Decorating Baskets

You can turn any basket into a great special occasion gift - baskets with a personalized theme will always be a big hit. There are so many different ways to decorate a basket, there's really no limit to what you can do with a simple basket,
some ribbon, and a few decorations.

Materials:

• Wicker basket with handle
• Hot glue gun
• Ribbon
• Dried or silk flowers, leaves, etc.
• Thin wire
• Wire cutters
• Needle-nose pliers
• Simple bathroom soap basket:

Use silk flowers for baskets to be used in a bathroom - they'll be less susceptible to water/moisture damage. Decide on your color scheme. Measure a length of ribbon to go around the lip of the basket. Twist it into a narrow rope and glue it around the rim. You can also wind matching ribbon around the handle, securing the ends with dabs of hot glue. Take a long-stemmed silk flower with some leaves/greenery and bend it along the curve of the handle. Tuck the bottom of the stem inside the basket and use wire to attach the stem to the handle at the top, middle and bottom. Take another flower and secure to handle about 1/3 of the way down. (I like to buy silk flowers that have multiple stems and then separate them, snipping off the lengths I went with wire cutters.) Secure a shorter length flower 2/3 of the way down. You now have a nice cascading effect along the basket handle.

Make a bow to match your ribbon (or buy ready-made).  Attach the bow to the base of the handle or the rim of  the basket with wire and/or hot glue.

Line the inside of the basket with plastic wrap, tissue,  straw or colored confetti. Then fill the basket with interesting soaps, bath oil beads, scented hand creams, etc.

MORE Gift Basket Ideas:

Pamper Me+ Basket -
Fill a basket with some homemade bath salts, lotions, etc., along with loofa, scented candle, and a cardboard note to hang on the door that says +Pampering, Do Not Disturb.


Tea Time Basket -
Include some interesting teas, and a small jar of honey. Add homemade jams or jellies with crackers or a small loaf of homemade bread and a copy of If Teacups Could Talk. Decorate with ribbon and an interesting kitchen utensil  attached to the handle (a teaspoon or honey dipper perhaps...).

Gardener's Basket -
For the gardener, fill the basket with packets of seeds, garden hand tools, gloves, plant markers. Decorate with flowers.

Teacher's Basket -
Fill a basket with fun pencils,  reward toys, erasers, Post-It notepads, Award pads, etc. Decorate the basket with a +school+ theme - instead of ribbon around the rim, glue on a row of pink erasers, alternating with some cute large plastic clips.

Coffee Lover's Basket -
Get a bunch of the small packets of flavored coffees for the coffee lover to sample. Add some chocolate  dipped cinnamon sticks, butter cookies, a special coffee cup,
a jar of homemade Hot Chocolate Mix. Dip a spoon in melted chocolate - allow it to harden, wrap in cellophane and tied w/ a pretty ribbon.  Attach the spoon to the handle.

The Ultimate Chocolate Basket:
A pkg of Hershey's bars, triple fudge brownies, better than sex chocolate cake,
red velvet torte, chocolate truffles, German chocolate brownies,  3 different types of fudge, chocolate syrup, yoo-hoo in the can, a few boxes  of chocolate pudding, and chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate/fudge butter  cookies, homemade hot cocoa powder and a box of cocoa krispies.

The Baby Basket:
A boo boo bunny. A baby's first Christmas ornament, a small canister of powder, baby lotion, diaper rash ointment, baby wipes, washcloths, receiving blankets, a teething ring, a bib and a night light.

The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Role players basket:
3 different types of chocolate candy. A 6-pack of the gamers favorite beverage.
A gift certificate for their favorite photo copy store.  a couple of sets of dice. some miniatures or the new supplement they want. I also include  a couple of pencils and a note book.

The Wearable Art Basket:
An Ironing board cover, some iron ons. Fusible web, some pretty fabrics for applique-, an assortment  of fabric paints and pens. Rhinestone studs, and the metal studs,
a box of Band-Aids and a candy bar.


The New Mom's Basket:
A large bottle of aspirin, a picture frame or photo album. A cassette of favorite music, a package of  burp cloths, hand cream, chocolate and coffee.

The New Car Basket:
A fire extinguisher. A steering wheel cover.  Some annoying fuzzy dice. an air freshener.  A bottle of car wash, tire cleaner, spot remover and car wax.

The Bakers Basket:
A recipe for something that you made that someone liked, along with all the pre-measured ingredients (within reason) and a pack of recipe cards.perhaps a bottle of extract or some food colouring.

