gift ideas for fun and profit

Table of Contents Part I: Gift Basket Business and Gift Basket Making Ideas Ideas for your Gift Basket Company Being Successful With Your Gift Basket Biz Designing Your Gift Basket Webs

Gift Ideas For Fun and Profit!

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Table of Contents

Part I: Gift Basket Business and Gift Basket Making Ideas

Ideas for your Gift Basket Company

Being Successful With Your Gift Basket Biz

Designing Your Gift Basket Website

Marketing Your Gift Basket Business

Why Give a Gift Basket?

Buying Gift Baskets for Family and Friends

Decorating your Gift Basket

Baby Shower Gift Baskets

Candy Gift Baskets

Creating a Birthday Gift Basket

Creating a Coffee Gift Basket

Creating a Gourmet Gift Basket

Creating a Themed Gift Basket

Do-It-Yourself Gift Baskets

Gift Basket Ideas for Women

Giving a Gift Basket for Christmas

Giving the Perfect Wedding Gift Basket

Making Christmas Gift Baskets

Sending a Gift Basket College Care Package

Part II: Holiday Gifts

Top Five Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

Holiday Gifts: Food in Baskets, Bottles & Boxes

Holiday Gifts: Crafts

Holiday Gift Ideas That Are Perfect For Men

Holiday Gifts for the NASCAR Racing Fan

Holiday Gifts; Home Parties

Holiday Gifts: Pets

Holiday Gifts That Give All Year Long

Holiday Gifts: Tickets, Gift Certificates and IOU's

Holiday Gifts: Unusual Gifts

Holiday: Scrapbooking - The Gift of Memories

This Holiday Give the Gift of a Star

Timeless Holiday Gift Ideas

Why Crafts Are Still A Wonderful Holiday Gift Idea

Part III: Frugal Gift Ideas

Frugal Gifts for the Housekeeper

Frugal Gift in a Jar Ideas

Handicraft Gift Idea: Make an Apron

Part IV: Gift History

Gift Giving Superstitions and Legends

The Six Worst Gift Ideas Ever

Part V: Links

Links

Ideas for your Gift

Basket Company

If you have ever wanted to create your own gift basket company then there is no better time to do something like this then the present moment! There are all sorts of ways that one can go about creating a gift basket company and if you haven't started one yet then you have run across the exact type of book that you should be reading First off, it's important to have a kind of entrepreneurial spirit when starting your own gift basket company from the ground up, or any

other type of company for that matter It's important to keep an open mind about pretty much all of the issues that goes along with

creating your business, but making sure that you have a business plan should also be your number one priority!

Before starting your own gift basket company, however, the first

thing that you want to think about perhaps should be what kind of gift basket company will you be and what services you will offer to the public Of course for many people this may be a huge no-brainer question to answer, but if all your answer consists of is that you want to start a company that sells gift baskets then you should

definitely put more thought into what you want

For starters, will you be a year-round gift basket company or will your business specialize in providing gift baskets just for major holidays? One suggestion here would be to open yourself up to

virtually any type of gift basket that you get a request for Whether it's a birthday gift basket, Easter gift basket, or even a Christmas one, there are millions of people that buy gift baskets on a regular basis for their family and friends and your whole goal should be

their primary source from which they buy gift baskets!

Another issue when it comes to starting your gift basket company is what type of prices you'll charge for the different sizes of gift baskets, assuming that you'll have more than one size Many people simply choose to make all of their gift baskets a "one size fits all" type of deal, but creating different sizes and ranges of the baskets themselves makes it a whole lot easier for people to judge how much

of something they'll be receiving when they purchase one

Nevertheless, though, the price of the gift baskets is important A few sample prices may include selling a small gift basket for $15, a medium sized one for $25, and perhaps a third larger gift basket set

at $40-50 Of course you can always make your prices higher or lower depending on how much you will be including with the gift ba skets, but chances are that those prices are right on the nose

Of course these two issues are just some of the starting issues to think about when preparing for your gift basket company Deciding if you will have employees, where you will store your supp lies, as well

as if your gift baskets will be delivered are important to think

about as well, but thinking small is a good idea to creating a solid business everyone can enjoy!

Being Successful With Your Gift Basket Biz

Creating a unique business always gives you the upper hand because it gives you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd If you live in

a relatively small town and would like to start a gift basket

business then chances are that you are pretty much the only one in town who is going to do such a thing As a side note, one of the

great things about living in small towns is that you can develop

creative businesses without fear of it being replicated too much, but

on the other hand big cities usually always have duplicates of small businesses Nevertheless, though, a gift basket business is not only

a lucrative opportunity for you to profit in your market you're about

to advertise to, but it also gives you the chance to hone your

creative thinking skills and personality!

If you have already somewhat gotten started making gift baskets and advertising your service to family and friends then you probably

already have a lot of orders coming in This can be a good thing

because it allows you to get your feet wet without having a

full-fledged brick-and-mortar gift basket store, but once you can keep up with the orders then it may be time to take your gift basket biz to the next level

What's the next level, though? In many businesses people see the

"next level" as something that they will eventually reach, but the next level for a small gift basket business often involves making professional ways to advertise your services at the very least For example, creating a website is just one of the ways you can

successfully advertise your services Another way, though, is through the development of business cards that you can pass around your city

or town The point is, though, to spread the word about your

profession so that you will be able to have orders for gift baskets coming in daily Let's face it: there are plenty of occasions going

on daily that people need gift baskets for and tapping into the

market is one good thing about your business

Another thing that one should definitely do with his or her gift

basket business is to keep him or her self as organized as possible Even though you may have previously just gone out to stores to create gift baskets on a per-order basis, one idea to try would be to keep everything at your house or another storage facility so that you can simply use the resources and materials that you have as you need

them This will not only save a whole lot of money, but you'll also

be saving valuable time as well just in case a whole bunch of gift basket orders come in all at once!

