Making Your Own Gift Baskets: Step Three

SELECTING THE CONTENTS

[If you already have specific items in mind, you might consider this step before choosing your container, especially if one or more items are bulky or somewhat heavy. You would need to select the container that could hold them safely.]

BEFORE you go shopping, there are several things to keep in mind when selecting the contents.

1. Your Theme

Whether your theme is an occasion, a holiday, or just based on the recipient’s favorite things, this will be the deciding factor as to what you put in your basket. Gift baskets that are a mixture of themes can work well also, as long as you keep the recipient in mind.

For example, if you’re planning a get well gift basket for a ten-year-old child, it’s unlikely that you would include an expensive bottle of perfume. As the child begins to feel well enough to be bored, puzzles, coloring books, crayons, or similar quiet activities would really be appreciated.

2. Estimated Size of Finished Basket

Consider the size of the container plus the contents plus the decorative touches plus the wrapping. It all adds up and can surprise you.

3. Size of Items in Proportion to One Another

Most of the contents should be in a general range of sizes. A good balance is to have one large item with several medium-size items and several smaller items. Use the large item as the focal point with the smaller items to fill in the spaces and make it more pleasing to the eye. Keep in mind that some items will need to be decorative to enhance the beauty of your gift.

Still using the child’s basket as an example, consider including a teddy bear or a dinosaur, depending on the child’s interests.

4. Colors of the Items and the Containers

Your theme would be your guide to selecting colors, such as typical holiday colors. (Reds and pinks for Valentine’s Day, for example.) Think in shades of one color or a family of colors, or a combination of colors that complement one another.

If you know what the recipient’s favorite colors are, then by all means choose those colors that would really please them.

If there are items you really want to include that would clash terribly with your color scheme, then simply gift wrap them in a color to match.

Beautiful colors make a good first impression and contribute more to the pleasure of receiving a gift than you might think. Would you enjoy getting a gift in a brown paper bag more than the same gift in a bright red tote bag?

5. Number of Items

Let your budget and/or the size of your container be your guide here.

6. Total Cost

If your budget is limited but you want to give good quality items, then choose just one expensive item, a few lesser expensive ones, and several inexpensive ones.

Remember those spaces you’ll need to fill in. Don’t forget to include the costs of other supplies, such as ribbon and wrap.

In the next steps, we will be learning basics of assembling everything, including the final decorative touches.

Keep in mind that we’re not trying to be a professional gift basket designer. This is a personal gift from you, made by you, with the recipient in mind. You simply want the end result to reflect the time and care you put into choosing the gifts and making it look as lovely as possible within your abilities.

Origins of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is considered to have its roots in both Roman and Christian traditions. Archaeologists unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. 

Many different saints were named Valentine.  Three of the saints by that name were executed on February 14, but there is no definite evidence as to which one the celebration has been named after.

In my opinion, the most likely candidate is the temple priest who performed marriages in secret. Emperor Claudius had ruled marriage unlawful for single young men because supposedly they made better soldiers than married men. When Valentine was caught performing such marriages, the emperor ordered his death. He was executed on February 14, 270.

In 496, February 14 was marked as a day of celebration by Pope Gelasius in honor of St. Valentine.

It is also claimed that a celebration was created on this date to ‘christianize’ the ancient Lupercalia festival, celebrated on February 15 in honor of the god Lupercus. It was considered un-Christian because it was a Roman “lottery” system of pairing up men and women. Instead, Pope Gelasius had the young men and women pick the names of saints to emulate for the year. Valentine became the patron of this Church feast.

Notes of affection, which often included Valentine’s name, were sent to young women by young men.

Saint Valentine is the patron saint of love, young people, happy marriages, bee keepers, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, lovers, plague and travelers. In pictures Valentine is represented with birds and roses.