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Purchased Gift Baskets - Gift baskets are easy to buy online for direct delivery, and may include an option to customize the contents - to some degree. You will have choices as to quality, quantity, variety, luxury, creativity, convenience, last-minute speed, or some combination of these features.
Prices vary widely, too! We priced gift baskets at a huge online gift directory listing over 1,000 gift baskets from scores of merchants. Prices range from US $20 to over $250, some up to $750! Fewer than 5 per cent are priced at $25 or less; most are between $40 and $100, plus tax and shipping.
Gift baskets keyed to various occasions and holidays are easy to find, as are baskets featuring wine, spa or baby products and golf accessories. However, the contents of most purchased themed gift baskets are quite general in nature, and whatever the theme, most include food and treats.
To obtain the perfect contents, personalized for your special recipient, at a price you can afford, you may wish to assemble a themed gift basket yourself. Here are the basics:
Choosing a theme.
Your recipient's interests and personality are more important than the occasion or your relationship. For example, a kitchen-themed gift basket will please a cook whether s/he is your sibling, colleague or neighbor, and whether it's for a birthday, holiday or housewarming gift.
That said, holiday-themed gift baskets are great when they contain your recipient's traditional once-a-year holiday favorites. The key, always, is to match the theme and gifts to your recipient. Thoughtful Gift Ideas will help.
For more great theme ideas - and gift basket content ideas - visit Homemade Gift Basket Ideas: Themes and More Themes. They provide lots of ideas to get you started.
Next, a container.
The basket itself is an excellent way to set or enhance the theme - for example, a knitting basket, fishing creel, bath/shower tote, picnic basket, bicycle basket, even a laundry basket!
For inexpensive baskets, try a dollar store, discount department store, crafts supply or party shop. Actually, baskets can be found in every sort of store, from hardware to bed and bath, office/stationery to yard and garden, housewares to seasonal shops. Keep an open mind – baskets are made of wicker, splint, wire, plastic, even ceramics!
Don't forget to think "outside the basket" – why not a pail, tray or baking pan? How about a toiletries case, tool caddy or ice bucket? Here are more creative gift packaging ideas for a variety of themed gift-basket containers.
Any container with a wide enough opening is suitable for a themed gift basket. Just be sure it sits flat and is sturdy enough to hold the gifts. A rigid handle is helpful for anchoring tall or breakable gift items.
Now for the contents.
You may wish to feature a special gift and add in some related accessories. Or you might include a full-sized favorite product surrounded by sample sizes of other brands. Theme, and variation-on-a-theme!
Fill remaining spaces with treats and inexpensive fun or useful items (e.g., note pad, granola bar, lip balm, lottery ticket, keychain, box of crayons). Look for items to enhance the theme, especially your recipient's known favorites.
Tip: Start a collection of small gifts to include in your home made themed gift baskets: interesting, well-made, inexpensive items. Be on the lookout wherever you shop! You can find creative gift ideas in almost any discount store, and at seasonal sales in the more expensive shops.
Time to wrap it up!
Your themed gift basket may need nothing more than a pretty bow and gift tag. On the other hand, wrapping a gift basket gives it a nicely finished look and adds a wonderful bit of suspense to your gift. And if you're going to transport your gift basket, we highly recommend that you wrap it (see link below).
No wonder themed gift baskets are such a favorite!
ahead to: Wrapping a Gift Basket
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