Gift Basket Ideas

​One way to give an inexpensive gift is to DIY. You can make a gift basket any size that works for you, and you don't have to have a lot of crafting skills to put it together. Store-bought gift baskets can be costly, so pick a theme, find great deals on items, and put it in a basket. To help you decide on your gift basket direction, I've got the answers to the most common questions about the unwritten gift basket rules and what in the world should go in them. 

What are good gift basket ideas?

​There are a lot of themes that are covered below; gourmet food, fruit, breakfast, winter, sangria, Italian, movie night, wine, mom, and dad. Some other options are beauty, technology/gadgets, International baskets (I mostly have food options in mind such as tea, chocolates, etc. when suggesting this one), wellness, state theme, sports teams, cooking, photography, and gardening. ​Usually, any common hobby can be a good gift basket theme.

What can I put in a gift basket for my mom?

​For my mom, I would do a relaxation theme. Anything stress-relieving would work for this gift basket; bath bombs, bath salts, a face mask, massaging hand sauna, candles, lavender heat wrap, a luxury robe, slippers, moisturizing gel socks, etc. A mother's stress never goes away, especially for my mom, and I would want to give her something that puts her first. 

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Stress Relief Bath Salts $14.27

Stress Relief Face Mask $17.99

Barefoot Scientist Therapeutic Sleep Socks $22.00

Bath Bomb Gift Set $26.80

Stress Relief Candle Gift Set $29.99

Massaging Hand Sauna $36.45

Aromatic Heat Wrap $44.00

Stress Relieving Shoulder Wrap $45.00

​You can also do a basket of her favorite things with a few things you know she'd love thrown in there. For example, for my mom, I would do her favorite sugar-free chocolates, a gift card to her tea shop, mixed nuts, her favorite scent in lotion and body spray, a Dallas Cowboy sweatshirt, cozy socks, and a grandchild brag book. This theme helps you show mom you see her. You pay attention enough to know all of her favorite things. 

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Grandma's Brag Book $12.60

Cozy Socks $12.99

Sugar-Free-Chocolates $25.85

Dallas Cowboy Sweatshirt $64.99

What can I put in a gift basket for my dad?

​This one isn't as commonly asked as all the others, but something tells me not to discount dad. Anything representing his sports team will work; a tumbler, a sweatshirt, lounge pants, a hat, novelty socks, a tie, and cufflinks. If he's not into sports, any of the previously listed items in a style that fits him are great options.

​A basket of his favorite things is also an option here. For my dad, I'd do some Astros gear like a polo, and a hat. I'd include a tumbler with either a gift card for coffee or a bag of a nice brew and a few handy gadgets (he's always working on things).

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Sterling Silver Patriots Cufflinks $99.99

Patriots Tie $24.99

Celtics Sweatshirt $74.99

Celtics Tumbler $34.99

What do you put in a movie night or movie-themed gift basket?

​You can't have movie night without tons of junk food; a popcorn gift set, popcorn salts, a variety of candy, cookies, and a gift card to a local pizza place are a start. Add in a popcorn bowl, a variety of movies (horror, comedy, drama), an amazon gift card to rent a movie, a comfy throw blanket, and cozy socks. Yes, more cozy socks as they work for almost every basket.

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Cozy Slippers $7.39

Popcorn Bowl $15.90

Throw Blanket $24.99

Popcorn Seasonings Set $25.00

What do you put in a gourmet food basket?

​Let's start with what is gourmet food; gourmet food is refined aesthetically balanced meals and usually involves many courses. Think smoked salmon, foie gras, pate, truffles, mushrooms, condiments, specialty meats, oil, vinegar, cheese, chocolates, and finishing salts. 

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Chocolate Caramel Corn $6.54

Jalapeno Sea Salt $13.09

Foie Gras 1 Jar $35.60

Truffle Sample Trio $49.95

​What can I put in a fruit gift basket?

​Apples and pears are the most classic go tos, but you can do any fruit. Items that pair well with the fruit would be mixed nuts, cheese, dried meats, and crackers; think charcuterie. Any fruit products such as preserves or dried fruit snacks will work as well.

