by Mary Griffiths

Created on: June 28, 2009   Last Updated: July 02, 2009

Are you a bad gift giver? Never know what to give? Do you always wait until the last minute and then go out and get a gift card? Let me help you by giving you some ideas on putting together some "theme" baskets. These are personalized baskets that anyone would be thrilled to receive and you can be proud to give. You don't need to think about just using the typical wicker basket. Use your imagination, or feel free to use mine.

Basket #1- Beach Basket:

Take a cooler and fill it with a little play sand. Stick a small open umbrella in the middle. Fill the cooler with various items related with summer. Some ideas could be a 2 litre bottle of soda or water, sunscreen, sunglasses, a travel mug, a beach towel, a lawn chair, a gift certificate to the nearby beach restaurant, water bottle, battery operated fan, beach ball or frisbee or anything else you can think they might enjoy at the beach.

Basket #2 - Gardeners Basket:

Use an 8 qt. basket or even a half bushel basket. Put in a bag of potting soil, seed packets, gardeners gloves, small utensils such as a spade or fork, scissors, plant food spikes and bug spray. You can put in some fresh herbs and/or flowering plants to use in the center and fill in with the items mentioned. You could use some decorative moss from the craft store to fill in any gaps. I like to glue the seed packets to various height sticks and place them in between.

Basket #2 - Car Care Basket:

Take a rectangular plastic container with a lid and fill it with any of the the following items. Jumper cables, a qt. of motor oil, fuses, a flashlight, bungee cords, bottle of water, granola bars, emergency blanket, glow sticks or flares, duct tape, tissues or paper towels, leather gloves, maps, screwdrivers, wrenches and a can of fix-a-flat.

Basket #4 - Housewarming Basket:

Use a large outdoor garbage can. Fill it with any of the following items. Hose, hose nozzle, shovel, rake, bird feeder and seed, flag, citronella candles, tiki torches and fuel, bug repellent, solar lights, and work gloves.

Basket #5 - Wedding Shower Basket:

OK this isn't actually a basket but I've done a few of these and everyone loves them. You will be making a lady.Take an ironing board and attach the following items. Roll up 2 bath towels and tie or rubber band them tight. Pin them to the bottom of the board as if they were legs. Roll up 2 hand towels and do the same pinning them to the top as if they were arms. Take an apron and tie it around what would appear to be the waste. Fill the apron pockets with big servings spoons, tongs, forks, grater, bread knife, can opener, vegetable peeler and meat thermometer. Put a shower cap on the top as if it were her hair.

I hope you try my ideas for some very fun and personal gifts for you family and friends. Use your imagination and have fun!

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