"The Bath Basket" (birth to one year old)
Line a large white, wicker basket with a soft baby bath towel and fill with a
bottle of baby bath, shampoo, wash cloths, a comb and brush set, a rubber ducky, powder lotion, a good ointment for diaper rash, and cotton balls. Attach a big bow on the side. Make a tag in the shape of an old claw foot tub and include your best wishes.

"The One Man Band Basket"(one to three years old)
If you can locate an old bushel basket (the type apples used to come in), this would be a perfect start. Fill it with a drum (you may want to make one out of an empty oatmeal box, or purchase a more sophisticated one at the store), a whistle, a harmonica, a tamborine, a xylophone, etc.

"The Budding Artist Basket" (three to five years old)
A bright colored basket would work well for this particular age. Include any of the following; Crayons, washable markers, coloring books, "paint with water" books, water color paints, and brushes, safety scissors, and a few containers of play dough, with cookie cutters. Make an artists palette for the tag.

"The Backpack Basket" (five to seven years old)
These items may be put in a backpack for the child, or the backpack and all
of the items may be put in a box or a basket: Bookplates, with the child's
name engraved on them (these may be purchases at most stationery stores),
pencil box, three or four books suited for this age, a ruler, pencil sharpener, and last-but-not-least, a wallet with the child's own library card in it. You might include a note with the promise of a trip to the local library within a few days.


"The Desk and Doodle Basket" (ages seven to ten years)
Fill with his or her very own personal set of desk accessories or craft "tools". You might include items like a nice pair of scissors in a neon or pastel color, a stapler, a scotch tape dispenser, a ruler, pencil sharpener, some engraved stationery and stamps. Or a nice tool box could be filler with a screwdriver, a hammer, a tape measure, a ruler, a block of wood, nails, pliers, etc.

Ten to Twelve Years Old...
This is perhaps the most difficult age to please in gift-giving. They are not yet young adults. But they definitely do not consider themselves children. It seems best to try and concentrate on a hobby or special interest, and make that your theme. For example:

"The Beach Basket" -
sunscreen, a beach towel, large-toothed comb, a teen magazine, a deck of playing cards, sunglasses, etc.

"The Nature's Friend Basket" -
a bug catcher, books on endangered species, a cricket box, binoculars, bird seed, a compass, bug repellant, a canteen, etc.


"The Baking Basket" -
a cookbook, some measuring spoons and cups, a rolling pin, some spatulas, cookie cutters, hot pads, etc.

"The Good Sport Basket" -
baseball cards and album, tickets to a game, sporting equipment, etc.

"The Bottomless Pit Basket "(Twelve to Fifteen Years Old)
Fill with snack foods of all varieties, gift certificates to local fast food chains or ice cream shops, a roll of quarters for vending machine emergencies

"Driving You Crazy Basket" (Fifteen to Seventeen Years Old)
Make a tag to resemble a license plate, and include inside: the keys to the car, a key chain, car wax, a chamois, a contract stating under which conditions the car may be driven, with blank lines for you and the young driver to agree upon and fill out, stating what will happen if the rules are broken, and a business size card on which you will write of your unconditional love for them. This card should be carried with them right alongside their drivers license.

"You're on Your Own Basket" (Eighteen to Twenty One Years Old)
A mending kit, and address book, a dozen stamped envelopes all addressed to
Mom and/or Dad, quarters for laundry, coupons, a Bible, family recipes, etc.

Any Age Adult.....

Again, it's best to find a theme that surrounds a particular interest or hobby. Food is always a welcome sight at any age. Perhaps a specific type of food or beverage that you know this person loves could be the central idea. You could also concentrate on their chosen profession as a theme. For instance, a teacher might enjoy a ....


"Teacher's Pet Basket"
Fill it with several big, polished apples, a calendar, notecards, pencils, paper clip holder, memo pads, post-it's, etc. (not mentioned, but gift certificates to a good book store are probably most welcomed by a teacher)

"The Best is Yet to Be Basket" (senior adults)
An assortment of greeting cards and a card organizer that lists special dates
involving friends and family members, fresh fruit, gift certificate for favorite restaurant, a miniature purse size photo album with all of the children and grandchildren pictured and a short message written by each one of them, a deck of playing cards, theatre tickets.

"Car Travelers Basket":
a phone card (so they could phone home and let us know where they were and
get news), a road map, snacks, and a few other things I can't remember, but
you could include emergency road flares or a kit, fast food gift certificates,
a neck pillow, a tape or CD, books on their destination, a small reading light
for the car, a flashlight, etc.