There are plenty of other ways to be successful with your gift basket biz If you're just starting out in the business then you may want to experience making many different types of the gift baskets

themselves, changing the actual gift baskets that you use, or just mixing things up a bit so that your business will stay as creative as possible!

Designing Your Gift

Basket Website

When creating your gift basket business chances are that you'll be advertising it to family and friends first so that they can easily spread the word along to their other family members and friends as well However, one thing that many people and gift basket businesses don't think about, though, is creating a website to go along with their basket business But in today's modern society one can hardly ever get along in the business world without first having a

legitimate website to identify itself with A website will not only add spunk to the creative gift basket business, but it will also give

it some sort of personality that can be great for any business if it's hoping to attract customers

The first thing that you'll want to do when designing your gift

basket business website is to have everything neatly laid out on your website so that your customers and potential buyers will be able to see everything you have to offer This includes making categories, making sure that the product information is accurate, as well as

including pictures so that everyone can see what you’re selling In addition, if you are going to allow custom gift baskets to be ordered from a variety of different products then there also should be a

separate website section for that!

Another issue that you'll want to have clarified on your website is the ordering process As with any business the ordering process

should be smooth and easy This is obviously very simple to do when creating your business in the offline world, but in the online world

there needs to be much more thought put into it, especially if you want your gift basket business to succeed There should be at least several large buttons that read "Order Here" or something else to that effect so that your visitors will be able to tell where the

ordering form is

Perhaps another creative idea for designing your gift basket business website is to give your customers interesting content to read For example, if you have a sports gift basket business then your website could possibly include some updates on the latest football,

basketball, or baseball games In addition, if gourmet chocolate gift baskets are being sold then having a couple article s devoted to the history of chocolate and the many different varieties of gourmet

chocolate may not be a bad idea

Of course one issue that perhaps lies underneath everything else that was described above is the actual website design itself There are many businesses that may just have a plain white background, but on the World Wide Web it has been said that businesses only have a

matter of seconds to hold and keep their customers' attention Adding relevant images, pictures, and patterns to your website is a great idea!

All of these things are important, though, if one is going to succeed

in the online world with their gift basket business Having an

organized site, as well as making sure there are interesting designs and content to look at and read are all very important to your

business!

Marketing Your Gift

Basket Business

There are many different types of businesses that one can get

involved with, but one interesting and unique type of business that one can actually create by him or her self involves gift baskets Even though there may be plenty of individuals around your city or nearby town that specialize in creating gift baskets for all

different types of occasions, there is also plenty room for more gift basket businesses simply because the options and choices for gift baskets are wide and varied Indeed, there may be a gift basket

business that only creates products around the holiday time, but on the other hand if you want your gift basket business to stand out from the crowd then a good service to offer your customers is the creation of gift baskets all-year round!

Needless to say, though, if there indeed are many different gift

basket businesses around your area then you will definitely want to have a marketing plan all lined up in order to attract customers and hopefully raise sales of your gift baskets There are many different ways in which one can market his or her gift basket business, but there are three messages that need to show through whatever marketing technique you are going to use: creativity, customer appreciation, and variety!

Variety

Of course when it comes to the gift basket business the absolute best thing to do would be to diversify practically everything that you have From the many types of gift baskets that you can have for your basket business down to the different products that should also be diversified, there are many things about your business that are

already unique Indeed, there are probably millions of types of gift baskets on the market today and having variety in the gift baskets that you create is of utmost importance to the advertising of your business! If you create custom gift baskets then this is one good thing to include when advertising among the many other qualities of your business

Appreciation

As the gift basket business owner you will definitely want to show appreciation to the customers who patron your business Showing your customer appreciation through special customer appreciation days, free gift basket samples, and discounts are good ways to attr act new business with your advertising methods

better than showing them through your advertising of your business?

As mentioned, all three of these qualities should be displayed to whomever you are trying to advertise to The variety of gift baskets, customer appreciation, and creativity are all three main important defining characteristics of your business! If people can easily see and understand these characteristics then chances are that you will have a better opportunity to gain more customers and increase your profit as well!

Why Give a Gift Basket?

The perfect gift for anyone is always a hard thing to do Many people are afraid that they'll give their friends or close family members the wrong thing for Christmas, their Birthday, or another holiday, yet they want to buy them something very special that says they care about them! If you have never thought about this before, but might want to try it, one suggestion for the next occasion that comes up is

to buy gift baskets for the person in your life In addition, if the gift goes over well then you may just need to start a tradition of buying gift baskets regularly for the special people in your life However, if you're not totally convinced that someone would love a gift baskets, here are a few reasons that it may just be the perfect gift:

