- Simple Gift Basket Ideas for Any Season - mensatic/morguefile.com
No matter what the celebration, a creative gift basket is easy to make from simple materials. Assembled together, the result can be clever, creative, and a thoughtful gesture to someone special or someone new to the neighborhood.
Presentation is also key to creating a beautiful gift basket. Use clear or colored cellophane for a classic presentation, or use a simple bed of shredded paper or gift tissue layers to display the items. With perishable foods, make sure to pack the basket shortly before presentation (and avoid hot environments that can melt or damage the foods).
Simple S'mores Kit
Classic summer s'mores are a favorite for picnics and camping trips, making them a great choice for gift baskets and welcome packages.
Directions:
- Form "individual kits" by place a chocolate bar, twin marshmallows in a sandwich bag, and two graham cracker squares in ziplock kit, along with a bamboo shishkibob skewer.
- Carefully roll each sandwich bag of contents up as close as possible without squashing the ingredients, then tie each roll with a piece of curly gift ribbon. Tuck in a gift basket, along with a mini box of matches.
Hot Chocolate Snowman Basket
Make a cute marshmallow snowman tucked in a hot chocolate kit perfect for greeting new neighbors or giving as an officeplace gift basket.
Directions:
- Fill a plastic sandwich bag with mini marshmallows, leaving extra empty space. Divide the bag into sections to represent the snowman's layers, then tie them off white gift ribbon. Tie off the top and cut away the excess plastic and zipper seal.
- Cover the plastic gathered at the top with a small pointed cap cut and sewn from felt scraps.
- Decorate with mini black buttons or beads glued to the plastic surface, then tuck inside the basket alongside packets of instant hot chocolate.
Nutcracker Cookie Box
Make a cute Christmas Nutcracker container for a gift of homemade walnut cookies or roasted and sugared nuts by using an empty Pringles can or cardboard tube canister. Draw a unique Nutcracker template for sizing the construction paper strips or or use a copyright-free online version for inspiration. Crafters can also print the craft template to create a simple wrap-around cover for the cannister.
Directions:
- Line the inside of the canister with wax paper and place the cookies inside in a stack.
- Use a printed template or cover the outside in sheets of colored paper cut to fit the canister, creating a "nutcracker" design. A strip of black at the top forms a rounded Russian soldier's hat, a strip of peach, tan or brown forms a face.
- For the paper strip version, use bright uniform colors like blue or red to create a jacket, with white or brown for trousers and a narrow strip of black at the bottom for the boots.
- Color the face using markers or craft paint; embellish the coat, boots, and hat with a metallic gold marker or shapes cut from gold craft paper.
- Use small pieces of peach or tan to create hands and the stout chin or Nutcracker "jaw" with a white paper beard for a traditional touch.
- Once the container is decorated, tuck in a basket along with a handful of English walnuts or pecans.
Patriotic Cookie Kit
Create a patriotic celebration with a layered cookie kit made with red, white, and blue ingredients.
Directions:
- Measure out the dry ingredients for basic chocolate chip oatmeal cookies in separate bowls.
- Divide the oatmeal into two equal parts, dyeing them with red and blue food coloring (one of each) mixed with a little water.
- Fill the bottom of the jar with bulk dry ingredients (such as flavored chips, nuts, etc.), then add any brown sugar or cinnamon. Then layer the red oatmeal and white flour and sugar to form patriotic "stripes"; top with a layer of blue oatmeal.
- Decorate the outside of the jar with paper stars adhered to the glass or a mini star stamp and white paint. Decorate the patriotic fabric and ribbon, then tuck in a basket with a complete recipe card and a lemonade packet.
From jars of goodies to hand-decorated containers, tucking something special into a gift basket creates a unique presentation. Whether celebrating a special occasion or a new arrival, a carefully-prepared basket can be a perfect choice for a thoughtful gift.
Sarah Briggs - For the last two years, I have designed primitive dolls and folk art sculptures (such as Edwin Drood and the Ghost of Marley) for Cordwood ...
