How to Make Gift Baskets

Guide Note: How to Make Gift Baskets offers tips, tricks and advice of making beautiful gift baskets.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Gift baskets are a beautiful thing. They marry presentation with personalization, and give you not just one gift to open, but tons of little ones. The best gift baskets are organized around a theme so don't hold back in creativity department. A great gift basket should be as much fun to make as it is to receive.

Gift baskets can be a thrifty gift-giving option, but the cost of all those little tchotchkes can add up quickly. Be sure to set an overall budget that includes the gift basket's contents, the basket itself and any ribbons or wrapping materials you plan on using.

Gift baskets don't have to be limited to gourmet food items and wine. Choose a theme for your basket based on the recipient's interests, and then go to town filling the basket with all kinds of related goodies. Here are a few themes and gift item suggestions to get you started:

Wine Lover Basket: Bottle of Wine, Fancy Cheeses, Corkscrew, Wine Journal
Tea Lover Basket: Fancy Teas, Asian Tea Set, Tea Ball, Tea and Sympathy DVD
Poker Player Basket: Playing Cards, Poker Chips, Positively Fifth Street, House of Games DVD
Car Care Basket: Car Wash and Wax Kit, Chamois, Car and Driver Subscription, Hot Wheels
Book Lover Basket: Book Light, Bookmark, Bookplates, Reader's Journal
Movie Lover Basket: Jiffy Pop, BFI Film Guide, Movie Theater Gift Certificate, Halliwell's Film Guide
New Parent Basket: Wheel of Responsibility, DaysAgo Digital Day Counter, Frames, Baby, Mix Me a Drink
Gourmet Basket: Oils and Vinegars, Spices, Chocolates, Caviar, Cooking Utensils, Fruit, Nuts

Your gift basket doesn't need to be a basket. (Creative Commons photo by G2)

Just because it's called a "gift basket" doesn't mean you actually need to use a basket to put all your gifts in. Consider an alternative container based on the theme you've selected, or hunt around the house for anything that can hold your purchases. Try one of the following:

You've done the personalization part by selecting your theme and gift items. Now it's time to work on your presentation.

Assembling a gift baskets|gift basket isn't a terribly complicated endeavor. You're putting a bunch of little things into a bigger thing. Nevertheless, here a few tips from the professionals on how to make your basket look its very best:

Buy your gift items before choosing your basket. You don't want your basket to be overstuffed or too empty so assemble your items before selecting a container.
Select a few centerpiece items. Choose a couple of tall, heavier items to place towards the back of the basket.
Use crumpled paper or fabric to make your basket look fuller. Put a filler at the bottom of your basket to prop up the gift items. You can use something decorative like raffia or something related to the basket's theme like crumpled up comic book pages for a child's basket.
Create a wall at the back of your basket with tall, heavy items. Use the wall to prop up smaller items in the front.
Fill in empty space with small items. Buy some small items or chocolates to fill in any gaps in your basket.
Use cellophane to wrap the basket. Be sure you have a long enough roll of cellophane to pull over the entire basket and bunch at the top.
Use the right size ribbon or bow. You don't want to overwhelm a small basket with a big bow or have a tiny bow on a huge basket.