You Have Choices

One good thing about trying to find gift baskets is that you

typically always have choices when buying them If you're buying a pre-made gift basket, one that was put together and wrapped

beforehand, you will still have the option of buying another small gift and including that in the gift basket as well! Furthermore, many businesses that sell gift baskets usually create a variety of

packages so that their are choices for everyone For example, one company may have multiple selections of women's gift baskets, while another one only has limited varieties Examining all of them,

though, is a good idea to selecting the perfect one for your family

or special friend

They Offer Variety

Another reason why you may want to invest in a gift basket is because gift baskets usually offer variety that you can't find anywhere else There are so many items that may come in a gift basket that are just perfect for the person on your list In addition, women and girl-

friends typically love these types of gifts, so if you're a guy

trying to figure out what to get your sweetheart or your mother then you should just consider a gift basket

Gift baskets are also creative if they're given to the right person and for the right reasons One option that you'll always have is to actually create your own gift basket During Christmas time one

avenue that you may want to take up is actually making your own

Christmas gift baskets For example, you could fill a basket with different loaves of bread, like banana, pumpkin, or apple spice,

along with including several other small types of gifts that are

perfect for Christmas Of course, pre-filled gift baskets are also usually readily available around this part of the year and holiday

season, but choosing to be creative and making your own Christmas gift basket is something that many people choose to do

As you can see, gift baskets are a great way to show the people in your life that you care and a great way to offer a variety of gifts instead of a single one Gift baskets are usually always well

received by their recipients as well, which is another reason why it makes them an awesome gift for any occasion!

What to Put in a Gift

Basket

Gift baskets are great gifts for virtually everyone on your list for any type of occasion Even though you may think of gift baskets as impersonal on one hand, on the other hand gift baskets can be truly a creative gift for anyone to receive Prepackaged gift baskets,

however, may actually be those impersonal gifts that many people

don't like to receive because they may only include generic gifts anyway, such as hot tea packets, chocolate candies, and other types

of food or candy that you may not even want However, if you make a gift basket right and include all of the things that the person you are making it for may like then you definitely have a good shot at pleasing the recipient After all, giving a gift is the most

important concept about a gift basket so making sure that it is

received well is of utmost importance!

However, the problem with gift baskets usually lies in the fact that many people simply are at a loss as to know what type of gifts to put

in their gift basket for whoever they're buying On the other hand, chances are that if you're not buying for a total Scrooge then

virtually any type of gift that you place in the basket will be well received by the recipient! But because there are many people who

arrive at a loss or hesitate after they start making their own gift baskets, here are some suggestions for what to place in the gift

basket you are creating:

Movies and Books

Who says that movies and books don't make great gift ideas? Chances are that if you are purchasing a basket and making a gift basket for one of your close friends or family members then you know the types

of things that he or she likes Most people generally love to watch movies and read books, so these can make great gifts when put

together in a gift basket On the other hand, if you're not too sure about whether or not the person loves to read then you can also buy a

variety of gift cards along with the inclusion of the movies so that the recipient will be able to return the unwanted book gift card if they so desire! Nevertheless, though, books and movies are great

components to add to a gift basket for any occasion!

Stationary

Another great gift for almost anyone you are buying for is

stationary! Stationary can come in lots of forms, shapes, and sizes

so you may want to try to find creative stationary gifts to include with your gift basket Ideas like pens, pencils, and perhaps some letterhead paper that may even have their name embedded on the

product somehow adds a perfect personalization technique to the gift basket you're filling!

Of course there are plenty of other great things to add to your gift basket as well! Much of knowing what to put in a gift basket relies

on how well you know the person that you are buying the basket for, but you'll have that issue no matter what type of gift you are trying

to buy anyway Buying a gift basket, though, will make buying

something extra-special a whole lot easier!

Buying Gift Baskets for

Family and Friends

There are all sorts of gifts for your family and friends that may seem like the "right" gift, but there are some times throughout your life that you may just pass up on practically everything that you see because nothing seems right or like the perfect gift for the person you are buying There are all sorts of reasons why you may be

hesitating to buy a gift for your family member's birthday or your friend's Halloween party But being in a difficult spot shouldn't hinder you at all from eventually picking up the right gift One

route that many people take in their lives is to buy gift baskets for their family and friends no matter what occasion it is From

Halloween to Christmas to birthday parties, gift baskets can be

filled with a range of gifts that are perfect for any occasion

Family Gift Baskets

A gift basket for your family member is considerably a lot different than gift baskets for your friends However, some of the same gifts could be used for each, but the reason for saying that was to make note of the fact that your family's gift baskets should definitely be more personal than the ones for your other friends simply because

they're your family and they usually deserve something extra special For this reason, though, there are a plethora of family gift basket ideas, such as including pictures of family events, decorating the gift basket with shared memorabilia, as well as including things in the gift basket that would only be remembered by you and the other family member Chances are that if you have this good of a

relationship with your other family members then you won't even be purchasing a gift basket, but nevertheless these are some great ideas for family members' gift baskets!

Friends' Gift Baskets

On the other hand, chances are that your friends' gift baskets will take on a whole different meaning Think about the times, though, that you've tried to find the perfect gift (other than a gift basket) for one of your friends If they are a relatively new friend or

acquaintance then chances are that you might not know enough about the person to get them what they truly want, which is an other reason that should be added to the list of why gift baskets are good ideas! They truly offer an in-between style present for the person you are buying it for If this is going to be for your friend, though, you may want to include some small gifts that you think they'd like, but also include some others that you may not be too sure about just to

be on the safe side!

