Gourmet gift baskets are a fun option to give as Christmas or birthdays because they allow you to personalize the gift to fit the recipient’s specific tastes and interests. They also allow you to customize the gift to your own budget, making it a perfect choice for frugal families to give. Since the items inside are consumable, these gifts also nice for older friends and family members who have everything. After all, you can never have too many yummy things to eat!
Fun gift basket themes/ideas:
- Coffee or Tea
- Ice Cream Sundae Toppings
- Wine and Cheese
- Cookies
- Chocolate
- Italian. Mexican or other Ethnic Food
- Local Flavor (featuring your own regional specialties)
- Breakfast
- Grilling or Barbecue
- Pizza
Frugal things to include in the basket:
- A hand-written recipe card from your own recipe collection
- Something homemade
- Coupons
- A gourmet cooking magazine
- Kitchen utensils or gadgets
Wrap it up:
- A colander works well for a pasta gift basket
- Use a mixing bowl or a bread pan
- A basket lined with a new kitchen towel
Where to shop:
Scour clearance racks of big box retailers like Target or Walmart for napkins and other seasonal items to include in your gift basket. Your Dollar Store is a great place to look for gadgets and containers. TJMaxx is also a great place to find sauces, spice blends, coffees, and other gourmet items – at a fraction of the retail price. They also have a selection of cookbooks, mugs, plates, pots and pans and hand towels that would work well in a gift basket.
Here is a photo tour of some of the items available at my local TJMaxx store that would be great, inexpensive additions to your own gourmet gift basket:
When shopping to make gift baskets, make up a shopping list with Expo Markers! Use different color Expo Markers to make fun and festive lists. By making a list it will help you be organized and won’t get you off track while shopping for certain items!
I like the idea of a gift basket with fruits and cookies. I’ll try one for my cousin’party tonight.
Why not include stamps, envelopes,note cards and such for the elderly. When they can’t get out to the store these make great items for them to have on hand.
That’s a great idea, Leslie. This post mainly focuses on gourmet gift baskets, but a separate post on other gift basket themes would be good. Then, I could include these suggestions to include in a gift basket for the elderly.