Gift help - need idea for really cool gift basket....

[Stratford]

Hey, wanna help me with something, oh ye creative minds of the Hive?  

 

Give me a really awesome, creative theme for a gift basket!  Something different!  Something you might like to get!  (I tried Pinterest, it was a total bust.  You guys are way cooler than Pinterest, anyway.)

 

For our grown-up gift exchange this Christmas (with my family) the instructions are to make a $50 value gift basket of any theme for a white-elephant style exchange.  There are only 6 adults in the family (including myself and DH.)  

 

I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING NEAT TO DO.  THIS IS A REALLY HARD ASSIGNMENT.  (Thanks, Mom.)

 

This group is kind of limiting, as far as gift baskets go.  No alcohol, no tea/coffee, no spa stuff (nobody else is interested.)  Food and cooking are popular, but other than that there are not a lot of similar interests in this group.  No favorite sports teams, no generic hobbies....I'm totally stuck.  

 

Any brilliant ideas?  I'd love to hear them.....

[unsinkable]

I needed a theme basket last winter and started a thread.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/447871-theme-baskets-for-fundraisers-anyone-have-a-great-or-unique-idea-for-a-25-basket/

[QueenCat]

How about a game basket, with one larger game and several smaller card games?

[Tap]

I responded in the link posted from last year.  Maybe pick a theme that is based on a color scehme (like I did below), animal theme (maybe all things that are elephant related etc), an item from A-Z.....

 

 

 

 

 

I made a basket with a " black and white/ bird and flower" theme that was fought over by a few people at an auction last year. It brought in quite a nice profit. LOL 

Mine was closer to $100 but it wouldn't have to be that much. I bought a lot of the items at TJ Maxx so they were not as expensive at it could have been. 

For this one I took a 3 tier black metal basket and filled it with:
Black and white dessert plates and cups--bird and flower design
BW napkins-floral
BW apron-floral
White bird salt/pepper shakers
Black raspberry jam
Coffee/Teas in black wrappers (Starbucks and Mightyleaf)
Biscotti
Black forest cookies
Dark chocolate Lindt bar (BW wrapper)
I hand made BW napkin rings with large pearls and black pendants
Sees chocolate gift card


It had a few more things in it too, but they are escaping me right now.


The person who won it, didn't know I made it. We were talking the next day and she was laughing at how much she paid for her auction item, because she didn't need anything in the basket. She just really wanted it due to the design. :0) 

 

 

 

[Stratford]

That was a seriously helpful thread.  I need to check out Home Goods or something like.  

 

I love the B&W idea!  Never would have thought of that!  Bet that was a gorgeous basket!

[happypamama]

Do you have a particular hobby? Could you put together some of your favorite things for that hobby, so as to share the hobby love with someone else? I knit, so I could put in needles, yarn, pattern book, and other small accessories. (Men can knit too!).

[Ripley]

What about a retro theme?  Pick a decade and fill it with throw-backs to the era.

 

Some ideas: a CD with hits from the decade, a DVD of a popular movie or tv show, a book, some article of clothing or accessory (more as a gag gift), some kitsch in the form of knickknack or fabric or something, popular toy, candy stores have retro candy, popular dish or snack of the era, ....

 

Or make a lottery ticket basket.  Fill it with $24 worth of scratch offs and a gold coin for scratching. Or maybe $15 worth plus a book on investing. Figure out a clever way to display the scratch offs. Maybe punch holes in them and tie them to a branch or small bush (potted), and shove that into some big ol' basket.  Or put an old antique book into the basket, with one lotto ticket shoved in every few pages. It's fun to watch them thumb through the pages to get them all.

 

If cooking is a hit, does that mean entertaining is also? Holiday or festive tablecloth, cloth napkins, napkin rings, candles?

 

What about a subscription to a cooking magazine? You can buy the current month's copy to put in the basket, along with a small cooking trinket (apron, tool, oven mitt, hand towel, ...) and a small note or printout showing the subscription.

 

 

 

 

 

[moonlight]

I didn't look at the other thread, but what about a book basket with a reading light, bookmark, a gift card to borders or equivalent, maybe a holiday themed book, a candle, some chocolates?

[gingersmom]

I would pick out $50 worth of odd stuff from the vermont country store. 

 

They sell stuff like pickle flavored gum and little toys you played with as a kid. 

[ThisIsTheDay]

How about a movie night basket?  You could use a gift card to Redbox, or buy a certain movie, add movie-sized boxes of candy and popcorn to the basket. You have enough money to spend, maybe it could be two nights worth of movies, or other items that go along with the movie theme.