What comes to your mind when you think of a gift basket? Maybe you think of baskets filled with candy and toys you see around Easter time. Or maybe you remember a delightful basket of fruit someone sent to your office at work. Gift baskets take on many different themes, today I want to share a few of my favorite gift basket ideas with you so you can surprise someone you love with a unique and useful gift.

Pasta/Italian Night Basket

For your pasta-loving friend – Put together the fixing for a perfect Italian night at home in a well-packaged gift basket. You can pick up most of the items at World Market including gourmet pasta, pasta sauce, gourmet olive oil,  meats and cheeses, and a colander. You could also include Italian spices, bread, and tea towels. What makes this gift basket idea special is that it includes everything the recipient would need to make the meal that evening – no need to think about what’s for dinner!

Baker’s Favorites

For your friend that loves to bake – put together a gift basket of gourmet baking mixes. For an added bonus, add in a few things like silicone whisks, measuring spoons, cookie cutters, and sprinkles. You could also include an apron and oven mitts. What makes this gift basket idea special is that it contains items that people would use and enjoy but may not purchase on their own.

S’mores Night

For your friend that loves hosting – Who doesn’t love sitting by the fire eating these marshmallow treats? This basket can include a bag of giant marshmallows, a box of graham crackers, and a variety of chocolate bars. The only thing that you may not be able to fit in a basket is roasting sticks!

Coffee Lovers

For your friend that’s always caffeinated – Everyone has a friend that always has a mug in their hand. This is the perfect gift for them. A basket full of their favorite coffee, a fun, oversized coffee mug (grab two of these for $10), flavored syrup, and some gourmet cookies to top it off. What’s special about this gift is that it can be thoughtfully curated for the person receiving it. It would be wonderful to include a coffee subscription as well.

Family Movie Night

For your neighbors or friends with families – This basket contains the makings of a great evening at home. Who doesn’t love staying in, snuggling up, and vegging out on Sour Patch Kids and popcorn? Stuff this basket with microwavable popcorn, boxes of candy staples, and a gift certificate to Redbox. What’s special about this gift idea is that it’s made for the whole family to enjoy!

Now you have a few ideas about what to put in a gift basket, not you just need to find the perfect basket to put all these items in! One of my favorite baskets from Wald Imports is the Rectangular Willow Tray. It’s available in honey, gray, black, and white, so you can find the perfect color to match your basket theme. 

Stay tuned for more gift basket ideas from Wald Imports!