Gift baskets could possibly be my favorite gift to give. They’re customizable, so easy to put together, and typically turn out absolutely gorgeous. If that ‘so easy to put together’ line doesn’t apply to you, then you’re in the right place! Fear not, today I’m going to show you step by step how to put together a beautiful gift basket. Let’s get to it.

 

Step 1. Choose Your Theme

So you aren’t giving away a basket full of random stuff that looks like a complete disaster, it’s important to choose a theme. There are so many different themes you can create. If your recipient loves to bake, do a baking theme. If they love chocolate, do a chocolate candy theme or a hot chocolate theme. You could also do a gourmet food theme, a movie night theme, a get-well theme–the possibilities are endless. For the sake of this post, I’m going to create a basket with a spa theme. I went to World Market and picked up several spa-themed items to fill my basket:

 

1. Bubble Bath
2. Bath Salts (similar)
3. Bar Soap (similar)
4. Foot Scrubber
5. Bath Beads
6. Hand & Body Cream (similar)
7. Exfoliating Soap Pouch
8. Scented Candle

 

Step 2. Pick Your “Basket”

Now, your “basket” doesn’t actually have to be a basket at all. Any item that you can fill, you can use as your basket. For example, if you decide to do a baking theme, you could use a mixing bowl as your “basket.” If you’re doing a movie night theme, how about a popcorn container? You could also just use a plain old regular basket because those work too, and most of the time, look fantastic no matter what you put in them. For my spa themed “basket,” I chose this retro 50’s mint green caddy. I thought this would be a great idea because my recipient can use it for other things in the future.

 

Step 3. Choose your stuffing

When putting together a gift basket, you don’t always have to use stuffing but it definitely helps to fill out your basket and give it just a little more oomph and a better presentation. There are a variety of different stuffings you can use for your basket from crinkle cut shredded paper to plastic metallic “grass.” I chose this red crinkle cut paper stuffing to give my basket a more festive, holiday look.

 

Step 4. Fill It

Now it’s time to fill your basket. I always put a generous amount of stuffing in first and then arrange my items the way I like, adding or removing the paper stuffing as necessary. When you arrange your items, try to keep each item the same distance from the others and put the taller items that may stick out, in the back so you can see the smaller items in the front.

 

Step 5. Decide If You Want To Wrap It

You don’t have to wrap your basket. Wrapping it can give it that extra-festive gifty-look. But it can also make your basket look generic and store-bought which is what I tend to try to avoid. If you decide to wrap your basket, you can pick up some cellophane plastic wrap at any party store. Whether you decide to wrap your basket or not, I suggest adding a bow or some ribbon to give your basket a gifty look. I decided not to wrap my basket in cellophane and instead, tied this bright and cheerful bow to it. Here’s the finished product:

 

I hope you found some inspiration and now know how to make a gift basket–be sure to share your gift basket with me on Instagram.

Looking for other gift ideas? Check out Last-Minute Gifts For The Home Decorator for some great ideas.