We all love to receive gifts, but it takes work to give a gift well. You must consider the gift recipient and their style, along with your budget and options. Once you find the perfect gift, you have the chance to present it in a beautiful way. That’s what gift baskets come in. Whether you want to make a beautiful presentation for one item or a gorgeous array for many, the gift basket is the best way to go. Here are the best tips for decorating a gift basket your own way.
The Basket
To make a gift basket, you first need a nice basket to hold all the gifts and décor. The basket is also the largest contiguous decorative piece in the ensemble, so you have more opportunity for creativity here than anywhere else in the design.
The Basket Type
A gift basket doesn’t have to consist of an actual basket if you don’t want it to. If you find a cute flowerpot, popcorn tin, or decorative bucket, you could use them instead. As you decide, think about how the item will hold your gifts inside. Each basket type lends itself to certain items. For example, a popcorn tin is tall and skinny compared to a short and wide basket, so you could include longer items than you would in a basket.
The Basket Style
Choosing a basket shape is one thing; you also need to figure out the style you want. Should you choose brown wicker? What about blue woven plastic? Or do you want specially printed buckets? All these questions and more will help you determine the style you want.
One of the easiest ways to determine what basket style you should choose is to start with the occasion. Why are you giving this gift? Is it for a birthday party, as a business gift, or a raffle prize? Gift baskets are versatile, so choose a style that reflects the meaning you intend.
The Contents
With the basket in hand, you can start preparations for the gift selection and placement. Gift basket decoration has just as much to do with the contents inside the baskets as the external items. So, get started on the contents as soon as you can.
The Content Theme
One of the best ways to give a gift basket is to organize it around a theme. For example, suppose you are making a gift for a kid’s birthday party with a sports theme. You can fit tickets to local sports games, logoed cups with their favorite team, and a sports-related video game all in the same basket. While you may choose entirely different items, the crucial part is the unifying theme.
The Content Organization
If you’ve ever spent much time looking at product displays in stores, you’ll notice that the product organization draws your eye. Marketers and advertisers want this to happen, so they arrange items in a specific, appealing way. You may not be advertising a product with your gift basket, but you can take a hint from well-research human behavior and organize your contents well.
Pay special attention to how you place each item within the basket. Start by considering the shape of the items themselves. Do they have varying heights, sizes, and weights? What items are most important? Is anything too small to notice placed next to larger items? Ask yourself these questions as you lay out the contents in front of you. As you lay them out, you can envision the type of arrangement you want.
Once you have an idea for the placement, experiment with different arrangements. Try organizing by height, color, size, and prominence. You can also try putting items higher in the basket and others set deeper within. You’ll need filler paper or decorative fluff to set the contents on—otherwise, the items will move around, and you’ll lose all your carefully planned organization.
The Wrappings
A full gift basket is a wonderful sight—but it’s by no means a complete product. Not yet, at least! You must wrap and decorate your gift basket for all to see. Otherwise, your contents could fall out, and you’ll have less opportunity for decoration.
Ribbons and Bows
The easiest way to wrap a gift basket is with a clear plastic bag—the gift recipient can admire the contents and while the plastic contains the gifts in the basket. Start the wrapping by gently placing the basket into the open bag. Once the basket settles to the bottom, gather the excess plastic at the top and bunch it together. Wrap a ribbon around it and tie it off, so the gifts stay sealed within the wrap.
If you’re going to an adult’s birthday party, you can set your basket inside a plastic bag and bunch it with a piece of birthday ribbon, such as what we have here at Ribbon By Design. You could tie the ribbon into a large bow, and let the sides ripple past the edges or add ringlets and stickers to make it quirky and fun.
Delivery and Transportation
You may not hand-deliver each gift basket you make, so you’ll need to consider the delivery method during the wrapping stage. If you plan to hand the gift in person and can keep the basket right-side up the entire time, you have nothing to fear. But if you’re sending it through the mail, you’ll need to secure the basket and box it up nice and tight, so the items don’t move around during transportation.
Remember these tips for decorating a gift basket as you plan your next gift. No matter the occasion, the gift basket reigns supreme as the most beautiful and extravagant method of gift delivery. Should you need help finding decorative elements for your basket, reach out to us at Ribbon By design. Our team can help you choose or design the perfect ribbon that will blow your friend or family member away. And who knows? Maybe your attention to detail will inspire that person to put more thought into their gifts in the future.