Gift hampers are synonymous with gifts baskets. They are highly personalized gifts given to family and friends on special occasions. The value of gift hampers is that they can be personally customized for the taste of the recipients.
Suppose you are faced with an occasion to make a gift, consider presenting a gift hamper. Either you can buy gift hampers from stores or assemble them at home. Some stores offer pre-arranged gift hampers based on various themes or they give you the chance to pick items to go into your gift hamper.
But the best hampers are ones made at home. Not only are they inexpensive, but the time and effort that you put into creating it, gives it special value.
Here are some tips on how to make a cheap hamper:
Keep a Theme: The theme must reflect the occasion and the qualities of the recipient. For instance, a wedding hamper will be completely different from new baby hamper. If there is no specific occasion, then consider;
- Who is the hamper intended for?
- What are their likes/dislikes, hobbies/ interests?
Some ideas for a theme for a gift hamper are:
- Gardening theme.
- Food theme: It can be divided into themes like chocolate hamper, wine hamper, homemade goodies hamper or assemble small items like Cheese crackers, sauces, etc to create a cheap food hamper.
- Crafting theme: Gift DIY projects like odds and ends for quilting.
- Movie theme: Really versatile including DVD’s, Magazines, posters, etc.
- Spa theme with scented candles, body lotions and oils. Add a bath robe or towel.
- Sports theme
- Tea or coffee theme
Estimate a Budget: What you will include in your gift hamper will be determined by your budget. You cannot afford tickets to an opera to add in your wine basket if you are on a tight budget. The best way to make a frugal gift hamper is to make items yourself like baking cookies, making chocolates, etc. If you have a secret recipe, make it rather than buy from a store. Recipients will be flattered by the time and effort that went in to creating the homemade gift hamper.
Contents: Hampers are not always about wine or chocolates. One can include anything in your hamper. Only make sure contents are appropriate to the recipient and reflect personal taste. It is good to stick to a theme but not necessary.
Containers: Wicker baskets are most popular. A good idea is something practical like a serving bowl or items, which are disposable and recycled like a fancily wrapped cardboard box. Some examples of containers include:
- Terracotta pots and planters
- Crockery: bake ware, plates
- Wooden crates
- Metal buckets
- Serving trays
- Bags
- Handmade quilted baskets
Fillers: If you have a shredder, you can easily make fillers of shredded paper and clothing. Scrunched-up paper like newspaper also works well. One can also reuse fillers in hampers, which you received from someone else.
Arranging: Start arranging larger and longer items first and keep smaller items on top or around it. Use sticky tapes to keep the items in position. You can even tape items to the handle of a gift hamper.
Wrapping: Most popular is cellophane wrapping. Top the gift hamper with a ribbon tied into a bow.
These are some of the tips to create a cheap gift hamper.