All things considered, creating a gift basket for your family,

friends, and acquaintances doesn't have to be that difficult at all However, it only takes a little bit of time and consideration before packing it all together to think about what type of gifts you'll be including Whether you'll be including large gifts, like reading

books or small electronic gadgets, or smaller gifts like e lectronic accessories or other type of small gifts is really dependent upon your relationship with the other person All in all, though, making sure you have the right gifts in a gift basket is very important!

Decorating your Gift

Basket

Gift baskets are one of the ways to make your loved ones feel special and if you have ever had the opportunity to make a gift basket of all your own then chances are that you know how special it can feel to do

so Perhaps the main reason that you feel proud about the gif t basket that you are about to give to your family or friend is because you have spent countless hours putting together something that will be appreciated for a long time! One essential part of the gift basket

making process, though, is decorating the outside If you already own

a gift basket business then chances are that you have a trick or two

up your sleeve that will do nicely for decorating the outside of a gift basket, but here are some ideas if you're not quite sure how to

go about doing it

For starters, wrapping cellophane paper around the outside of the basket and everything that is contained inside is the best thing that anyone could do for a gift basket Considering the fact that

cellophane paper is just about the only way that gift baskets are ever wrapped you will probably be hard pressed to find anything else

Of course you can always use another type of shrink wrap paper

underneath the cellophane plastic outer wrapping, but this is only usually done if the gift basket is filled with fruits or other

awkward gifts

The outside wrapping of the gift basket, though, is just the start of decorating the outside of the gift basket There are so many other things that one can do in order to make the outside look pretty and creative For starters, curling ribbons and taping them on the

outside of the cellophane paper or other outer wrapping will add a creative and beautiful decoration to the outside of the gift basket There are plenty of colors in which ribbons can be purchased as well

so making good use of colors is also another tip if ribbons are going

to be taped to the gift basket

Of course you also don't want to forget about the loose ends of the wrapping paper, either The top of the gift basket will more than likely need to be tied somehow and this is where some other use of the ribbons can be used One suggestion that you have is to simply tie a small bow around the top of the cellophane or other wrapping paper of the gift basket, but another interesting thing to do would

be to make the ribbon a very long one You can either be creative and wrap it multiple times around the base of the gift basket or you can

do another creative thing by attaching a helium balloon to the top of the gift basket as well!

One also doesn't want to forget about the gift tag that should go on

a gift basket, either Making sure that the recipient knows who the gift basket is from is very crucial One can either by plain gift tags or they can even make their own at home! Altogether, though, all

of these things are great suggestions if wanting to make the most out

of decorating a gift basket!

Baby Shower Gift Baskets

When it comes to celebrating the birth of a baby the traditional

thing to do would be to hold a baby shower for the pregnant women Many people do this all over the world, and the baby shower is an important event because it includes pretty much every close friend and family member who is going to be a part of the baby's life in some way or another But those who are having the baby shower can invite pretty much anyone that they want, however, many people have trouble finding the perfect give for the soon-to-be-mother

An excellent gift for her and her unborn child, though, is a baby shower gift basket There are plenty of ways to create the perfect baby shower gift basket and there are so many choices available that you'll probably have trouble deciding what to include and what to leave out of the gift basket But here are some suggestions if a gift basket is what you're trying to create for the mother -to-be and her unborn boy or girl

though, one suggestion for laying them out would be to line the

inside border of the baby shower gift basket with diapers so that they are going all the way around

A few of the other baby products that should be included are baby lotions, baby bath soap, baby wash cloths, and baby oils All of

these baby shower gifts are things that the mother will need for her baby when the little one arrives so preparing the mother with

everything possible is a good idea!

votive candles, as well as a variety of hot tea products It may be also a good idea to include lotions and bath products for the mother

as well Lotions, such as stretch mark reduction cream, will

definitely be much appreciated in the baby shower gift basket

Simply put, there are many gifts and possibilities that one has when creating the perfect gift basket for a baby shower guest of honor Chances are that no matter what you fill the gift basket with the mother will appreciate everything inside Baby showers are the one event where creativity can show through, so you may just want to put

on your thinking cap before going out to buy things to put in t he baby shower gift basket in the first place!

Candy Gift Baskets

Gift baskets are probably one of the most favorite gifts to give away simply because they are not only fun to buy or make, but they're also fun to receive Just the thought of receiving a bunch of different small things, or a lot of one single thing, is enough to make someone happy at the gift that they got The holiday times are when gift

baskets are usually given, but of course gift baskets can be

purchased for numerous other occasions, such as birthdays, weddings, baby showers, Valentine's Day, or any other occasion that gift

baskets may seem appropriate to give

There are all sorts of ideas for creating your own gift basket to give away to someone, but one idea that is actually freque ntly used

by many people throughout the world is a candy gift basket Unless you're buying a gift for someone that's intentionally on a diet or just can't stand candy for some reason, candy is usually always well -received! Here are some ideas for filling the gift basket you're

about to give with some of the best candy in a candy store:

Filling the Bottom

Perhaps one of the important things to do when filling a gift basket

is to make sure there is plenty of stuff on the bottom of the gift basket to enjoy Many gift baskets simply have a soft padding, such

as shredded paper or even tissue paper lying in the bottom, but for a candy gift basket one suggestion to use would be to fill the bottom with M&Ms or little chocolate candy pieces such as those It doesn't matter whether they're taken out of the wrapper or not, though, but

if they were dumped out of the wrapper for the gift basket then

chances are that they are going to be used simply for decoration

anyway But an M&M chocolate bottom can be used to hold the rest of the candy in the gift basket

The Heart of the Gift Basket

The next thing that you'll want to get to is the heart and body of the actual gift basket that you're making There are plenty of

options here, but the best thing to do would be to take a trip to the candy store and spend just a set amount of money on candy altogether Little candy bars can be thrown in, candy mints, gummy worm and other gummy candies, as well as a whole bunch of other option The best thing to remember, though, is to fill the gift basket to the brim if you're going to make it right!

