Have you always wanted to learn how to make beautiful homemade gift baskets or have a large running list of basket themes and gift ideas at your disposal? Then this is the ultimate How To guide for you!

Today’s tip is jam packed with videos for how to make gift baskets as well as lovely homemade gift fillers and theme ideas (make sure to catch all the details and ideas listed at the bottom).

On the videos you’ll find inspiration for gift basket themes, how to fill, wrap, make bows and decorate the baskets. Then you’ll find more than 30 easy to make homemade gift ideas and more than a dozen gift basket theme ideas from Tipnut.

In less than 30 minutes, you’ll know exactly how to make gift baskets just like the pros!

How To Make A Great Homemade Gift Basket - Video Tips

The first video is Creating The Perfect Gift Basket. These instructions are easy to follow for making a gourmet gift basket but the main reason I chose this video to share is that she provides good details on how to make a big ribbon bow, wrap the basket with tulle and bunch it all up for a nice poof of tulle.

Little detailing tips are included too (such as wrapping ivy and decoratively glue gun the bow tail to the basket). It’s easy to put a gift basket together–but it’s the wrapping and bow production that can throw things off so tips like this are nice. Unfortunately this video can only be viewed on YouTube, please remember to come on back to Tipnut after you’ve finished watching it to review the rest of the tips below.

The second video is how to make a cellophane plume for decorating a gift basket, it gives a nice professional touch yet it’s easier to make than you might think:

The next video is from Rachel Ray’s show with two guests (Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza) who discuss unique ideas for gift baskets (I totally dig the pet gift basket!), then ends with how to make The Cuddle Kit. Steve also points out three steps to remember if you want to make a great basket: Visibility, Stability and Presentation.

Another hot tip they give: Use a bookmark for the gift tag.

This last video presents ideas for different themes and items to fill gift baskets with, but she also spends time toward the end on how to package the baskets in cellophane wrap. Also some thrifty ideas: choose one nice gift item that the recipient will like that may be a little pricey, put it in the middle of the basket to make it the central focus–then surround it with nice little things that don’t cost as much. She knows her prices too and gives hints for using more economical decorations.

Homemade Gift Basket Filler Ideas

If you need some ideas for homemade gifts to include in the baskets (that won’t break the bank), you have a crazy amount of ideas at your fingertips right here on Tipnut:

Homemade Food Gifts: Pickled Peppers, Gourmet Popcorn Seasonings, Candy Pink Popcorn, Sponge Candy, Candied Ginger, Vanilla Sugar Recipes, Lemon Sugar Recipes, Lavender Sugar Recipes, Homemade Lemon Extract, Homemade Orange Extract, Homemade Vanilla Extract, Homemade Apricot Brandy, Gourmet Cookie Bouquets, Harry Potter Treats

Pampered Gifts: Bath Spa Headwrap, Homemade Sugar Scrubs, Rose Water, Rose Petal Vinegar, Foot Soak Recipes, Microwave Heating Bags, Loofa Sponges

Crafty Filler Ideas: Matchbook Notebooks, Lavender Wands, Homemade Potpourri, Lavender Vinegar, Loads of crafty fabric remnant gift ideas, BooBoo Bunny (for baby baskets), Scrapbook

And for Pet Gifts: Homemade Dog Rope Toy, Designer Dog Leash, Homemade Dog Treats, Catnip

Decoration Ideas: Paper Roses, Origami Kusadama Flowers, How To Make Beautiful Bow Instructions, Crepe Paper Raffia

Gift Basket Theme Ideas

• Pampered Spa Basket (Twirly towel, bath mitts, cozy slippers, eye pillow, luffa sponge, body sugar scrubs, bath salts & bubble bath, shower gel, bath bombes, candles)
• Chocolate Lovers Basket (Chocolate of every kind and in every shape, nuts, gourmet coffee)
• Coffee Lovers Basket (Gourmet or flavored coffees, flavored sugars, cinnamon sticks, two coffee mugs, demi spoons & a coffee table book about coffee )
• Homemade Specialty Treats Basket (Flavored sugars, extracts, flavored vinegars)
• Gourmet Basket (Pickled peppers, gourmet cheese, deli crackers, fruit, wine, smoked oysters, olives, pickled asparagus, deli meat sticks)
• Tea Buddy Basket (Gourmet teas, flavored sugars, cinnamon sticks, tea cozy, two pretty tea cups and saucers, homemade cookies/baking, homemade jam, small potted houseplant)
• Pet Lovers Basket (Personalized pet dish, pet toys, pet treats, hair brush, pet shampoo–see the Rachel Ray video above)
• Gardeners Gift Basket (Gardening gloves, gardening book, garden journal, small hand tools, handmade seed packets, garden clogs)
• Bookworm Gift Basket (Books, bookmarks, gourmet coffee or tea, snacks, online bookstore gift card)
• Productivity Guru Gift Basket (Moleskin notebook, index cards, post it notes, post it flags, expensive pen, book on productivity tips)
• Welcome Baby Basket (Baby blanket, washclothes, socks, rattle, toys, sleepers, check out the diaper cake for more ideas)
• Crafty Gift Basket (Expensive scissors, rotary cutter blades, needle case, pin cushion, spools of good quality thread, glue sticks, needle threaders, box of pins, sewing machine needles, fat quarters, craft store gift card, craft magazine or book)
• Movie Lovers Basket (DVDs, popcorn, popcorn seasonings, bottles of water or pop, chocolate bars, licorice, movie rental coupons)
• Christmas Gift Basket (Poinsetta plant, homemade cookies, tarts, baking, Christmas tree ornaments, Christmas music CD, neatly handwritten Christmas poem or prayer–scroll or framed, pine, peppermint or cranberry scented candle, box of chocolates, candy canes, mix of nuts and nutcracker, Christmas crackers, angel figurine, paper snowflakes, mini-stockings filled with candy, fireplace firestarters, hot cocoa mix with mugs, small prayer or blessings book)

After watching the videos (less than 30 minutes total), all the thrifty homemade gift ideas and the collection of themes, you’ll have no trouble putting together fantastic gift baskets. You now know how to beautifully decorate and wrap them as well as work with several different theme ideas.

Please share your own favorite homemade gift basket details below if I’ve missed any–themes, gifts and decorating tips or how about favorite gift basket items you received. I’d love to hear them :).

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