Create Tasteful Gift Baskets from the Dollar Store

'Tis the season for frantic holiday shopping and credit card meltdowns. Or not. We do have a choice. We can surrender to the worry that this year's gifts should measure up to the bounty of Christmas' past or we can relax and realize that even Santa will have to tighten that iconic black belt of his for Christmas 2009.

Maybe it's clichéd, but it really is true that it's the thought put into a gift and not the price tag, that matters most. Making your own gift baskets is a terrific way to offset cost while personalizing a present that your recipient will truly appreciate.

The following suggestions are just that, suggestions. There are as many ways to put together presents, as there are people to give them to. So take a gander at these ideas to get you thinking about what the dollar store can do to help relieve both your stress levels and the strain on your wallet.

We'll start with a perennial favorite, the ever-popular spa gift. Maybe you know a mom or grandma somewhere who loves to soak in the bathtub. This is just the ticket. Include a bath fizzer, a three-pack of scented soaps, a loofah bath sponge and a scented candle. All together, this particular combination cost under $6 to make and that price includes an attractive wire and plastic container. All it needs now is some basket wrap and a pretty ribbon to complete it for gift giving.

Mmmm, chocolate! A tray of tasty treats is just the thing for those who like to exchange gifts between families. The total cost of this gift, including a metal Christmas tray to sit it on, is around $11.
Include something for everyone, for example, four individually sized Hersey's chocolate packs, a chocolate chip cookie in an embossed tin, some Belgium truffles, a box of chocolate-coated cookies and some After Eight chocolates. Use some wrapped pieces of Belgium chocolate that come in a bag of 11 pieces for $2 and scatter the balls and bells around the tray to fill in gaps. Then add a couple of jingle bell ornaments, just for fun. The ornaments cost $1 for a pack of four large ones. Don't forget to add a little tape in concealed spots to keep everything in place before you cover it in basket wrap.

Here's something that would make a nice hostess gift. Start with a small silver-colored tray. Tape a paper Christmas doily onto it and add two wine glasses, one standing and one laying down. Position some cocktail napkins between the glasses and put some After Eight mint sticks to one side of the upright glass. A flat reindeer ornament leaning up against the napkins, add a little holiday sparkle. Each piece here was only a buck, even the After Eights, so this gift cost only $6.00.

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