How to Make a Professional Gift Basket

You don't have to spend a lot of money to make a homemade gift. These easy, step-by-step instructions will teach you how to make a professional-looking gift basket (and save you money in the process).

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large basket or container
• Cellophane wrapping (found at crafts stores)
• Gift-basket items (various items ranging from wine to food items to bath items)
• Newspaper
• Five to six packages of paper shred to fill basket/container (found at craft stores)
• Packing tape (tape used for mailing large packages)
• Regular tape
• Scissors
• Curling ribbon
• Large-width decorative ribbon

How to Make a Professional Gift Basket

1. Buy the gift items you want to place in the basket. (Bargain hunt for sale items or items at discount stores.) Choose a basket or unique-looking container (for example, a stainless steel ice bucket for a wine basket, or a plastic sand bucket for a beach-themed gift basket).Lay out the gift items on a table. Look at the size of the basket (or container) and assess the sizes of your gift items to determine what fits inside the basket (or container). Tear pieces of newspaper and crunch newsaper into small balls with your hands. Fill bottom of basket with the balls of newspaper (to build the base of the basket or container).

2. Tear open packages of shred. Arrange gift-basket items in an artful display. (For example, arrange items so they aren't hiding and lay them at different angles inside the basket or container.) Make sure you have enough shred and newspaper that your gift items don't sink to the bottom of the basket or container.

3. Fill in the gaps of your basket (or container) with paper shred, allowing a few pieces to hang off the side of the basket for a fun, festive look. Cover the newspaper with enough shred that the newspaper isn't showing.Cut small pieces of curling ribbon and curl with one end of the scissors. Place the small pieces of ribbon inside the basket, over and around the gift items.

4. Take your roll of cellophane and unroll it. Place the basket (or container) in the middle of the cellophane and measure the width and length of the basket. Measure extra cellophane on the top so you can bunch the cellophane at the top (in order to tie it with the large-width decorative ribbon). Cut the cellophane according to your measurements. Pull the edges of the cellophane on the bottom so they are tight on the bottom. Pull tightly so there are smooth edges on and around the base of the basket (or container). Tape the back and the sides of the basket (or container) with both the packing tape and regular tape to make it secure. Bunch the cellophane at the top tightly (so there is enough cellophane sticking up at the top). Tie with a long piece of curling ribbon and double-knot it.

5. Tie a long piece of decorative ribbon around the curling ribbon and tie in a full bow. Curl the curling ribbon with one side of your scissors. Add more curling ribbon to the top (if desired). Use your imagination to create festive, eye-catching bows, or add stickers to the cellophane for colorful decoration.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at examples of gift baskets to get creative ideas. Some fun gift-basket ideas include: a movie gift basket (use a popcorn tub and fill with microwave popcorn, DVDs, movie candy and a pair of movie tickets); baby shower basket (use a crate or wicker hamper and fill with diapers, toys, bath items or baby clothes); wine and gourmet food basket (use a picnic basket and include wine glasses, bottles of wine, imported cheeses, specialty oils and vinegars, tablecloth and cheese cutter).
• Use the internet as a resource to search for ideas, and hunt for bargains and sales at discount stores and specialty gourmet stores. Stock up on items throughout the year, and itemize your inventory, which will make it easier to create themes for different baskets.
• Personalize your baskets by baking homemade treats (cookies or candies) for an extra-special touch.