How To Create The Perfect Gift Basket + Free Printable

It’s that special time of year! The season of gift giving. While we all love giving to our friends and family, it’s also the perfect time to honor special people in our community who make a difference like a special teacher, coach, mentor, or simply someone who goes out of their to help others.

For some, the thought of putting together custom gift baskets can be daunting, so today I’m going to share my tips and tricks on How To Create The Perfect Gift Basket for someone that you care about and want to feel special. I have also included a free gift tag that you can just print off!

I went with a vintage inspired baking theme for my gift basket and I love how it turned out. When I started the process for building my basket I first thought about the person I am going to give the basket to. What are their favorite colors, hobbies, personal style? And if you are in my shoes, maybe you don’t know the recipient on a personal level very well. In that case, this baking gift basket is the perfect fit for almost anyone!

Seriously how cute is this vintage kitchen timer?

Today, I’m going to share the steps I take to create a fun, visually appealing and practical gift basket.

1. PICK A THEME AND INSPIRATION PIECE

First pick a theme for your basket. Sometimes your theme will come once you find your inspiration piece. I knew I wanted to do a holiday baking theme and once I found these adorable Christmas Dish Towels at World Market I knew the direction I wanted to take for the entire basket.

2. PICK ITEMS WITH COORDINATING COLORS

My inspiration piece was full of colors which gave me several options for my accent colors. I decide to go with a vintage red and mint green. I love this color combo and it’s perfect for the holidays. I started with two bold pieces in these colors and then added smaller ‘filler items’ to complete the look.

To make it really easy on you all, I’ve made a complete list of products used in this basket: Dish Towels – Vintage Mixing Bowl – Cake Pop Mold – Mason Jar Measuring Cups – Mason Jar Measuring Spoons – Christmas Spatula – Christmas Wisk – Mini Cupcake Liners – Vintage Kitchen Timer – Baker’s Twine – Candy Cane Sprinkles – Cookie Mix

3. ADD A FAUX FILLER FOR HEIGHT

Whenever I fill baskets, I always place a filler in the bottom to prevent all the goodies from collapsing into the middle. This time around I used tissue paper and then covered it with the hand towel.  It helps add heigh and make the basket more visually appealing.

5. FILL THE BASKET STRATEGICALLY

When adding items into the gift basket, start with the larger items first and place them toward the back. Also, don’t be afraid to take products out of their boxes. Look how cute these Mason Jar Measuring Cups are out of their box! I’m obsessed with them. Then, slowly add the rest of the items by filling in the gaps and layering.

It may be nice to see everything in the basket at first glance, but think how fun it will be when the recipient keeps finding treasures along the way! So don’t be afraid to tuck a few items inside.

I just adore how this basket turned out and I’m so excited to give it to Miss E’s teacher. This is her first year in pre-school and it always takes her awhile to adjust to new environments. Her teacher has been so amazing with her and has made her feel so comfortable. She really deserves to be recognized for her role and helping this momma have a peace of mind!

5. ADD A GIFT TAG AND BOW

Last but not least you will want to secure the cake pop tin to the bowl and finish off the basket with a gif tag! I created this gift tag for my basket and I’m making it available to you all for free! Just click the download button below. 

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD GIFT TAG

About Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker is the voice of style behind TarynWhiteaker.com (formerly Design, Dining and Diapers) ! Taryn is a previous PR/Marketing professional who got back to her creative roots after becoming a mom and now shares her passion for home decor and design for the world to see. Taryn lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and three kids and loves coffee, the outdoors, and exploring with her family.