60 DIY Gift Baskets To Bring Happiness to Loved Ones
Updated on November 10, 2021
Christmas is just around the corner, but supermarkets have been displaying Christmas merchandise as soon as Halloween ended, allowing everyone to get a head start on their shopping list, including the ever-favorite Christmas gift basket.
Gift baskets themselves are great because you can put anything inside, but the problem is most of them cost a small fortune.
If you’re looking to save a little money this holiday season, why not try making your own DIY gift basket? You can make a customized basket that suits the receiver perfectly and still end up spending less than what a store-bought one would cost.
We’ve gathered some really awesome DIY gift basket ideas from around the web for you to look at and hopefully get inspired! This list contains both big-sized baskets as well as smaller ones – there’s definitely something for everyone!
What Is a Gift Basket?
A gift basket is a collection of gifts that comes in one unit. It usually contains food, beverages, and other items that the receiver can enjoy.
The baskets themselves are usually beautifully decorated to display its contents, but they’re also used because it helps keep all of the gifts together nicely.
Gift baskets come in many forms; there’s no limit on what you can put inside or how the basket itself will look like! Depending on where you get your reusable gift basket from varies in how extravagant it can be.
You can either buy one off Amazon (which will probably be cheaper than if you were to order directly from the local store) or make one yourself with some simple construction skills.
Baskets for Gifts Are Also Important
If you’re looking for a nice, decorative basket to hold your gifts in, you may want to consider the wicker container. While it’s not very flexible with what it can fit inside, its traditional look makes up for that.
This is perfect if the receiver enjoys vintage things or if you’re trying to save money on who you’re giving this gift to (wicker baskets are popularly sold at dollar stores).
Best Christmas Gift Baskets to Give Away This Christmas
Since Christmas gift baskets are all about filling them with goodies, it goes without saying that some ideas are more popular than others and that fads change year after year.
Well, we did a bit of research on all kinds of online platforms to look for the hotter Christmas gift baskets ideas that you can try in 2021, and we put them all together in the following section of the article.
Keep in mind that this article is merely a list, and not a ranking, meaning that the first entries on our list are not necessarily better than the ones that follow afterward.
1. Gift Basket Ideas – Christmas Goodies
For many of us, there are certain tastes and smells that instantly take us back to our childhood, and for many of us, the smell of oranges, wine, and cinnamon is an instant childhood Christmas throwback trigger.
As such, One very popular Christmas gift basket idea that you could go for is a traditional gift basket that contains a bottle of red wine, spices for making mulled wine, oranges, cinnamon-based desserts, and an assortment of other Christmas-themed foods that are popular in your area.
Of course, it’s not just about what you put inside the gift basket, but also how you arrange the gift basket, that will determine the overall look of your personalized gift basket.
If you want to make a unique, customized Christmas gift basket for someone special, consider using a wicker container.
The reason why it’s ideal for this time of year is that the woven texture makes it easy to add in decorations like pine cones or even small evergreen branches to set the mood.
You can also add some extra coloring to the entire basket by using red (it goes very well with green), and you can do that by adding bowties, ribbons, and maybe even a small garland.
What’s great about this gift basket is that it’s pretty versatile, and you can give them to pretty much anyone, except maybe children who are expecting toys (and aren’t allowed to drink any wine).
2. Gift Baskets for Women – Homemade Cosmetics
Women like taking care of the way they look, and since everyone is avoiding processed products and artificial chemicals as much as possible, the demand for homemade beauty products has never been higher.
If you know this, then figuring out what you should gift the women in your life should be pretty easy, although the trickiest part will probably be making the actual homemade cosmetics.
Typical gift baskets for women that are themed around homemade cosmetics usually contain bath salts (or bubble baths), essential oils, body scrubs, soaps, lotions, face masks, and lip balms.
You can base your gift basket around any of these products; the only thing that you need to keep in mind is that if they contain foods that are known to be common allergens, check to find out whether the woman you plan on giving it to is allergic or not.