After you're all done filling the bottom of the gift basket, as well

as the main part that the recipient will see then it is time to buy a few other large pieces of candy so that they'll lay neatly on top Choices for this can either be King Size candy bars, big packages of variety packs of candy, licorice sticks, and just anything that would fit neatly on the top of the basket

Of course you'll also probably want to wrap the gift basket in shrink wrap so that none of the candy falls out You can obviously wrap the basket with a nice bow or ribbon for presentation and to secure the shrink wrap, but the essential directions of the candy gift basket should be adhered to as described above!

Creating a Birthday Gift

Nevertheless, you may even have trouble deciding what type of gifts

to put in your birthday gift basket, right? If you're like most

people (and chances you are) then you're probably thinking that no amount of gift baskets or no matter how large a gift basket is will make your present sufficient This may be true, but on the other hand you must consider the fact that you should try to actually spoil the person that you're buying for If you truly want to spoil the

birthday boy or girl then getting him or her a bunch of different gifts is a good idea!

The First Step

The first thing that you should probably do is to actually buy a

basket so that you can create the gift basket that you want to give for a birthday Even though it may not really matter what type of

basket you buy, you will have to make sure that all the gifts you buy does fit nicely within the whole basket itself Of course you won't

be wrapping the basket in birthday wrapping paper (or perhaps you will be) but you may actually wrap it in some sort of cellophane

wrapping paper

Buying the Gifts

Of course, naturally the next thing that you'll want to do is

actually buy the birthday gifts that you'll want included with the birthday gift basket There are plenty of different fun options for doing this, but the best way to go about buying birthday presents for the whole basket is to think about what your family member or friend likes and dislikes!

Decorating the Outside

After you have all the gifts purchased and the whole gift basket

wrapped how you are going to present it then it may actually be a good idea to decorate the outside of the basket itself You can

decorate it with streamers, birthday curls made out of ribbons,

balloons, as well as a variety of other decorations Perhaps you can even include a couple birthday candles that are taped to the outside

or somehow stuck on the outside of the gift basket All in all,

though creating birthday gift baskets doesn't have to be a chore, but many people love doing it!

Creating a Coffee Gift

Basket

For someone that loves coffee, giving them a coffee gift basket can

be one of the best things possible to do for them Of course if you know exactly what types of coffee that they drink then this process will be a whole lot easier, but if you don't know what coffee they drink but only know that they're addicts when it comes to their cup

of Joe in the morning then chances are that you'll be doing them a huge favor by purchasing a coffee gift basket

There are plenty of choices on the market today for gift baskets and

a coffee gift basket is just another one in the sea of themed -gift baskets In addition, coffee is probably the most heavily relied upon product to combine in gift baskets simply because it's consumed by millions of people all over the world! However, you want to be

careful that you don't buy this type of gift basket for the wrong person, but chances are that you'll already know if your friend or

family member dislikes coffee

Nevertheless, the first thing that you should probably do when trying

to think of how to create the best coffee gift basket possible is to check out all of your options beforehand Consider whether or not there are any pre-made gift baskets in the store that contain coffee items and gifts Since coffee is such a prevalent beverage, as

mentioned above, there is a very good chance that retail stores that carry gift items will naturally carry coffee gifts that are included

in gift baskets as well!

If there are no coffee gift baskets, though, or even if there are and you simply want to create your own basket in the first place, then the first place to start would be a coffee mug The coffee mug is a great accessory for anyone who has a coffee addiction and mugs are always a great gift to remember you buy In addition, if you know that your family member or friend travels quite frequently then one common suggestion to try would be to look for a travel coffee mug to include with the gift basket These travel mugs don't have to be

expensive, but there are some decent-quality ones on the market that will keep coffee fresh, hot, and steamy all at the same time!

The next aisle you'll want to approach is the coffee aisle Of course here you'll have a bunch of different options just because of the great amount of coffee in the world There's Columbian coffee,

cappuccinos, espresso products, plain old coffee beans, French

Vanilla coffee, cinnamon coffee, hazelnut coffee, as well as many hundreds of other types of coffee to choose from If you are putting these gifts in a gift basket then a good idea would be to buy several different coffee sampler products so that the recipient will be able

to try out a bunch of different flavors On the other hand, if you know that he or she loves a specific flavor then you may just want to buy the majority of that coffee flavor along with some new ones for him or her to try!

All in all, making a coffee gift basket is probably one of the most fun things to do when searching for the perfect gift or gift basket for that special person in your life Not only are there hundreds of choices to decide from, but chances are that there are plenty of

coffee products that your friend or family member loves as well!

Creating a Gourmet Gift

Basket

Many cultures have a tradition of giving gift baskets The

traditional gift baskets started out as fruit baskets, though, and they were usually given at a house warming party or even at

somebody's wedding as a gift Gift baskets that contain fruit can even be set out on the table so that it can be enjoyed by everyone who enters the home!

