Gift Basket Idea's that Will Inspire You

Gift baskets are something almost everyone enjoys receiving. Even men, and children love to plumage though a basket of goodies, after all it's like receiving several gifts instead of just one. Making your own gift baskets can also save you lots of money in the long run. Putting together a gift basket might take a little time, and creativity, but overall it's a win, win situation. Here are some inspiring idea's that will help get you started.

First off think outside of the box. When most of us think of gift baskets the first thing that comes to mind is either a fruit basket, or a ladies "pampering" basket. This is just not the case. In fact gift baskets can be made out of virtually anything. The important thing is to make sure the person your making the basket for likes the items you are placing in it. Example: you would not give a gift basket full of fishing stuff to a man that has never gone fishing.

Lets pretend you don't know much about the person you are making the gift basket for, What should you do then? The answer is simple, use items that nearly everyone enjoys. A movie basket is a great idea. You can use items such as microwavable popcorn, a few 20 ounce bottles of soda, a couple boxes of movie candy, and a $5.00 gift card from a local movie rental store. For a creative basket use a cheap, large plastic bowl that they can later use to put the popped popcorn in. You can pick up one of these bowls at any discount store for a dollar or so. If your giving this gift to a couple, then for less then $15.00 you have basically 2 gifts.

Be creative with what I call fillers. You know, the small strips of paper you place in the bottoms of the baskets to make the items inside stand out. Why settle for the store bought stuff when you can make your own. For a more natural or neutral look, try cutting small strips of brown paper bag, or brown crafting paper. You can get free paper bags at your grocery store, just choose paper instead of plastic. During the winter time you can use white cotton balls, which resemble snow. A great filler during the holidays is round pieces of peppermint candy. Just make sure that the candies are individually wrapped. For summer gift baskets try using dried flowers, or even sea shells. If your making a "get well" basket try using regular tissues or, for a birthday use unfilled balloons.

Once you have your basket completed, you need to cover it. You can buy plastic gift basket bags, which come in different sizes for less then a dollar at most discount stores such as Walmart. You simply set your basket into the bag, and tie at the top. You can also use plastic wrap to do the same thing. With plastic wrap you will need 2 strips that are long enough to cover the basket and still have 3 to 4 inches left over at the top. Make an X with the 2 strips, and place your basket in the center. Now raise all 4 sides to the top of the basket and tie. To finish your basket off, add a decorative bow where the wrap is tied.

I hope that these ideas have inspired you to create your own gift baskets for those you love, and care about. Keep in mind that professional gift baskets usually cost 3 times more then what it cost to make one yourself. Not only are you saving a bundle by making you own, but your giving a gift that you actually put thought into, which means a lot to the person who will receive it.