Gift Baskets

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Make a homemade gift basket for the person who has everything. iStockphoto.com/LEEZSNOW

Ever wondered what to give the “person who has everything”? A gift basket could be just the thing. Have you been from shop to shop and thought, “Yes, this is it,” and then discounted the gift because it wasn’t really what you wanted.

My best friend has everything, and when I say everything, I mean everything. She has either been given or purchased every conceivable gadget available in the last five years. She loves to shop. One of her mottos is “Shop ’til you drop, spend ’til the end.” And she lives by that rule!

When it comes to gifts for my friend, she is “the hardest person to buy for.” Oh, did I tell you, she even has a kitchen sink on her car key tag!

It was while looking for a present for my friend that I thought, “What about a gift basket?” I was in a specialized shop, and the sign said “For the Person Who Has Everything,” and the light turned on.

I’m not sure if you are aware, but these days, gift baskets have changed. No longer are they the old-style cane baskets, although there are some very attractive cane baskets available on today’s market. Today, gift baskets come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, it is basically up to your imagination as to what a gift basket should be. You can use old shoes, buckets, calico bags and pot plant holders – in fact, anything that holds what items you purchase to fill the basket with.

Gift baskets are lots of fun to create and very easy to make. Gone are the days of saying, “Oh, I’m not creative enough to make a professional-looking basket.” Anyone can make a professional-looking basket as long as you have some imagination and a willingness to give it a try.

If you are stuck for a present for that person who has everything, then a gift basket is for you!

First decide on a theme – or if you aren’t sure, then write down the interests of the recipient (golf or tennis, shopping, etc.). You could even base it around a coming event. Once you have made the list, work your way through it until you find something that stands out that would fit into your gift basket theme.

Let’s say your friend loves to entertain, and one of her favorite meals is Italian food.

You could choose a selection of baskets for this theme – we’ll use a large pasta bowl as our “basket” or a large cooking pot. Our basket needs to be large enough to hold the goodies that we are going to purchase so that we can then turn this into a professional-looking gift basket. If neither of these ideas appeals to you, let your imagination take over, and choose something that fits into your theme selection.