For many years I have taught Gift Baskets Workshops at several area colleges. The workshops are divided into several sections, thoroughly covered in each workshop. We begin with ideas and themes for producing 100+ baskets, and end 3 hours later with a completed basket. This guide will cover the first segment: Ideas & themes: Don't just think Basket. Think Container. I begin each workshop at the white board, marker in hand and ask each student to list 2 gift basket ideas for the group: One unusual basket idea and the second, the wildest idea each person could come up with. It was fun, interesting and creative. In a few minutes the board is always filled with ideas and the room is filled with laughter, as wild, unusual and variations on the ordinary, collect on the board for all to see and take note of in this creative atmosphere.

At the beginning of the workshop each person is handed a copy of my gift basket workshop manual. Once the white board list has been completed and prize awarded for the best ideas, we will spend a few minutes going through the book and talking about some of the themes listed there. This exercise will cover the use of several containers that were not “baskets” at all, but other sorts of containers. In this segment I also stress trying to make the container a useful part of the gift.

We will have a long list of ideas that are not baskets by the time we reach this point: Bags, pouches, packs, boxes, trays, cartons, sacks, bowls, tins, pails, tubes, tubs, platters, barrels, scoops, boards, plates, cups, mugs, pots, cases, chests, trunks, crates, kits, folders, non-gift baskets, etc. Here are a few container, non-basket and unusual types of baskets ideas.

A favorite idea is a large plastic bowl, filled with circus-type salted peanuts in their shells. Tucked down in the bowl of peanuts are 2 CDs (wrapped in plastic wrap), candy, soft drinks, 1 or 2 microwave popcorn packs. Under the bowl is a plastic table cloth to protect the floor. On top of this will be (4-8) matching bowls and napkins for a group of 4 to 8 kids for “Movie Evening” in a kid-friendly family room. 

Another popular idea is the “Going Away to College Laundry Basket”. Beginning with a large plastic laundry basket, I suggest filling with laundry detergent, spot remover, fabric softeners, a roll of quarters, and a set of laundry instruction cards. Each card would have a heading such as: Keeping Whites White; Removing Grass Stains; Why is underwear Pink?; etc.; and the steps to solve these problems. The cards should be laminated and attached to the basket with a ring for handy future reference.

Other fun ideas are:
The Newly Wed or Anniversary Weekend Away gift. (Endless ideas for this one).
The New Apartment Designer Kitchen Trash Can filled with kitchen must-haves.
The New Corner Office Leather Waste Basket complete with a Matching Desk Set.
The New Baby Diaper Bag filled with whatever would fit in it.
The New Car Gift of a plastic pail filled with all kinds of cleaning stuff for the 1st time car owner.
The First Summer Camper Back-pack full of sun-screen, bug spray, a camera, favorite snacks, etc.
The 14 hours on an Airplane to foreign lands pack of moisturizers, reading material, pad and pen, an inflatable neck pillow, etc.
A Baseball Cap with Favorite team logo, and 2 reserved seat tickets to the big game inside.
New Home Garden Cart filled with small tools, seeds, gloves, plant food, sunscreen, and gardening guide.
 
That list is a very short one and only the beginning. What I suggest is that you begin with a check list: Who is it for? What is the occasion? About how much do you want to spend? What can you use for a creative container to hold the items?

My Thinking Cap Idea Generator List is generally to decide where to begin.
For whom? Man, woman, couple, family, child, elder?
Budget?
Occasion?
Theme?
Is a color scheme a factor?
What other factors are important to consider? For example: Are you trying to meet the need of the recipient? Or are you going to dazzle them with some unique skill that you are known for, like making the World’s best peanut brittle or knitted an awarding winning ski sweater? Or maybe your complete set of secret Bar-B-Q Sauces in specially labeled bottles?
What sort of unusual container can you put this special gift in?
The ideas will usually flow once you arrive at the answers to one or 2 of the questions listed above.

Jot down ideas as you think of them even if you cross some or most of the off later.

Now that you have a starting place, begin making your final list based on that.
Next, start looking for that perfect container. Try eBay. It is amazing what you can find on eBay every day. And remember to enjoy the process!

Look for my other guides on: 1) How to transform an ordinary wicker baskets and other plain containers into something special. 2) What to use for basket filler before the gifts go in. 3) Gift basket items and how to arrange them. 4) Wrapping it up with cellophane and tying it with a bow.

Thank you for stopping by. Let me know if you want info on other subjects I teach. Or if you have suggestions for the guides I have written please email me with your ideas and suggestions. Life is a journey. Enjoy each day!