Although most companies sell pre-made gift baskets for women with homemade cosmetics in them, you could also opt to make one yourself by buying such a premade package (they usually come in bags or cardboard boxes), taking the products out, placing them in a wicker basket, adding one or two other homemade beauty products, and you’re done!
3. Thank You Gift Baskets
Since it’s Christmas, it means that you’ll either be receiving guests, or you’ll be a guest at someone else’s house, but whichever the case, the idea is that you’ll be with people you are more or less close to, people to whom you are most likely thankful for whatever reasons.
That being said, one of the best gift baskets that you can ever give them is one filled with whatever things they like most (there’s no precise recipe, each person is different), and attach a card to the basket where you simply write the words “Thank You”.
However, if you’re truly out of ideas on what to add to the basket, you could always go for the traditional stuff: wine, chocolates, oranges, and other fruits, cosmetics, etc.
Of course, if you really want to hit them where it hurts (in a good way, of course), try making everything in the gift basket on your own, and avoid buying things from the supermarket as much as possible, because nothing shows how much you care than actually putting in a bit of effort.
4. Boyfriend Gift Basket – Gamer Gift Basket
Boys will be boys, and there’s no way to show a man that you love him more than by endorsing the little things that he likes doing in his spare time, such as gaming.
Because of that, if this Christmas you’re looking for the ultimate boyfriend gift basket, we recommend that you give him a basket filled with everything your average gamer wants and needs.
Here’s a list of some great ideas:
- Extra batteries for him console controllers or wireless PC peripherals (mouse, keyboard, etc)
- An assortment of gaming snacks such as candy bars, nuts, and chips
- A new graphic T-shirt or hoodie with his favorite game displayed on the front
- Some cool poster putty (to make it look like he has Minecraft in his room)
- Cookies in the shape of characters from popular games (such as Cupcakes and Notch apples)
- Personalized cookies or brownies that say something along the lines of “I [your name] love [his name]” or “You’re my gamer boy.”;
- Individual cans of soda (if you want to give him an energy boost while playing).
Of course, these are some of the smaller things that you can put inside the gift basket, but if your budget is pretty big, you can even snoop around and see what video game franchises he loves most, or which titles is he waiting to buy at a discount price, and then go ahead and buy it for him yourself.
If you think he deserves something that’s even more amazing, you can even go ahead and add a brand-new console to the basket (although the console alone will pretty much fill up the basket).
Whichever the case, you can’t go wrong with a gamer basket, and if he takes the time to pause what he is currently playing just to show you how grateful he truly is, then you know that the gift basket was a smash hit!
5. Unique Gift Baskets – Personalized Basket
We already talked about how making each gift basket a bit differently from the rest can mean a lot to the person you are gifting it to because it shows just how much you know them.
However, nothing will make them happier than a gift basket that’s filled with so many personalized things that it would be impossible to say that the gift basket was for someone else.
For example, you can fill in the basket with photos of you two, or even objects that were personalized with your photos printed on them.
Another great idea for a custom gift basket is to fill it with things that have some of your favorite sayings in them (we all know how you can have inside jokes with someone that no one else gets).
If you’ve been together for a long time and you know what they love to say, then we guarantee that they will laugh their hearts out when they find one of your favorite jokes printed on a card inside the gift basket.
This is because it shows how much thought was put into making the gift basket as personalized as possible, and how much effort you’re willing to go through just so that the person feels loved and appreciated even more than usual.
The ultimate personalized Christmas gift baskets are those that have those little special gestures in them that show just how much thought and effort you put into the process, and which will make every moment holding onto them even more meaningful than any other thing you can buy at a local supermarket.
6. Christmas Gift Baskets for Families – Family Photos
When it comes to families, the best way to handle gift baskets is to do something similar to our previous entry, and include things that are very personal in nature, such as photos, or quotes, and inside jokes that only the family members know.
Of course, this particular gift is very versatile, and everyone can make a gift basket for anyone without fear of someone receiving two identical baskets because there’s no way you can receive the same gift from your sibling as you would from your parents, and vice-versa.
