Do you ever make theme gift baskets?

nurseangel · Nov 10, 2009

I am curious (in my cat-like way

) if the TCS folks enjoy making theme gift baskets. It's something I love to do. One year, I made my aunt a basket of plumeria scented lotions and shower gels, etc., because it's her favorite fragerance. I've also done candy baskets. My supervisor makes "movie baskets" complete with DVDs, popcorn and movie theater type candy. I am working on a special gift basket for DH for Christmas and have stuff hidden around the house. This awful flu or whatever has temporarily stopped me from shopping, but I'm still planning from the confines of my home.

snake_lady · Nov 10, 2009

Ohhhhh, does this question mean your SS is getting a snake themed basket?

Seriously tho, yes, I've made themed gift baskets.... It is sooooo much cheaper to make them yourself than buying them. I've also received them too.

The one yr my ma did me up a "food in a jar" type of one. Different recipes with the ingreds in a jar, and you just add the wet ingreds.

I've done bath/beauty ones, candle and joke ones

nekomania · Nov 10, 2009

My soon-to-be MIL loves Lavender scented stuff, plus she loves to take long baths. So last christmas (with no help from my fiance

I've generally learned that most men just aren't creative) I put together a lovely bath-time/lavender gift basket.

It contained all the essentials for taking a lovely relaxing bath, plus a few extras (like loofahs and this strange little thing that holds your bar of soap and you can wash with it), and wrapped it all up in celeophane with a matching purple bow. ^^

I've never seen anyone like a gift basket so much either... I swear she waited like 2 months to even open it, and then she carefully cut the back so she wouldn't ruin the packaging...

catnurse22 · Nov 10, 2009

I usually do themed gift baskets for my close friends.

Last Christmas I made an Italian themed basket for my friend that had just moved in to a new apartment and needed some kitchen knick knacks/decorations. She loves all things related to Italy so I just ran with it. It had lots of food things, like recipes w/ingredients and gift certificates to Italian restaurants. I also had some dish towels with Italian phrases on them, a wall clock with a gaundela scene on it, as well as picture magnets for her fridge with pictures of us in Italy. I can't remember the other things that ended up in it....

One of my other friends is getting married in February so I'm scheming up a wedding themed basket. I know I'm getting her a photo album for her wedding photos, but other than that I'm not sure other than little silly fillers like a Barbie bride,

Any ideas?

nurseangel · Nov 11, 2009

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

Ohhhhh, does this question mean your SS is getting a snake themed basket?

Yes! My SS is getting a snake-themed gift basket!

Heat rocks, DVDs of mice at play, anything oodles of reptiles would enjoy.

And my SS is sending me snow, truckloads of snow, straight from Canada.

nurseangel · Nov 11, 2009

Originally Posted by CatNurse22

I usually do themed gift baskets for my close friends.

Last Christmas I made an Italian themed basket for my friend that had just moved in to a new apartment and needed some kitchen knick knacks/decorations. She loves all things related to Italy so I just ran with it. It had lots of food things, like recipes w/ingredients and gift certificates to Italian restaurants. I also had some dish towels with Italian phrases on them, a wall clock with a gaundela scene on it, as well as picture magnets for her fridge with pictures of us in Italy. I can't remember the other things that ended up in it....

One of my other friends is getting married in February so I'm scheming up a wedding themed basket. I know I'm getting her a photo album for her wedding photos, but other than that I'm not sure other than little silly fillers like a Barbie bride,

Any ideas?

A box of Danish wedding cookies? Seriously, I've never done a wedding theme, but I will start trying to come up with some ideas. It's sounds like a nice gift.

oodlesofpoodles · Nov 11, 2009

I was thinking of doing a gift basket for my best friend and her bf but i have no idea what theme to do. See they live together...in her parents house...meaning no room sharing and romance is impossible when the parents are always around. I thought it would be cute to give them a "candle lit dinner" in a basket...with candles, a recipe for a romantic meal they can prepare together and maybe something romantic like a small bottle of champane...but there is no where they can enjoy this together since they dont have private living space. it kinda takes away from the candle lit dinner when your parents are watching TV less than10 ft away.

Movie in a basket seems kinda cool. I mean for this they could just wait until the 'rents go to bed but does anyone have any other couples basket gift ideas that they could use at home? I know their living arrangements are a bit odd, but hey, who am i to judge? lol.

yosemite · Nov 11, 2009

I do them for my father and mother-in-law when I get their name in the Christmas draw. I go to the Dutch store and get lots of goodies from Holland for their special basket. At this point in their lives they don't need another pair of socks or a shirt/scarf.

snickersmom · Nov 11, 2009

I love themed gift baskets. I've done three of them.

One was a wedding survival kit. It had all sorts of stuff you might need in an emergency on wedding day, like safety pins, mini sewing kit, bandaids, nail file, pantyhose, deoderant, drinking straws, granola bar, advil, tissues, extra liptstick, etc. It also had some fun stuff, like cute PJs for wedding night.

