to create balance. Push the items down into the packaging material for support. You can purchase cellophane gift basket bags in several colors and designs to make it easy to contain all the items. Simply place the basket inside the bag, gather at the top and secure with raffia, ribbon or a bow.
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