A gift basket is literally what it is; it is a basket containing one or more items intended as a gif

A gift basket is literally what it is; it is a basket containing one or more items intended as a gift to the recipient. Originally the term may have been used to denote specifically a 'fruit basket' but the idea of gift baskets has caught on more in the last couple of decades. A gift basket can contain anything from a bottle of wine to connoisseur chocolates, home plucked flowers, cakes, pastries, assortment of cheeses, teas, jams, fresh fruits, dry fruits, etc., as well as non-food items like books, cutlery, crockery, small electronic items, and just about anything that can be gifted to a family member or a close friend or even a colleague or acquaintance.

Other gift items that can be used as giveaways can include stationary such as recycled paper or handmade paper, colorful pens and pencils, or a calligraphy set; bath oils, creams, lotions, perfumes and soaps also make excellent gifts.

Usually we find ourselves at a loss when a birthday, event, festival or any other happy occasion comes around. Invariably the choice is to go to the closest shopping mall and find an appropriate gift, purchase it, gift wrap it with a suitable note and ship it off or hand deliver it to the recipient. These could be inexpensive or expensive gifts but the novelty of a gift basket lies in hand-picking a collection of items that we know the recipient will be thrilled to receive. It conveys to the receiver that you have spent considerable time and care in giving those special items even if they are not luxurious or expensive.

Making a nice gift basket only requires a little bit of imagination and creativity even if you are not a very nimble person with crafts. You will need some supplies which can be bought from the local store or if you are a DIY person, you can put together one with what you may find at home. Basically a gift basket can be made with -

• A decorative basket or base • Pliable cane or slightly thick rope or nylon thread • Colorful scrap paper • Some festoons or ribbon • Shrink wrap or cling wrap • Tissue paper • Assortment of gift items It may be a good idea to keep some supplies at home of the things needed to make a gift basket; to start with, an assortment of baskets in various sizes and shapes is necessary.

Other things like ribbons, shrink wrap, piece of lace or tulle can always be found in every home or are easily available at the nearest store.

To make a personal gift basket, these are some handy tips.

• Choose a basket with enough space to hold all the gifts • Line it with tissue paper at the base; in addition you can add strips of color paper to fill the gaps between items • Place the gift items in an attractive design inside the basket • Place the packet basket in the centre of the shrink or cling wrap • Cover the basket all round and gather the extra wrap at the top of the basket and tie it up with a colorful ribbon or bow.