How to Make a Professional Looking Gift Basket

Gift baskets are all the rage. They are more useful to send than flowers and they can be fully customized to the recipient's tastes. You can make a basket for so many different occasions and once you learn how to do one, you'll be making them for everyone you know

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A theme to work around
• Container
• Gifts-use a variety of different sizes items
• Glue dots or hot glue gun
• Tape
• Shred or tissue paper
• Cardboard and/or kraft paper
• Mesh, tulle, or cellophane wrap
• Wired Ribbon
• Curling Ribbon
• Card

1. Take your container and stuff the interior full of the kraft paper. If you have a piece of cardboard, cut it to the shape of the container's opening. Fill the basket with kraft paper until it is filled to the brim of the container. Take you piece of cardboard and affix some glue dots or some hot glue to the bottom side of the cardboard and place in onto the kraft paper.
2. Now, you should have an even surface to begin to place your gifts onto. Take a look at all of your gifts. Choose the largest gift to place in the container first. It should go somewhere in the middle but can be a little off centered to add visual interest. Glue this item in place by adding glue to the bottom of the item and affix it to the piece of cardboard.
3. Now look for the two items that will go next to the center piece. Glue these items to the cardboard. You can slant one or angle the other in a different direction so as to add some visual interest. One item can also go slightly in front of another. Where two items touch, add some glue to keep them together.
4. Now add your smallest items. Make sure you are working form back to front, so larger items go in the back and smaller items are in the front
5. Once all your items are in place, give the container a little wiggle to check that everything is secure. Add more glue to loose spots.
6. Now add your shred. The shred will secure items and add to the decorative look of the gift. Place shred in open spaces and allow some to hang over the container's edge.
7. Wrap the container in mesh or cellophane. Place the wrapping material under the basket and pull up from all sides. Tie at top with some curling ribbon.
8. Add a decorative bow with the wired ribbon and allow some of the ribbon to flow down over the container. Tie a small card onto the piece of curling ribbon

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your shred color compliments your theme. For instance, choose holiday colors for a Christmas basket, pink, yellow or blue for baby and chocolate or evergreen for a men's basket.
• Never place soaps, candles or other scented items in a food gift basket. Vice versa never place a snack in with fragrant spa items.
• Add something unexpected, like a magazine to a gift basket.
• Some of the easiest items to add to a gift basket-popcorn, chocolate, cookies and candies
• Select items for their packaging and content
• Never ship chocolate items during warm months-they will melt!
• Watch when adding glass items to a gift basket. They require a lot more anchoring to safely includ ethem
• Square and rectangular containers and products are easiest for beginners. Stay away from round items as they are harder to work with.
• Always remember to remove purchase tags from everything!
• Don't forget to sign the card.