How to Wrap a Gift Basket

Gift wrapping services are a handy convenience, but there's something special about a gift that's been personally selected and wrapped by hand. Gift baskets are a great solution because they require a little less work than a boxed gift that requires wrapping paper. Follow these steps to wrap a gift basket.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Cut a length of cellophane that is just over twice the size of the basket. It's better to have a little extra cellophane that can be trimmed later if it looks sloppy or excessive than to begin the wrapping process and discover that you don't have enough cellophane to wrap the basket.
2. Place the cellophane on a flat surface. Smooth out any wrinkles or air pockets in the cellophane and straighten it with the edge of the table. This will make it easier to measure its length on either side of the basket when wrapping it.
3. Center the basket in the middle of the cellophane. Lift the cellophane lengths on either side of the basket and bring them together above the basket to make sure the 2 sides are even. If they are not, adjust the basket's placement until there is an equal length of cellophane on each side of the basket, and the basket is centered.
4. Lift the cellophane above the handle of the basket and bring the 2 sides together at the place on the gift basket where the handle meets the basket.
5. Use a small piece of tape to secure the 2 pieces of cellophane together and to tape them together against the side of the basket. Repeat this process on the other side of the basket so that both sides of the basket have cellophane securely taped around them.
6. Tuck in any loose materials from inside the basket so that they are completely encased in the cellophane wrapping, and the cellophane encompasses the entire basket.
7. Gather the cellophane together at the top of the gift basket's handle. Pull both sides of the cellophane together in a bundle at the center of the handle and hold firmly.
8. Wrap a ribbon or bow around the cellophane bundle at the center of the top of the handle. Tie tightly into a bow so that the cellophane is held in place and does not droop or fall back down. Drape the ends of the decorative bow over the outside of the cellophane for decoration.