Gift Idea Series – Gift Baskets

Welcome to my 2011 gift idea series. This week we’re talking about gift baskets.  I’ve spoken in the past about planning and “building” gift baskets, and suggested some general gift basket fillers, so I won’t revisit those.

What I will do is suggest some theme ideas for your gift baskets, and show you some examples to (hopefully!) get your creative juices flowing.  I also have a couple of tips I’d like to share.  (Don’t walk away from here assuming I’m the queen of gift baskets or something, though.  When it comes to the actual assembly, I can often be all thumbs!)

Be sure to come back at the end of the week to enter to win a gift basket for yourself!

Gift Basket Themes

There are many gift basket themes that have been done again and again.  There is the ever-present spa/bath basket, of course, along with food gift baskets.  And there’s nothing wrong with these!  If you’d like to jazz them up to make them seem a little less “prepackaged,” gift baskets can be a wonderful way to incorporate a little bit of handcrafting into gifts, even if you can’t create a whole gift.  A handmade cup band or mug mat could, for instance, be added to a basket of coffees and a purchased mug.  An “office in a box” is a little less common, but still something of an old standby.  “Kits” for various things can be compiled to create gift baskets.

If you want to do something a tad different, though, consider one of these themes.  (And if they inspire you to come up with other themes of your own, I’d love to hear your ideas!)

Color or Pattern

A color is pretty self-explanatory as a gift basket theme.  Simply gather together items (that the recipient will appreciate!) that are all the same color.

Similarly, you can use a pattern as a theme.  Plaid (that one might get a bit busy!), stripes, polka dots, paisley, checks, etc.  Or what about a design detail, like a “ruffles” or “pintucks” gift basket?  For the most part, a pattern-themed basket is probably best suited to a woman (or child), but you could add details on a related theme to make a fun patterned basket for a man.  A self-proclaimed geek might appreciate a “plaid” basket, with a pocket protector tossed in, or a golfer might appreciate a plaid+golf basket.  Or a phrase could be added, for a basket about being “worth your stripes,”  “spot on,” or “you’re a star.”  A “stars and stripes” basket could be masculine, too.

Check back tomorrow for examples of gift baskets built on color and pattern.

Season

A season – winter, spring, summer, or autumn – is another theme option.  If that is too broad, consider a particular seasonal item – snow, perhaps, or colored leaves, or “the beach.”

Wednesday, I’ll be showing an example of a seasonal basket, as well as examples of the next two themes.

Product/Flavor

A favorite product can sometimes make a great theme.  (It depends on the product.  If it’s too obscure, you probably won’t find enough items.)  When I heard that Dr. Pepper had come out with barbecue sauce and marinade, I decided to build a Dr. Pepper basket for my dad.  (A similar basket will be depicted on Wednesday.)  A basic flavor – chocolate, vanilla, banana – would work just as well.

Library

This theme is a little different than most of my suggestions, because it’s pretty specific.  A library-themed basket can include items to organize a home library – library cards and card pockets, a date stamp and ink, etc.  A membership to LibraryThing could be a fun, modern addition.  For a slightly less specific basket, you could simply assemble a “book lover’s basket,” full of book-themed items.

(See my virtual library basket on Wednesday.)

Book, TV Show, Song, or Poem

A book, movie, television show, song, or poem can inspire a gift basket’s theme.  (Or, if that’s just a tad too small a theme, try the creator’s whole body of work.)  Depending on the work, this one can be pretty easy, or very tricky!  The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe would probably be pretty easy right now, with all of the products available as a result of the movie based on the book.  Others might be easy because their titles lend themselves well to tangible objects.  The Time Machine, for example, could inspire all manner of time-related contents, such as a sand timer, a stopwatch, a wristwatch, a calendar, etc.  Others are more of a stretch.

