How to Make a Valentine's Day Gift Basket for Newlyweds

Valentine's Day is always a celebrated day for loving couples, but the holiday holds special significance for the couple newly married. Still enjoying the rush of being legally joined as a married couple, this day is often marked with great joy and plenty of romance. Honor that special couple in your life this Valentine's Day with a personalized gift basket made with your own two hands.

Choose a Practical Gift Receptacle. A red metal or woven basket to hold the gift items is always a spectacular choice, but a more creative option is to choose a "basket" that can be later used in a fun way. A red plastic party tub can be put to work the next Christmas for the couple's holiday gatherings. An empty picnic basket can be used for romantic lunches in the park. A plastic window box can be used for Spring planting in the new marital home. Think about the couple's lifestyle and what receptacle would be most useful for them. With a little bit of thought and creativity, the item used to display the gift basket items can be a present in itself.

Layer the Gifts with an Extra Present. One of my favorite ways to make my gift baskets very unique is to choose a filler that doubles as an extra gift. A set of red sheets and pillowcases makes a very festive yet practical filler material for this basket. Valentine's Day windsocks, flags and banners can also be used to lay the gifts on and will add to the couple's holiday decoration stash.

Strike a Balance Between Practical and Luxury Gift Items. Once your basket has been chosen and you have added a filler material, you can then begin selecting the goodies. Newlyweds often find money to be very tight the first year or so of marriage, so a few gifts to help them in that area would surely be much appreciated. Pantry food staples such as pasta, soups and spices can be given to fill up the cupboards. Gift cards to home improvement and discount department stores will surely come in handy when setting up a new marital residence. Elegant and fun gift items such as wineglasses, candle holders, vases and small nick knacks can be used in decorating and enjoying the new conjoined living space. A few presents to encourage romance such as a book of poetry, a great love story on DVD or a CD of romantic songs is also a great addition. A framed photo you have of their wedding or their wedding invitation is also a very thoughtful idea.

Finish Off the Basket in Holiday Colors. Once your gift basket is filled and arranged to your liking, you can then wrap it in red cellophane or wrapping paper and tie it off with a large and festive bow. Punch a hole through a heart cut from red card stock and thread it through the ribbon to serve as a gift card. Use a black felt tip marker to write words of warm wishes to this special newlywed couple on their first Valentine's Day as man and wife.