These are some examples of what you can put inside a family picture gift basket:
- Printed photos of all members from previous holidays, birthdays, and other gatherings
- Printed quotes about being grateful for having such an amazing family
- A photo collage made from old pictures from childhood
- A picture of the family pet (if any)
This is, of course, the best way to handle gift baskets when it comes to families because they are the people who are used to seeing you at your best and worst times, and that know how much effort went into making each gift basket.
And since everyone knows that life gets hectic sometimes, getting a gift basket filled with all sorts of family photos would be perfect for grabbing attention in case everything else fails.
7. Christmas Gift Baskets – Gingerbread Goodies
Do you know how Halloween is all about pumpkin-spiced….well, anything? Well, Christmas is exactly the same, only it’s all about gingerbread, cinnamon, and gingerbread with cinnamon.
Thus, it’s only natural at some point in your life, you will receive a gift basket that contains only gingerbread stuff, like gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, and gingerbread decorations.
The best thing you can do with such a gift basket is to use it as a centerpiece for your dinner table, and perhaps give the person who gave you the gift basket as a present.
The great thing about this traditional dessert is that it’s pretty easy to make at home, and you don’t need any special tools are any special skills in order to make a decent batch.
In fact, when it comes to gingerbread, it’s all about your imagination, what shape you plan on giving it, and whether or not you have enough glazing to decorate it just the way you like it.
Of course, this entry is just about Christmas Gift Baskets that contain gingerbread stuff, but we want to also mention that you could always put some candy cane inside of another kind of gift basket and make them more festive than they already were!
8. Christmas Gift Baskets – A New Pet
We at DIYs understand that having a pet is a big responsibility and that it shouldn’t be made a gift unless the person receiving it will take good care of it, but if that’s something you’re not worried about at all, then go right ahead and drive their loneliness away with a new fur baby!
Puppies and kittens make for excellent pets, and they’ll probably be the center of attention if you gift them at a gathering of friends and family.
For a bit of extra Christmas spirit, we recommend that you make the new pet wear a big red bowtie with a big greeting card that says “Are you my new mommy/daddy?”.
However, that’s not the only way you can make your gift stand out in a sea of other Christmas gifts.
You could also take the opportunity to give all sorts of goodies like treats and toys for their new pet, which makes it even more likely that they’ll run up to you when you come over!
For example, you fill the basket with some much-needed supplies as well, like kibble, litter sand, a litter box, a dog training manual, etc.
While there’s no particular way for you to make your own DYI basket, you could help out the local animal shelter and get a new pet from there instead of buying one from the pet store.
9. Christmas Gift Baskets – Regal Gift Basket
Christmas is not about spending money, so making your very own gift baskets shouldn’t be something that will impact your budget too hard.
However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t use a few tricks to make your DIY Christmas gift baskets look and feel a lot more “premium” than they actually are, and the best part is that these “premium” tricks are actually pretty budget-friendly.
For example, the best way to make anything look like a luxury item is to make it shiny (silver and gold colors work best), and use as much red, blue, or purple as possible, although it’s recommended that you use a single color per gift basket.
Another neat trick to make the contents of your basket look pricier is to use velvet wherever possible (think of jewelry boxes), such as using a velvet cover for that bottle of store-bought wine that you included in the box.
You can get creative with bows without having to spend a lot of money on them, and the same goes for anything else that’s decor-related.
As for the content itself, there’s no way you can go wrong with wine and cheese, and the trick to making things look more expensive than they actually are is to look for packaging that makes the product look handmade, foreign, or made by a company with a very long history (like having 1876 written on the wheel of cheese).
10. Best Gift Baskets – Pine Baskets
The last entry on our list focuses less on the theme of the gift basket, and even less on what’s inside of it, and focuses more on what the basket itself looks like.
For example, if you take a careful look at the picture above, you’ll notice that instead of a woven wicker basket, it’s actually made of twigs and pieces of wood that are held together by twine, making the entire ensemble look very cozy, traditional, and classic.
The best part about these baskets is that the materials that are needed to make them are pretty much all around you, and all you really need around the house is something to cut them down to more desirable sizes, like a hand small saw.
