Homemade Christmas Gift Basket Ideas
From LoveToKnow Christmas
Homemade Christmas gift basket ideas need to be started several weeks before the big day. The busiest time of year often leaves little time for working on projects as Christmas morning draws closer. Get started early in order to be sure they will be finished when it is time to unwrap presents.
Give Talents and Skills
Even if money is short at holiday time, a delightful homemade Christmas gift basket is within almost anyone’s budget. Start looking for supplies a few months in advance. Craft stores and online retailers often have Christmas merchandise available as early as July. Start a list of the people who will receive a basket and what items will go into that basket. Compile a master list and start shopping the sales in order to save money.
Purchase cheap baskets at yard sales and dollar stores, along with a long stretch of red or green ribbon. Tie the ribbon around the basket or handle in a large bow to dress it up at little cost.
Candle Baskets
Candle gift baskets are great gifts for teachers, neighbors and women friends. Choose holiday colors and candle scents to make it simple, or personalize it by using the recipient’s favorite color and aroma. Make a few different sizes to be included in the basket, and add a homemade candle label. Candles to make include:
Food Baskets
Homemade Christmas food gift ideas are perfect to put into a holiday basket. Cookies and breads can easily be made in large batches for sharing. Include a copy of the ingredients and instructions on Christmas recipe cards so that everyone can enjoy the delicious food all year round. A chocolate Christmas basket is a great gift for the choc-a-holic on everyone's list. Include homemade chocolate cookies, candies, hot cocoa mixes and jarred dry brownie ingredients to create a delicious basket that will sweeten anyone's tooth.
Sewing Skills Baskets
Show off sewing skills by creating a basket filled with accessories that were hand sewn, stitched, embroidered or quilted. Think of what colors people may enjoy and make:
- Kitchen towels
- Washrags
- Mittens
- Scarves
- Stocking hats
- Blankets
- Needlepoint pillows
Jewelry Baskets
Pick up some miniature Christmas gift baskets for presenting homemade jewelry. Jewelry could be made of leather, hemp or beads. Bracelets, earrings and necklaces are excellent choices to give to women in a basket, while men will appreciate cufflinks or belt buckles.
Combine Homemade Christmas Gift Basket Ideas
Jills-and-Jacks-of-all-trades might want to combine several of their talents into one gift basket. Consider doing a themed basket that will appeal to a variety of tastes and then make one for everyone on the list. Themes might include:
- Italian Baskets: Add homemade wine, tomato sauce and freshly made French bread rolls to a basket for a zesty Italian theme.
- Bird Lovers Baskets: Homemade floral craft bird nests bring the outdoors inside, while organic wild bird foods will feed the twittering birds outside.
- Kitchen Baskets: Make a crochet placemat for everyone in the family. Add a few embroidered kitchen towels and a hand-varnished wooden trivet for a lovely kitchen accessories basket.
- Spa Baskets: Pamper people with an indulgent basket filled with homemade spa treatments. Include body lotion, lip balm, massage oil and bath salts.
For the hard-to-buy for person, consider making a few Christmas craft projects and placing them into a basket. Give the basket a few weeks before the holiday, so they can use the Christmas-themed items right away.
Remember to tie on a handmade Christmas card so that the recipient will know who gave him or her the basket full of holiday goodies.
Make the Basket a Gift
A homemade Christmas gift does not have to fit inside a basket. It could be the basket itself. Carved wooden baskets, beaded soap flower baskets, and woven baskets are all wonderful items that can be used in someone’s home in a variety of ways. Making a basket can take a lot of time and patience, so be sure to start early if there is a long list of names to cross off the Christmas list.
Information about basket weaving can be found at BasketMakers.org, a site dedicated to basketmakers. It includes informational how-to pages and resources for beginners.
Giving a holiday Christmas basket gift is more special when the items inside are homemade. Not only do homemade Christmas gift basket ideas make unique Christmas gifts, but they are affordable and fun to create.
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This page has been accessed 2,053 times. This page was last modified 03:58, 1 December 2008.
© 2006-2009 LoveToKnow Corp.
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