If you're trying to decide on the perfect gift basket for one of your friends or acquaintances, though, a gourmet gift basket can be a good thing to give Many people like receiving chocolate and in the

American culture many people gift chocolate as a gift anyway In

addition, when creating a gourmet gift basket the first idea that probably popped into your mind was filling it with types of gourmet chocolate in the beginning On the other hand, there are also a

variety of other gourmet products that can all be safely purchased and gathered together in one small, or large, gift basket!

The First Gourmet Product: Chocolate

There are all kinds of varieties of gourmet chocolate to choose from and picking a few of your favorite gourmet chocolates to fill the gift basket with should be done in order to leave room for the other gourmet products Nevertheless, a few of the gourmet chocolate brands around include The Godiva Chocolate Company, Christopher Norman

Chocolates, MarieBelle New York gourmet chocolates, and Romanicos Chocolate All of these can be great additions to your gourmet gift basket and will give anyone a great taste of the chocolates they have perhaps never experience before!

The Second Gourmet Product: Coffee

Gourmet Coffee is just as important to include in a gourmet gift

basket There are all sorts of brands of gourmet coffee to choose from Whether you want Gevalia gourmet coffee, Jamaican coffee,

Columbian gourmet coffee, or some of the other hundreds of types of coffee on the market, they are all available to include in the

gourmet gift basket you're creating In addition, if you want to get more creative you could always buy other coffee products too, such as espresso and latte mixes

The Third Gourmet Product: Cheese

Even though it doesn't seem like cheese should be combined with

coffee and chocolate, the gourmet cheese will stay with the theme of

a gourmet gift basket A few examples of gourmet cheese that can be added to the gift basket include Baby Gouda, Brie, Cabot, and Red Leaf Cheddar

All three of these gourmet products are great to include in a gift basket if creating one that is made out of gourmet products Another

suggestion here, though, would be to take the gourmet gift basket idea one step further by creating three separate gift baskets filled with the gifts described above That way the recipient will have

three separate products to choose from, except they’ll have more of

it All in all, though, they are the perfect gift for any family

member, friend, relative, or acquaintance if you're not sure what to get

Creating a Themed Gift

Basket

When giving gifts to your family and friends it is very important to many people to buy something that they will obviously love! However, for those people that you know well, be it your family members or close relatives, one great present to give them is a gift basket There are many different ways that a gift basket can be presented, but one of those ways involves creating a themed gift basket You don't want to just choose any theme, however, you'll want to think about what the individuals' interests, likes, and dislikes are so that you'll know what and what not to include in their gift basket that you'll be creating

In addition, there are also a couple choices that one has when giving

a themed gift basket There are all sorts of gift baskets already on the market that have themes running through them, but chances are that the gifts inside the basket won't be as personal as the ones you could pick out for you close friend or family member by yourself Here are a few suggestions when creating a themed gift basket, and few ideas of gifts to include with that theme:

Sports

If the person you are buying the gift basket for loves c ollege or professional sports, it would be a great idea to pick out some of their favorite teams and include those in the gift basket itself For example, when it comes to college football many people have an Ohio State and Michigan rivalry Obviously those who love Ohio State

should be given a themed-Ohio State gift basket, while those who love the Michigan football team should be given a gift basket that's

filled with Michigan football memorabilia A couple examples of the gifts that one could include are a signed mini-football by one of the most important players of the team, the team's official hats, as well

as a jersey that can be included as well

Toys

When giving a gift basket for children it's also important to pick out some of the things that little boy and little girls would like For example, buying small toys is a great idea when you place them neatly in a gift basket for the child to see There are many creative ways that a gift basket could be given to a child that is filled with toys and anyone who wants to attempt a toy gift basket will more than likely have a whole lot of fun with it!

Of course these couple suggestions are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating a themed gift basket The possibilities are virtually limitless when it comes to giving gift baskets to your

family and close friends, but perhaps the most important thing that one can include is the favorite items that you know your family or close friend will love For example, if someone loves movies and goes

to see movies regularly then filling a gift basket with DVD movies, popcorn, and other movie theater candy can also be created into a

themed gift basket All in all, though, there are many great gift

basket ideas to use for your family and friends and there is pr etty much no end to the way they can be presented!

Do-It-Yourself Gift

Baskets

The gift-giving season has many people scrambling to find the perfect gifts and presents for their loved ones, relatives, friends, business contacts, bosses, co-workers, employees, as well as for everyone else

on the long list of people that presents have to be purchased for Unfortunately the whole process of buying gifts when it comes to

finding the right one is not always easy There are some gifts that may be too expensive, too cheap, to gaudy, or to awkward to give that you may not know what to get at all However, one gift that is always given every season by many people all over the globe is gift baskets

On the other hand, there are still some gift baskets that may n ot be right for just everyone Even though there are a plethora of gift

basket companies on the market today that traditionally have their gift baskets setting out in grocery and retail stores across the

nation, some of the so-called gifts that are included may be just a little weird to give to someone on your list For this reason many people actually choose do-it-yourself gift baskets These are the

gift baskets that you can choose everything from the type of basket you give to what gifts are included with the gift

When it comes to purchasing the actual gift basket part of the

present there are hundreds of styles to choose from in boutique shops and retail stores in shopping malls and other places that you

regularly go to Of course another obvious option that you may have

is to make your own gift basket There are plenty of instructions for making your own gift basket that can be found online, and the

directions range from the different types of material that is used all the way to creating unique shapes for the gift baskets as well!