Once you have your twigs all chopped up into pieces, it’s all about your imagination and how you think they would go best together.
DIY enthusiasts will agree that this is one of the best gift baskets that they could make, not only because making a twig basket is easier than weaving wicker, but also because it looks a lot more rustic and a lot less vintage.
Not only that, but the basket alone will make the entire contents look a lot more traditional, regardless of whether it’s handmade soap, a bottle of white, and a handful of candy canes.
More Christmas Gift Baskets to Consider
The previous 10 entries were the most popular Christmas gift basket ideas of 2021, but that doesn’t mean that you have to limit yourself to one or two of just 10 entries.
As such, if you don’t care about being trendy and just want a bit of inspiration to help you create the perfect Christmas gift basket for pretty much anyone, you should continue reading the following section of our article, where we will be discussing 50 extra gift basket ideas, albeit in fewer details.
Note that they were very popular in the past years, and chances are they might be exactly what you are looking for at this very moment.
11. Ice Cream Gift Basket Idea
Giggles Galoreput together an ice cream gift basket that so many loved ones would and could enjoy! From birthday gifts to celebratory congratulations, this one will be a hit!
12. A Bit of Sunshine – Best Gift Baskets
Perfect for someone who needs a quick pick-me-up, this themed basket is just too adorable! Making sure it all fits the yellow,”sunshiney” bill, you’ll have fun piecing this together. (via)
13. College Survival – Best Gift Basket
Thirty Handmade Days gives us all the details behind this college survival gift basket. Include everything a first-timer going off to college may need in those first few months away from home.
14. Breakfast For Two – Unique Gift Basket
Do something special for your partner with this breakfast for two gift basket. Whether it’s for Valentine’s Day or an anniversary, check out the details at Country Living.
15. Spring Cleaning Gift Basket
Add a bit of freshness to a neighbor’s house with this spring cleaing gift basket. Filled with goodies to put a bit of pep in your step, it’s a unique and thoughtful idea. (via)
16. Coffee Lover Gift Basket
TomKat Studioput together a gift basket that all coffee lovers would swoon for. Check out the inspiration after the jump.
17. Sangria Gift Basket
This one is perfect as a hostess gift but also perfect for those that love wine too! And we love the clever way it’s been packaged. (via)
18. New Mom Gift Basket
Mommy Like Whoapieced together a gift basket, not for the new baby, but for the new momma! Baby baskets are fun but the mommy needs some goodies when she comes home too!
19. Perfect Pair Gift Basket
Dream Green DIYthemed this housewarming or bridal shower gift in a clever way. A pair of necessities makes for a basket of functional goodies!
20. Mother’s Day Gift Basket
Julie Blannermade a beautiful, elegant Mother’s Day gift basket that can provide a lot of great inspiration. Grab the details and make one up for your own momma soon.
21. Grilling Gift Basket
Who loves to grill? Is it dad or maybe a neighbor? Create this beauty as a nice welcome to the neighborhood or Father’s Day gift! (via)
22. Bar Essentials Gift Basket
Pretty Mayhemwhipped up this one and we’re loving its packaging too. Perfect for a housewarming gift, hostess thank you or even something for the boys on the morning of your wedding, bar essentials are always, well, essential!
23. Pancake Gift Basket
Everyone loves pancakes and pancakes are a great way to celebrate so many different moments. From birthdays to anniversaries, a day started off with some chocolate chip flapjacks is a good day. (via)
24. Girl’s Night Gift Basket
Everyday Dishesshows us how to concoct the most perfect girl’s night gift basket! Nail supplies and facials, have your besties over and enjoy!
25. Pasta Lover Gift Basket
It’s hard to find a family that doesn’t love a great pasta dish. This pasta lover’s basket can be given for a variety of occasions too, just throw in some of your favorites! (via)
26. BBQ Gift Basket
Design Momput together a BBQ gift basket that could be the answer to your Father’s Day gift this year or a welcome gift for the new neighbors! Check out the details behind it after the jump.
