- Be creative! Don't restrict yourself to using only baskets. Any item with a cavity is a container. Any item where something can be attached to it can be your base. e.g. a Teddy Bear can sit on a box of chocolates, or hold a bag of popcorn.
- Use keepsake containers. E.g., a roasting pan, pasta colander, salad bowl, mug, or a picture frame (as a tray).
- Enhance your containers with silk flowers, dried flowers, pot pourri, lace, fabric, artificial fruit, etc. Use glue dots, glue guns or tacky white glue to hold items in place.
- Stained baskets looking a little tired? Bring them back to life with a light spraying of clear varnish.
- Need to add a little glitz to your basket – using a damp natural sponge and either gold, silver or copper paint. Highlight your basket using light strokes of paint.
- Painted baskets may look great, but use caution! They may spread a paint odor to your food products. Dyed baskets and natural baskets may be your better choice.
- Add a little glitter to your basket. Spray on glitter is available at craft stores. A little goes a long way.
- Damaged handles? Don't throw the basket away, remove the handles and you’re left with a usable base.
- If you are designing a gift containing a wine, choose a basket with a handle so that you can secure the bottle to it. An alternate container such as an ice bucket would also do because of the depth you have to place the bottle into.
- Your choice of container size should be in proportion to the gift items. Small items should be in a small container, large items in a large container.
- Look for attention to detail & design when purchasing your baskets.
- Hand woven baskets – check for sharp or jagged pieces. The ends of the material used to weave the basket should be woven to the inside of the basket.
- Natural baskets can be found made from willow, wicker, grasses, roots, bamboo, reeds, twine, wood, rattan, and many other products.
- Although handmade baskets can vary in size and shape, always check to make sure that the base is flat. If the base is unbalanced, select another.
- Natural containers covered with moss can be appealing, but they do shed. Help the moss to stay intact with a light coating of hair spray.
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