Gift baskets make great holiday offerings, whether you go with a small, personal collection or the over-the-top version. These 20 tips for making holiday gift baskets both personal and corporate will help you ensure that your gift is the perfect fit for friends, family or clients without fuss or muss.First, choose a theme for your basket that matches the recipient’s interests or passions. This helps make the gift a cohesive unit, and it shows that you put some thought into personalizing it. For your foodie friends, go with a cooking-themed basket containing things like a cookbook and utensils, out-of-the-ordinary seasoning blends or a special ingredient. Give your party host a basket with cheeses, candied or spiced nuts and some crackers, or thrill your office mate with coffees and teas, biscotti and some fine chocolates
Choose a smaller container than you think you will need. Contents can get lost in a too-large basket, and you want them to show up and shine.
Think outside the basket when selecting a container. Use a flowerpot, a reusable tote, messenger or lunch bag. For smaller gift baskets, use a coffee mug or even a shoe or boot as a container. Serving bowls and trays also work well with food-based gifts. Check garage sales and resale shops for containers, and don’t worry if they are a little well-used; a can of spray-paint will cover a lot of scratches and scrapes.
Save money and fuss by stuffing the bottom half of the container with paper bags or newspaper before topping that with decorative shreds. Instead of expensive filler, use your office shredder and some leftover gift wrap to create a decorative bed for the basket’s contents.
