by Jessica Steele

Created on: January 27, 2011   Last Updated: January 30, 2011

Thinking of putting together a personalized gift for someone special? The boundaries are limitless when you decide to create a unique gift basket.

The first thing you need to do is ask yourself a few questions. Do you have a theme in mind? How well do you know the person you are assembling the gift for? Will it be highly personalized or is it a rather generic gift for a mere acquaintance? Will your gift basket be fun, functional, or both? What is your budget? Gift baskets can get quite spendy very quickly if you don’t plan ahead. Because each basket is one of a kind, the options are vast. Once you have determined your budget and theme, the fun part starts.

Decide what type of receptacle you will use. It can be anything, depending on your theme. If you have a child going away to college or want to create a nice housewarming gift basket, a laundry basket might be a good receptacle. You could fill it with such things as laundry soap and fabric softener, a roll or two of quarters, a magazine or book to read while sitting doing laundry. You could also include a set of hangers or a new shower curtain, or even a set of towels or bed sheets.  Another housewarming idea would be a colander filled with the makings for a meal. You could include a jar of spaghetti sauce, pasta, parmesan cheese (the dry kind), a pasta spoon or serving set, and a dishtowel. You could print a recipe card and give the ingredients for the dish in an appropriate piece of cook/bake ware. Cookbooks and hot-pads are always good fillers for a gift basket with a kitchen theme.

Maybe you want to make a gift for the writer in your life. You could find some office organizing container that is appropriate to hold your gift fillers. Also available would be such things as a decorative box or writing utensil organizer. An office trashcan would also be a great receptacle for a larger gift basket. You could fill it with such things as pretty stationary, a journal, pens, pencils, and markers of various colors. Erasers and white out. Most writers love office supplies and the pretty supplies make great gifts. A book about writing or getting published might be a good filler option, and if your writer uses their keyboard more than pen and paper, maybe an ink cartridge for their printer.

Baby gift baskets can be very fun to make, especially if you are impatiently anticipating the new arrival. Every new baby needs all kinds of small and inexpensive items that can add up to quite the basket if you are not

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