How to make a gift basket

Gift baskets have fast become a popular, creative and fun way to take care of the gifts you need for almost everyone on your gift giving list for most any occasion. Even though there are a vast array of ready made gift baskets on the market in all price ranges and gift ideas, there are still people who truly enjoy the creativity involved in making their own gift baskets. Here are some helpful tips for doing just that.

Materials needed

 * Theme idea for your gift basket


 * Empty basket or other container


 * Items you want to include in your gift basket


 * Shrink wrap, clear or colored cellophane or other wrapping paper


 * Bows or ribbon for making bows


 * Gift Card

Quick Steps
1. Decide on a theme for your gift basket

2. Chose the empty basket or container for your gifts

3. Select and purchase items for your gift basket

4. Wrap you gift

5. Finishing touches

Full Steps for Making Your Gift Basket
1. Decide on a theme for your gift basket

The first step is to decide what theme fits the occasion and gift recipient. For instance, will you focus your ideas on a sports, hobby, gardening, fishing, relaxation, gourmet foods or perhaps a chocolate gift basket. The ideas are endless so put on your thinking cap and focus on the recipient of this gift basket and what would appeal to their tastes and desires.

2. Chose the empty basket or container for your gifts

Your gift basket doesn't even need to be a basket. You can get quite creative at this point. The best idea is to use a basket or container the recipient will be able to put to good use after the gift is opened. In other words, make the gift container part of the gift itself. First, think about using something that relates to the theme that you have chosen in step one for the gifts you will be including in the basket and come up with your own creative basket or container ideas from there.

Here are a few examples to get your creative juices flowing.

Depending on your theme you could use unique containers such as garden watering cans, fishing tackle boxes, cleaning buckets, laundry baskets, decorative waste baskets, ice buckets, storage containers, pottery bowls and anything else your creative mind comes up with for putting your gift items into. Don't limit yourself to the ideas presented here when making your own gift baskets. With some imagination, the perfect gift basket or container idea will come to you every time you make a gift basket.

Actually, you really don't need a basket at all. You could just wrap all of your gift items together with cellophane and tie the whole thing all together nicely with ribbon and a big colorful bow. Don't make this too complicated as just about anything goes. Have fun creating your gift basket and your special someone will be very appreciative of your thoughtfulness and effort.

3. Select and purchase the items you want to include in your gift basket

Let's say your gift recipient is a car enthusiast. You could use a cleaning bucket for your basket and then fill it with sponges, brushes, car washing soaps, cleaning towels and waxes and maybe even some other car care tools depending on your budget but don't stop there when making your basket. Perhaps you could also add an interesting car video or tickets to a car show. And don't forget to include some unique or gourmet snacks for them to enjoy after all the hard work of cleaning their car. Or you could take a different route altogether and put aromatherapy or massage oils and even a massager in the bucket so they can really unwind after all of the hard work on their car.

4. Wrap you gift with shrink wrap, clear or colored cellophane or other wrapping paper

This is how you tie everything together and transform your creation into a lovely, inviting gift that is sure to please. If using wrapping paper take a piece large enough to cover the entire basket with plenty to spare for tying together at the top. Place the basket or other container in the middle and pull up all sides to meet at the top and then tie a ribbon around the paper and pull together tightly.

5. Finishing touches

Add bows and your gift card to the top and you have now created a lovely gift indeed that any gift recipient would be more than happy to receive.

Here's a Couple of Other Ideas
If all of your items stay in your basket easily you might want to forget about the wrapping paper and just tie a big beautiful bow on the handle or wrap some of the items in the basket individually for unique surprises to be opened one at a time.

As you can see from these examples, coming up with unique and creative ideas really is lots of fun and how to make a gift basket really is a rather simple question after all. So put your creative juices to work and make your own hand made gift baskets that are so unique and unforgettable that your special someone will be talking to everyone about your fantastic gift idea.

Resources
original contributor: Marsha Beslic http://uniquegiftbasketshop.com

From HowTo Wiki, a Wikia wiki.