After you've purchased the actual basket or made the basket it is then time to turn your attention towards filling it with gifts that are perfect for the person on your list to buy for The gifts that go inside a gift basket don't have to be all that expensive at all

either, which makes purchasing them all the more easier! A couple examples, though, of the gifts you may want to include in your do -it-yourself gift basket are gift cards, coffees, soaps, air fresheners, candies, accessories, as well as a variety of other smaller gifts that can be easily purchased in a retail department store!

Of course putting the finishing touches on the do-it-yourself gift basket is also good so that a bit of personality and style can be added to it, and even a colorful gift tag can be attached to the

outside of the basket as well But chances are that after you've

finished the gift basket for your friends, family, co -workers,

employers, and other people on your list and have carefully chosen each gift inside the basket yourself then they will love everything that they receive!

Gift Basket Ideas for

galore, but for some it can actually be quite a tough challenge ! For this reason many men over the years have resorted to simply

buying generic gift baskets that may be filled with unrecognizable perfumes, chocolate candies, as well as a variety of other soap and deodorant products Indeed, these are some of the mos t common

products and gifts that are usually included with pre -packed gift baskets, but chances are that there aren’t enough intimate gifts in these gift baskets to satisfy either you or her

Creating a gift basket doesn't have to be that difficult and th ere are plenty of ways that men can do it without a whole lot of extra fluff or worry, too If you enjoy being creative on the other hand then you may have a few ideas of your own Nevertheless, filling a gift basket with all sorts of products for her that will be well

received should be done if you can not find any other suitable gift for the special woman in your life

Perfumes

Yes, perfumes are some of the products that are thrown in generic gift baskets, but those kinds of perfumes are not the ones th at are going to be carefully placed in the gift basket you are going to

create On the contrary, chances are that if you know your special lady well enough, be it your girlfriend or wife, then you also know many of the perfumes that you like to smell on her and that she loves wearing! The amount of perfume that you buy for the gift basket

doesn't have to be a great amount considering that other gifts will

be in the basket as well But perhaps buying a 2-3 ounce perfume

bottle will be good enough for the gift basket

Jewelry

On the other hand, jewelry isn't usually placed in a generic, pre packaged gift basket But if you know that she loves jewelry and you have gotten jewelry for her in the past then this definitely is a definite must to place in the gift basket Whether you want to invest

-in an expensive diamond r-ing to place -in the center of the gift

basket or you want to buy less expensive necklaces and rings to place throughout the gift basket itself, jewelry can be a great addition to the gift basket!

Lingerie

Even though you may never have thought about lingerie being placed in

a gift basket for you special girlfriend, wife, or lover this can be

a good piece of clothing for you and her! In addition, laying the lingerie out discreetly on the bottom of the gift basket itself will

be like a whole other surprise in itself The lingerie can be used as

a gift basket bottom layer so that the other gifts can be set on top All in all, these gifts are great to be placed in a gift basket and chances are that she'll love every bit of it! Just remember: when making a gift basket for your wife or girlfriend stick to the most romantic gifts that you can think of to put in the gift basket!

Giving a Gift Basket for

is But there are all sorts of things on the market that would make for a "perfect" Christmas gift that how are you supposed to choose? One option that you have that you may not have thought about before

is buying a gift basket for that hard-to-buy person Gift baskets can

be a wonderful thing to buy, especially for a Christmas gift, and many people choose to do this each year

Of course, pre-made Christmas gift baskets are not your only choice when looking into this type of gift On the contrary, a good thing to add to this gift would be your own personality and style, so creating

an actual gift basket is something that a lot of people choose to do

as well! Even though you may have trouble deciding what to put in the gift basket, here are some ideas for future holiday gifts:

Breads

All sorts of people love a variety of breads and there are many types

of holiday breads that you can fill your gift basket with In

addition, your whole gift basket could possibly be a variety bread basket, but chances are the person you're buying it or preparing it for will love it all the same However, if you're going to make a variety gift basket filled with breads, like pumpkin or spice, one gift basket suggestion would be to actually fill the rest of the

basket to the brim with other types of gifts

Stocking Stuffers

This is where small stocking stuffer gifts come in Even though you may have the majority of the gift basket filled with breads to eat and enjoy, you may be left with a pretty empty void for the spaces in between Stocking stuffers, such as lottery tickets, playing cards, pens, pencils, and other stationary gifts are perfect to put in your gift basket alongside the breads that have already been made!

Of course, there are many other choices that one has when creating their own gift basket and they're certainly not limited to stocking stuffers and breads for their holiday basket However, these

suggestions definitely are some of the better ones for your Christmas gift basket, but on the other hand you may also have other ideas for your friend or family member that you're buying for If that's the case then one is always free to purchase a whole variety of other small gifts and put those in their gift baskets instead, but just remember that stocking stuffers and loaves of bread will usually

always be well received as holiday gift baskets!