27. Bloody Mary Gift Basket
Bloody Mary gift baskets can be fun too! Just check out the ingredients you need and bring it to the host of the party! (via)
28. Empty Nest Gift Basket
Once the last bird as flown the coop, you sister, best friend or maybe it’s your own mom may start to feel that empty nest hit hard. Over at Darling Doodles, you’ll be inspired to put together something extra special for her.
29. Cuddle For Two Gift Basket
The Dating Divasinspired us with a bit of romance. This ‘cuddle for two’ gift basket is great for anniversaries, date nights or even Valentine’s Day surprises!
30. Hot Chocolate Gift Basket
Who loves hot chocolate? Whip up some of these cuties with some help from Consumer Crafts!
31. Bridal Shower Gift Basket
The Glitter Guidemade up a gift basket full of essentials for the bride-to-be and her new home. But we really love the fact that the basket is actually a brand spanking new crockpot!
32. Hello World Gift Basket
Is there a new baby in the family? Welcome him or her to the family with this “hello world” basket idea from Little Inspiration.
33. Breakfast Hostess Gift Basket
Jenny Steffens Hobickmade this little hostess thank you gift basket with breakfast in mind. Really, it can be used for all kinds of thank you’s!
34. Spa Gift Basket
Brit + Copieced together a spa-inspired gift basket that works for all kinds of occasions too. Teacher appreciation, Mother’s Day, birthdays and more; it works!
35. The Gardener’s Gift Basket
Garden Clubshows off this spectacular gardener’s gift basket. If you have someone in your life with a green thumb, this is the gift to present them with!
36. School Supplies Gift Basket
Start school off for your little one’s on the right foot. Get them excited with a new bout of goodies like you see at Tatertots and Jello!
37. Holiday Cookie Gift Basket
The TomKat Studiothemed their gift basket idea around holiday cookies! Gather all the supplies you need for a thoughtful gift that ends in edibles – festive ones!
38. Summertime Gift Basket
Here’s another great hostess gift that we’re swooning over. Not only is the packaging unique but so is the gift! Check it out at Fashion Meets Food.
39. New Driver Gift Basket
Did your teen just take the road? Give them a congratulations gifts with a bit of goodies to keep their new car in great shape! (via)
40. Housewarming Gift Basket
Dream Green DIYput together a beautiful gift basket that makes for a beautiful hello and welcome to the neighborhood. It’s also perfect to give friends who just bought a new home!
41. Farmhouse-Themed Gift Basket
Magnolia Marketthemed their gift basket around a trendy style. This farmhouse inspiration is just another lovely way to say thank you or to celebrate.
42. Christmas Morning Gift Basket
Give your best friends or family members a Christmas morning gift basket to enjoy the morning after Santa comes. Grab the details at Craftberry Bush.
43. Girlish Floral Gift Basket
Glitter Guideput together a gift basket with a bit of wine and a lot of florals. Perfect for Mother’s Day, gift a bit of girlish charm.
44. Simple Baking Gift Basket
PopSugarshowed off this simple baking gift basket that can be used for lots of occasions. Just include all of the major essentials!
45. Just Relax Gift Basket
As we’ve learned, you don’t need an actual basket to make a great gift basket gift. Start with some slippers for a bit of relaxation with Pretty Providence.
46. Hello Kitty Gift Basket
Merchant Circlegives us inspiration not only for Hello Kitty but for fashioning our gift baskets after our favorite characters. It’s a great idea for the kiddos!
47. Cocktail Enthusiast Gift Basket
Cocktail essentials are fun too! PopSugarhas all of the details behind concocting this beauty for your bestie.
48. Easy Dinner Gift Basket
Put together a dinner for two gift basket with a lot of ease! Whether it’s for a birthday or a Christmas gift, BHGshows you how.
49. Art Supplies Gift Basket
If you’ve got someone in your life that loves to draw, paint and create, then this one is for them! Put together all their favorites and have them get creative! (via)
50. Christmas Spa Gift Basket
Pastels and Macaronsput together a spa gift basket too! But this time it was themed around the holidays, check it out!
51. Adult Easter Gift Basket
When Easter comes rolling around, it’s not just the kiddos that can get something from the Easter bunny. Check out these essentials at The Blondie Locks.