What do you put in a breakfast gift basket?

Oh, how we love breakfast and all that it brings; scones, muffins, preserves, waffle mix, tea bread, sweet rolls, lots of coffee, honey glazed ​​ham, quiche, and coffee cake. You can't go wrong with a brunch spin; don't forget the brunch cocktail mix. 

​​I'm also loving the idea of creating a specific breakfast themed gift basket, like a pancake breakfast theme. To create this basket, buy a cute large mixing bowl that will serve as your basket, a whisk, pancake mix, syrup, and jam (my favorite's raspberry). You can even throw in a whipped cream maker. 

Click the image to shop the ready-to-buy inspiration for the pancake basket idea. $54.95

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Mixing Spoon $8.63

British Brunch Tea $8.79

Peach and Prosecco Preserves $9.99

Bloody Mary Seasoning $16.96

Mixing Bowl $17.95

Brunch Cookbook $24.95

Pancake and Waffle Mix Sampler $26.95

Whipped Cream Dispenser $29.99

What do you put in a sangria gift basket?

​You can get a large pitcher or drink dispenser, use it as your basket, and load it up with fruit (such as oranges, berries, apples, and peaches), a bottle of wine, and a mixing spoon. Finish it off with a bow, and it's ready to gift.

If you want to go beyond a pitcher of ingredients, try shopping for spice blends, personalized glasses, fruit spoons, a sangria scented candle, sangria scented bath bombs, and sangria fruit salsa. I'd still include a small sangria pitcher, a bottle of wine, and a mixing spoon. ​A nice final touch is writing a couple of your favorite sangria recipes on some stationery; I'd suggest a red and a white sangria recipe. 

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Sangria Lip Balm $2.95+

Sangria Bath Bombs $3.00+

Sangria Scented Lotion $6.00

Personalized Sangria Glass $6.00

Sangria Scented Candle $18.99

Sangria Spice Blend $20.00

Intoxicated Sangria Fruit Spoons $58.00+

Handmade Sangria Pitcher $60.00

What do you put in an Italian gift basket?

​A great thing about an Italian basket theme is it comes with a lot of food. A pasta gift set or noodles and pasta sauce, olive oil and vinegar, panettone, biscotti, and chocolate truffles are all tasty Italian food gifts. Other items to include are aprons, tea towels, and cooking utensils. Make it fun by choosing Italian themed options, or not and stick with classic options.

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Italian Panettone $9.04

Italian Chocolate Truffles $9.99

Biscotti $14.99

Olive Oil Sampler $24.99

​What do you put in a wine basket for a raffle?

​A nice bottle of wine, an electric corkscrew, wine glasses, a decanter, wine candies, a Vinebox subscription, a wine tumbler, a wine scented candle, a winemaking kit, wine stain remover spray, a wine journal, a wine basket set, and wine lip scrub are all wins for the raffle ticket buyer.

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Wine Lip Balm $3.89+

Wine Stain Remover Spray $6.67

Wine Tasting Journal $8.99

Wine Tumbler $9.99

Port Chocolates $12.99

Electric Corkscrew Opener $19.99

Merlot Wine Candle $19.99

DIY Winemaking Kit $29.99

What is a silent auction basket?

​A silent auction basket is a basket that people supporting a charity or cause bid against each other to win. Their value can range from $50-$500 or even more, depending on the level of the event. 

What are good silent auction items?

​Any theme will work, it depends on the level of event you're hosting, and the final bid price range goal. For lower-end price points, any of the themes and items shared here today will work. If you're looking to go on the higher-end of the bidding war, add in something like luxury box tickets to a game or floor seats, a day at the spa, weekend trips, concert tickets, a meal at a nice restaurant, and a private chef for the night. 

​Share your chosen theme below in the comments. I'm favoring the winter gift basket. There's nothing like being cozied up by the fire with a blanket and hot chocolate.

Now that you are in the know of gift basket dos and don'ts, have chosen you're theme, and are gathering all of your items together, you need a basket to put it in. Until next time, happy gifting!