Giving the Perfect Wedding Gift Basket

Weddings are a happy time for everyone involved and the bride and the groom are probably ecstatic for the coming day to arrive so they can say "I Do" to each other! If you have ever attended a wedding, too, you will know that it is a truly joyous time for everyone seeing the couple getting married! When it comes to the wedding reception,

though, many people have much more fun because they are able to

unwind and relax Gifts galore await the bride and the groom at the wedding reception and if you have ever purchased any sort of wedding gift then you have also probably spent countless hours trying to

think of what to get the bride and the groom If you have never

thought of giving them a wedding gift basket, though, thes e can be awesome gifts for any couple

There are all sorts of ways in which someone can be creative with their wedding gift basket as well From making the actual basket by themselves to making sure that they put in everything special into the basket, wedding gift baskets are good presents to give that show your love and support

A few of the good products that you may want to include with the

wedding gift basket is bath products Not only are bath products

usually well received but there are a plethora of options out there

as well For example, bubble bath is actually something that many couples enjoy because they'll be able to use it whenever they feel like being intimate! If you are going to include bubble bath, though,

a few of the other bath products that you must include are bath

towels, wash cloths, and possibly even a few bars of soap

Aside from bath products, though, there are plenty of other things to include with a wedding gift basket For starters, how about putting

in some things that they'll need for their kitchen? Unless one or

both of them owns a house with a fully-stocked kitchen chances are that they'll need a few odds and ends to get them started For

example, spices and herbs, as well as coffee and teas are a good idea

to include with the gift basket Considering, however, that spices, herbs, coffees, and teas should not be the only thing in a wedding gift basket, you could even go a few steps further to include some cooking utensils that they'll probably need as well!

Many people might actually think that giving a gift basket to a

couple who has just celebrated their wedding ceremony, though, is too impersonal and is also distasteful On the contrary, though, if you put a lot of thought into how the gift basket will be presented and all of the products that you'll place in the gift basket yourself it can be a truly special gift to give to the two people in love!

Furthermore, chances are that the wedding couple will receive

duplicate gift items anyway, so this way creating a wedding gift

basket will ensure that your gift is like no other gift they receive!

Making Christmas Gift

Do It Cheaper!

Even though you may not want to come across as a cheapskate, making your own Christmas gift basket is considerably less expensive than buying one at a retail store or even a specialty shop or business The reason that it's usually a whole lot cheaper is because you are actually paying for all of the products to be pre-packaged and

usually gift-wrapped in a nice Christmas basket Even though retail Christmas gift baskets can be a great thing for some people, there are plenty of others who would simply rather create their own not only because it's the less expensive option, but also because it will come across as a whole lot more personal!

Think About the Receiver!

The first thing that you'll want to do before even starting to

prepare a Christmas gift basket is to think about the person you are buying and making it for Making a list of all the things that he or she loves is important because you don't simply want to throw a few things together in the hopes that the receiver will like it After you have thought about what you are going to buy the person, though, the first step is to actually select the Gift basket and decorate the outside of it Even though decorating the outside of a gift basket doesn't seem like it would take a lot of work, consider the fact that you may end up with a plain brown basket to fill This is not a

downside entirely, however, because you can always fill the bottom of the Christmas gift basket with garland, hang a few small Christmas tree ornaments on the outside of the basket weaves, or do something else to spruce up the look of the gift basket itself!

Buy the Gifts!

After you've made sure that the outside and inside of the Christmas gift basket is decorated well then you are absolutely ready to buy Christmas gifts to put inside the basket Even though this is an

important aspect to the gift basket idea, one shouldn't spend too much time pondering what to include Gathering a good variety of

gifts is always good to do: perhaps a couple of DVD movies, music CDs, as well as various other small accessories are great to put in a gift basket

All of these things will definitely help you make your special

Christmas gift basket Remember that a lot of people actually choose

to go into business for themselves specializing in Christmas or

holiday gift baskets, so making one for your family and friends is all the more important!

Sending a Gift Basket College Care Package

Every year high school graduates go off to college with the intent of being all they can be and making their parents the most proud of them that they have ever been College is an exciting time in many high school graduates' life, but the whole experience can also be really stressful as well Because college and college courses are so much different from the way that high school was traditionally held there

are some students who may feel frustrated, stressed, confused, and even sad by the time final exam week comes rolling around If you are the parent of one of these college students, though, one suggestion that you may probably have heard about is sending gift basket college care packages to your college student

Sending one of these gift baskets that are essentially care packages for your child will actually help him or her de-stress from the

goings-on and the hustle and bustle of everyday college life Here are some of the things that can be included in the gift basket for your teenager, though, and also some reasons why these care packages may help him or her at college:

Favorite Foods

There are plenty of businesses out there on the World Wide Web and in the real world that sell college care packages as gift baskets With these gift baskets, though, come a whole lot of different food and candy products that you college student will love Chances are that

if the student is a typical college student then he or she will

probably be eating Ramen noodles just about everyday You're in luck, though, because there are also gift basket care packages that include Ramen Noodles On the other hand, custom gift baskets that can be prepared by companies may include foods and candy that you specify! Homesick Remedy

If you have ever sent your college student a gift basket care package then chances are that you have also gotten many thanks for doing so The reason for this is, though, that many college students typica lly feel homesick after being left at college for weeks on end without seeing anyone familiar from their family or friends Gift basket care packages, though, are a simple and fun reminder to those college

students that want to see their family members and miss the smell and taste of their mother's home cooking!

Of course there are plenty of other options for making a gift basket care package for a college student as well One option is to buy a pre-packaged gift basket from a gift basket company, but on t he other hand a more creative way in which one can give a care package of this sort is to create the gift basket by themselves This is also

probably one of the things that will be more appreciated because the time was actually taken to include special things from home!

Altogether, though, care packages in the form of gift baskets can be some of the best presents that college students ever receive while on campus!