52. New Homeowner Gift Basket
Martha Stewartwhipped up a new homeowner gift basket filled to the brim with all of the essentials. Pack it with things that they may need from goo-gone to extra nails and screws.
53. Welcome Neighbor Gift Basket
Oh Joy!has another great example of a gift basket that will welcome new neighbors to the neighborhood. Check out what’s inside after the jump.
54. Fun in the Sun Teacher Gift Basket
Give your teacher the right kind of summertime send off with a “fun in the sun” themed gift basket! Thanks for the idea Skip to my Lou!
55. Get Well Gift Basket
The Merrythoughtmade a gift basket for buddies and loved ones that need a pick-me-up! Add all of the essentials; chicken soup, cough drops and tissues!
56. Fall Hostess Gift Basket
Boxwood Avenueknows that you can theme your hostess thank you’s in an extra special way. This one was inspired by fall and filled with everything you need to make a scrumptious candied apple.
57. Welcome Baby Gift Basket
Here’s another gift basket that’s perfect for a new baby! Celebrate that little bundle of joy with some help from Style Me Pretty!
58. V-Day Snack Basket
The Dating Divasput together this fun little snack basket to shower your husband with when Valentine’s Day comes rolling around. You’ll love all the clever notes!
59. Nothin’ But Pink Gift Basket
We’re loving the pink theme we’re seeing over at The 36th Avenue. And we think you’ll have loads of fun piecing this one together!
60. Bundt Cake Gift Basket
Finally, give the gift of bundt cake! Pack in everything you need to make one happen in the kitchen like you see at Darling Doodles!
Making a Christmas Gift Basket: The Basics
Now that we’ve finished showcasing 60 different gift basket ideas, you can go ahead and choose the one that sounds just about right for that special someone that you have in mind, and make your own version of it.
But before we begin, let us go over some basic guidelines when putting together a DIY gift basket:
The bigger the basket, the more choices you have when it comes to contents. However, keep in mind that bigger baskets are usually bulkier and harder to carry around.
You can create a DIY gift basket by using any container you like – recycled boxes, empty bottles, old jars, etc. Just make sure whatever vessel you choose has sturdy handles or sides that won’t collapse with the weight of your items inside.
When it comes to DIY food-based gift baskets, keep in mind what is appropriate for each location or occasion – if the person receiving the gift will be eating during a business meeting, don’t put something too messy or smelly inside an open box!
If there’s no time for anything else but work, stick to non-perishable items instead.
If it’s for a loved one who has dietary restrictions, chances are they already know what their restriction is (so no need to mention anything), but if it’s an acquaintance or someone you don’t really know that well, you should avoid any type of food with dairy in them unless told otherwise.
For example, if the intended person is lactose intolerant, be mindful of what types of food you put inside, and avoid things like fancy cheese, even if it’s an all-time favorite when it comes to filling up gift baskets.
The best DIY holiday gift ideas are ones that can be enjoyed by anyone – candy, fruit baskets, pastries (non-alcoholic – people will still get the hint!), etc.. just make sure everything inside isn’t perishable so that your basket will last longer!
Also include non-food items too like homemade hygiene goods (soap, shampoo, etc.), homemade arts and crafts (DIY notebooks or keychains), etc.
If you’re not the crafty type and/or lack storage space for a lot of things to put inside your gift basket, you can always go for a box of chocolates or buy something from an upscale store instead – it’s a much safer choice in case the receiver doesn’t like what you picked out!
And if in doubt, consider asking someone else for help because it will be worth it when done right!
Best Christmas Basket Ideas: Conclusion
Our list of 60 different Christmas gift baskets ideas has come to an end, and we think that we’ve offered you plenty of options to choose from.
Keep in mind that since the list is about DIY gift baskets, it’s important that you customize each basket depending on who you will give it to, what occasion it is for, and how much you want to spend.
Now go ahead and make your own basket, and enjoy the look on whomever you give it to!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Excellent article. Baskets beautifully curated. Thanks for the great ideas.