Twas’ the day before Christmas Eve and you’ve just realised that you have to get a few more last minute Christmas gifts. Your first thought may be to check your budget to see how much is left from your Christmas gift budget. But if you’re anything like me, you do not have a Christmas budget and your first thought would be to try to figure out what you can make, that will beat any store bought gift.
I’m a DIYer at heart. So if I’m going to give a gift, you can be sure that I’m going to put together something myself. My personal budget does not include any provisions for gifts, so being creative is all that I have to work with. To be honest, I don’t have many people that I give gifts to, so gift giving is reserved for very special occasions.
How to Make Creative Gift Baskets
The quickest Christmas gift that you can make on a budget is a gift basket. Gift baskets are the perfect solution to creating a gift that’s tailored for your recipient. The days where traditional fruit gift baskets were given to everybody are long gone. These days, gift baskets are creative and can be created for anyone and any specific taste.
It’s really easy to make these last minute Christmas gifts and you will save money. Creative gift baskets that your friends will love require some imagination and a willingness to do something different. However, there are some common items that each basket will need to make it perfect.
1. Reusable container
The container is the vessel that will hold your basket items. The container should be an item that can be reused by the gift owner. For example, if you were putting together a car lover’s gift basket for your hubby, you could use a bucket to hold the basket items. The bucket could then be used to wash the car.
2. Items
The items in the basket are all up to you, the theme that you are using and your creative imagination. Items should adequately fill the basket and should fit into the basket. If there are too many items, the basket will look overcrowded and could topple over. If there are not enough items, the basket will look unfinished.
3. Basket Filler/ Tissue Paper
Basket filler or tissue paper can be used to hide the empty spaces in the basket and to add some colour. Filler is usually made of shredded paper and comes in every colour and almost any texture. Both of these items are usually very inexpensive and if you make a smaller basket, you will not need large quantities.
4. Packaging
The common factor among all gift baskets is the cellophane paper. Sometimes you can use a cellophane bag that is big enough to cover the basket. Cellophane paper can take your gift from bland to blah in no time. You can choose a paper that compliments the colours in your basket or a clear paper that showcases the items inside of the basket.
5. Bows and Ribbon
These will add the pretty to the basket and will be finishing touch that completes the gift. You can tie a bow around the top of the basket and add curled ribbon to cascade down the sides. Curled ribbon can be achieved by pulling the strands along the edge of the scissors.
In addition to the items mentioned above, you will also need a scissors, clear tape or glue. When assembling your Christmas gift basket, you should always put the sturdiest item in the middle and then fill around it. Smaller items should be in the front, whilst taller items are placed in the back.
Last Minute Christmas Gifts
I have no qualms about giving someone a gift basket for Christmas. I find that people are extremely excited to receive a gift basket, because they’re pretty and because they contain several small gifts that they can enjoy for a long time. And for me, it’s a great feeling to know that I’ve created a thoughtful and meaningful gift that can bring a bit of happiness to someone.
Here are a few examples of gift baskets that I’ve made for last minute Christmas gifts that have won hearts time and time again and saved me money at the same time:
1. Fruit Baskets
The fruit basket has evolved to include snacks, sparkling water and wine. This luxury gift does not have to hurt your pocket. You can make a small basket that’s beautiful, heart felt and appreciated. When I make fruit baskets, I keep them small because it makes them appear more bountiful. I normally get a pretty plate, a small bottle of sparkling wine, two apples, two pears, a banana, grapes, a couple chocolate bars, and a couple packages of nuts and a granola bar.
2. Wine Baskets
I love the wine basket option because it is really affordable and does not require much work. One year, I was into Z stemmed wine glasses and I bought a case. I gave a friend of mine a bottle of wine and two of these glasses. Another time, I gifted someone a wine glass with a small bottle of moscato and a few bars of chocolate.
3. Warm Beverages Basket
The warm beverage basket is another one of my favourite last minute Christmas gift options because you can make several of these for many people quite inexpensively. All you need is a large mug, various tea and coffee bags, sugar packets, coffee stirrers and some portion controlled creamer.
4. Cocktail Baskets
A few years ago I went to a get together that was hosted by two of my cousins. One cousin in particular put together some mojitos that were out of this world. This inspired me to create some mini mojito cocktail gift baskets. You will need a passion fruit juice tetra pack, a mini bottle of white rum, a glass that’s big enough to hold the tetra pack and the rum and a lime. Put together a recipe for your mojito, print if off and put it into the gift.
5. Bath and Body Baskets
To be honest, I normally stock up on Bath and Body Works items whenever that $5 sale rolls around in the middle of the year. For the bath and body gift baskets you need only two items and there is no need for a vessel to put them in. I like to pair a body spray with a lotion or cream or bath gel with a lotion or cream. If I am giving a bath gel by itself, I would pair it with a colour coordinated pouf.
6. Bakers’ Baskets
The baker’s basket is a fun project that you can really get creative with. I once made a gift basket for a lady who loved to bake. I filled a mixing bowl with several baking treasures. There was a measuring cup and measuring spoons, two tea towels, an oven mitt and matching pot holder, a whisk and recipe book.
7. Candy Lovers’ Basket
For the lovers of candy and chocolate, a gift basket filled with candy and chocolate is a sweet surprise. To make these baskets, I would have used both a large mug and a wine glass and filled it with a variety of chocolates. This is an easy and quick gift that you can make
What are your favourite last minute Christmas gifts? Tell the world on our Instagram page!