Another one was a bar exam survival kit for a friend who was studying for the Bar Exam to become a lawyer. I forget everything that was in that, but I think it included a stress ball and relaxing bath stuff.

Then the other one was a breakup survival kit for a friend whose b/f had dumped her. It included tissues, DVDs, chocolate, Mad Libs, a book about getting through breakups, and a voo doo doll shaped like a naked man to take her frustrations out on!

Themed gift baskets are so fun! And I find that people really appreciate the personal touch.

calico2222 · Nov 11, 2009

Originally Posted by CatNurse22

One of my other friends is getting married in February so I'm scheming up a wedding themed basket. I know I'm getting her a photo album for her wedding photos, but other than that I'm not sure other than little silly fillers like a Barbie bride,

Any ideas?

Maybe Massage oil? Not the kinky flavored kind, but REAL massage oil or body butter. My MIL got us a basket from an Herbal shop for our wedding, and it had a tub of body butter in it and it was incredible! Especially after the stress of a wedding you need to relax. DH gave me a back rub with it on our honeymoon, and I was so relaxed I fell asleep (DH was NOT happy!) Also, candles or incense and maybe a CD of romantic music?

calico2222 · Nov 11, 2009

Originally Posted by oodlesofpoodles

I was thinking of doing a gift basket for my best friend and her bf but i have no idea what theme to do. See they live together...in her parents house...meaning no room sharing and romance is impossible when the parents are always around. I thought it would be cute to give them a "candle lit dinner" in a basket...with candles, a recipe for a romantic meal they can prepare together and maybe something romantic like a small bottle of champane...but there is no where they can enjoy this together since they dont have private living space. it kinda takes away from the candle lit dinner when your parents are watching TV less than10 ft away.

Movie in a basket seems kinda cool. I mean for this they could just wait until the 'rents go to bed but does anyone have any other couples basket gift ideas that they could use at home? I know their living arrangements are a bit odd, but hey, who am i to judge? lol.

I like the idea of the "dinner in a basket". Is there anyway you could include a gift cert for her parents so they could go out and let them have their romantic dinner at home?

nurseangel · Nov 11, 2009

Originally Posted by CatNurse22

I usually do themed gift baskets for my close friends.

Last Christmas I made an Italian themed basket for my friend that had just moved in to a new apartment and needed some kitchen knick knacks/decorations. She loves all things related to Italy so I just ran with it. It had lots of food things, like recipes w/ingredients and gift certificates to Italian restaurants. I also had some dish towels with Italian phrases on them, a wall clock with a gaundela scene on it, as well as picture magnets for her fridge with pictures of us in Italy. I can't remember the other things that ended up in it....

One of my other friends is getting married in February so I'm scheming up a wedding themed basket. I know I'm getting her a photo album for her wedding photos, but other than that I'm not sure other than little silly fillers like a Barbie bride,

Any ideas?

I've edited my post (I do that a lot) because I thought of some ideas that may be nice for the wedding basket (last night, I think it was just the fever talking). Swarovski crystal makes a really pretty little crystal coach...I've seen them at Belk but they also sell them online. It's a Cinderalla coach, but it looks wedding-ish. Also, some old fashioned monogrammed hand towels would be pretty.

nurseangel · Nov 11, 2009

Originally Posted by oodlesofpoodles

I was thinking of doing a gift basket for my best friend and her bf but i have no idea what theme to do. See they live together...in her parents house...meaning no room sharing and romance is impossible when the parents are always around. I thought it would be cute to give them a "candle lit dinner" in a basket...with candles, a recipe for a romantic meal they can prepare together and maybe something romantic like a small bottle of champane...but there is no where they can enjoy this together since they dont have private living space. it kinda takes away from the candle lit dinner when your parents are watching TV less than10 ft away.

Movie in a basket seems kinda cool. I mean for this they could just wait until the 'rents go to bed but does anyone have any other couples basket gift ideas that they could use at home? I know their living arrangements are a bit odd, but hey, who am i to judge? lol.

If they had one of those checkered picnic cloths, maybe they could set up a little area for a romantic dinner on their bedroom floor? Or maybe like Calico said, you could send the rents out to a restaurant to give the couple some time alone.

oodlesofpoodles · Nov 12, 2009

We dont really have the money to get her parents a gift certificate...plus there is no saying her father would cooperate. lol.

Its kinda funny, but her boyfriend isnt really allowed in her room. Like i said...its...odd. I mean she is an adult. older than me actually. but her parents are pretty strict about that. I thought a picnic would be even better than the dinner in a basket, but its too cold here in DEC for them to take advantage.

We might have to end up getting them seperate gifts just because a date basket isnt easy to make when they live with parents.

Do you ever make theme gift baskets?

nurseangel

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snake_lady

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nekomania

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yosemite

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