Try thinking of other items that share a title or keyword, other ways of depicting themes or keywords, characters in the story, the setting, and so forth.  On Thursday you’ll see the basket I compiled based on The Three Musketeers.  Honestly, it’s not one of my better collections. 😉  But I wanted to use a book most of my readers would be fairly familiar with, that wasn’t as popular as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe  or The Lord of the Rings.  (And I stuck with the book – there are no movies in the basket, ‘though there certainly could be.)

Favorite Verse

For a really meaningful gift basket, try putting together a basket that revolves around the recipient’s favorite Bible verse.  (You’ll see my example on Thursday.)  DaySpring and their direct sales arm Blessings Unlimited can be especially useful here, as each of their products is inspired by/based on a particular Scripture.  For some, there are entire collections.  Christian Book Distributors can also be a really great source; just do a search on their site by verse reference and see what pops up.

Of course, in some instances, other related items will suggest themselves.  If the favorite verse is about the Vine and the branches, grape-themed items would be great additions.  At least one item containing the verse itself should be in the basket, if possible, to make it obvious that it is the theme.  (A “focal point” can be very helpful to “ground” a basket to its theme!)

A Single Item, Many Ways

If you want to go really simple, consider filling a basket with a single item – in many different shapes or forms.  If you’re going to do this, you probably want to choose a fairly small, inexpensive item because you’ll want many “copies” of it.  Pens would make a fun basket.  (Obviously, you wouldn’t want to go with cheapo, 12-to-a-box pens for this, but get a variety of colors and styles and ink types.)  Here is an example using sticky notes.

• Post-it Notes, Super Sticky
• Avery Sticky Notes, Basic 3 x 3 Yellow
• Post-it Notes, Super Sticky 4×6 Pad
• Flags and Arrows
• Russell+Hazel Bordered Chicklet Notes
• Galison William Morris Morning Garden Sticky Notes
• Animal Sticky Notes By Cavallini
• Knock Knock Whenever Stickies Set
• Avery See-Through Sticky Notes, Plain or Arrows
• Avery Lay-Flat Sticky Notes
• Avery Perforated Sticky Notes
• Avery Sticky Notes, Assorted-Size Pad
• Avery NoteTabs
• Avery Mini NoteTabs
• Speech Bubble Sticky Notes
• Speech Bubble Sticky Notes
• Kitchen Sticky Notes: Helpful Notes for the Home Cook
• Sticky Notes – Please
• Christian Mom’s Time Out Reminder Notes
• Little Blessings: 100 Creative Ways to Say, I Love You
• The Joy of the Lord Sticky Notes
• Sticky Note Collection, Patchwork

 Gift Baskets with NO Theme

Ultimately, gift baskets don’t have to have themes at all, apart from the recipient.  (That is, you definitely want to be sure that the items all have in common that the recipient will enjoy them!)

A Few Final Tips

I like to be sure there is some type of textile in my gift baskets, when possible.  Whether it’s a bath towel, flour sack towel, scarf, boxers, sweater, or whatever, a textile-based item can create a great base and “soften” the basket.

As a general rule, it’s also good to keep in mind variety when choosing items for gift baskets.  Different shapes, sizes, and textures will provide visual interest.  (Alternatively, you could, in selected instances, make everything very alike in shape, size, and texture, for an extra sense of cohesion.)

For an extra dimension of fun, incorporate the theme into the container, as well.  (You’ll see a couple examples of this in my sample collections over the next few days.)  Think about what sort of hollow items fit your theme.  Can those Three Musketeers  items go in an inverted hat?  Can the summer-themed items go in a beach bucket or mesh tote?

Very small, “filler” type, items can also be fun.  In my dad’s Dr. Pepper basket, for example, I tossed in some Tootsie-Roll-like Dr. Pepper candies I found in the bulk candy bins at our supermarket.  It’s fun to toss these in loose to fill in gaps and make for little surprises to dig out of the bottom. 🙂

 

Do you have any creative gift basket theme ideas or helpful basket-building tips?  Let us hear them in the comments!