| Gift baskets will always be popular and a great idea | | | | white chocolates, chocolate bars, chocolate covered |
| to give as a gift. People love to receive gift baskets. | | | | cherries, Belgian chocolates, chocolate mints, and |
| Making your own chocolate lover's gift basket is | | | | chocolate covered pretzels. |
| cheap and easy. | | | | How about miniature or giant-size chocolate animals, |
| You can fill it with a variety of inexpensive items and | | | | gourmet chocolate candies, Tootsie Rolls, nuts, |
| there are lots of choices.ou can easily customize each | | | | homemade chocolate-based cookies, pre-packaged |
| chocolate theme gift basket to your recipient. | | | | chocolate food items, brownie mixes,and chocolate |
| I've put together a few great ideas for making a | | | | chip cookie mixes. |
| chocolate lover's gift basket, complete with | | | | And wooden spoons, your best chocolate chip cookie |
| instructions on how to make them. You can make | | | | recipe, your favorite hand-written chocolate recipes, |
| inexpensive gift baskets or expensive gift baskets | | | | chocolate dessert recipes, chocolate fudge recipes, |
| depending on your budget. | | | | hot chocolate or cocoa mixes in fancy packets, |
| First make a list of your recipient's hobbies and | | | | coffee mug for cocoa, movie tickets and cinnamon |
| interests. List everything you can think of. | | | | sticks. |
| Suggestions: sports, books, television shows, in-house | | | | You can use as many chocolate items as you like. |
| hobbies, outdoor recreation, camping, workshop, | | | | You can make your basket with all chocolate items |
| enjoy working with tools, golf, fishing, | | | | or mix in a few non-chocolate items. |
| computer-related, environment friendly, golf, and | | | | For gift basket wrapping you can use tulle netting or |
| tennis. | | | | I like to use cellophane wrap. You can buy it in large |
| Also relaxation, food, wine, spa, bath and body, fruit, | | | | rolls. Look for specialty packaging outlets where you |
| cookie, crafts, gardening, etc. You can tie in any | | | | can buy it wholesale. |
| interests into your chocolate theme. These are just a | | | | Tie off the wrapped basket with ribbon. Wired fabric |
| few ideas. | | | | ribbon is best if you have it. For bows: You can use |
| You can find many inexpensive items for use in | | | | pre-packaged bows but making your own bows is |
| making your gift baskets or filling your gift baskets, | | | | easy and the best if you can do it. Use a large or |
| at 'dollar' stores, craft stores, party stores, discount | | | | huge bow. |
| outlets, flea markets, close-out stores, etc. | | | | Assemble all your gift basket items, tools you need, |
| For gift containers you can use: any type of basket, | | | | etc. Now line your selected gift container. Now stuff |
| wicker basket, straw basket, bucket, laundry basket, | | | | the selected filler into the gift basket to give added |
| plastic container, toy dump truck or other large toy | | | | height to your items. Place, layer and arrange your |
| truck, purse, tin, Christmas tin, seasonal container, | | | | selected items on the filler in the gift container. Put |
| large tea pot, large upside-down hat, or plastic | | | | the larger items in the back, the smaller items in |
| storage container-put lid underneath. | | | | front. |
| Other items might be: extra-large coffee mug, boot, | | | | Fill in the holes or prop up with more filler (shredded |
| potted plant holder, wire basket, large pasta bowl, | | | | paper, Easter basket grass, wrapped chocolates, |
| large popcorn bowl, cooking pot, clay pot, tackle box, | | | | napkins or holiday napkins etc. Also you can use |
| colander, small wagon, skillet, antique trunk, | | | | 'picks' of artificial flowers to fill in space. |
| champagne bucket, hamper, Asian-style trunk or | | | | Place your cellophane or other wrap under the gift |
| picnic basket. | | | | basket. Center the gift basket on the wrap. Bring the |
| For gift basket liner you can use: tissue paper, | | | | cellophane or other wrap over the top of the gift |
| shredded paper, shredded newspaper, tea towels, | | | | basket and tie it with ribbon and or a beautiful bow! |
| dish towels, hand towels, kitchen towels, colored | | | | Use ribbon and bows to match your theme colors. |
| towels, colored napkins, placemats, diapers, baby | | | | Tuck a card in the ribbon and that's it! |
| blankets or fabric pieces. | | | | You can find fabric or wired ribbon cheaply at |
| For gift basket filler you can use: shredded colored | | | | Costco-- especially in the fall prior to Christmas but |
| paper, straw, Easter basket grass, crumpled | | | | often throughout the year in some stores. You can |
| newspaper comics, a bed of wrapped chocolates or | | | | shred paper in a paper shredder. If you're going to |
| other wrapped candy. | | | | need a lot of cellophane you can purchase it |
| For items in the container it'll depend on the specialty | | | | wholesale through the packaging specialty stores |
| or theme of the gift basket - in this case Chocolate! | | | | throughout the U.S. but should be easily found in craft |
| With chocolate it's best not to include any fragrant | | | | stores. |
| items, unless they are wrapped in such a way that | | | | General tips: Try to use non-perishable items. Use |
| they don't give off any fragrance. Here's a small | | | | freshly packaged food items, because even |
| random sampling to give you some good ideas: | | | | packaged crackers and cookies can go stale in a |
| Gift certificate for massage or spa visit, gift | | | | couple of months. You can find filler flower 'picks' at |
| certificate to favorite store, gift certificate for | | | | garage sales for pennies. If you buy wholesale they |
| restaurant, loofah, CD of nature sounds, favorite | | | | are usually around a dollar each. |
| artist CD, DVD of newer release movie, how-to | | | | Also there's nothing like learning how to make gift |
| video or CD, handwritten poem, watch, framed | | | | baskets from a video or DVD for making cheap and |
| photo, inspirational book, spa pillows, bath pillows, spa | | | | easy gift baskets. You can view it over and over |
| supplies, or a small fluffy towel. | | | | again and share with your children, other family |
| Also flavored teas, green tea, specialty tea, herbal | | | | members and friends. |
| tea, biscotti, tea infuser, healthy snacks, fancy | | | | You can even charge for classes with your |
| chocolates, boxed chocolates, chocolate bars, hot | | | | new-found knowledge and/or start a home based |
| chocolate mix, specialty coffee mix, homemade | | | | business if you so desire. In any event, making a |
| chocolate chip cookies, homemade brownies, | | | | chocolate lover's gift basket is cheap and easy and |
| chocolate fudge, and Ghirardelli chocolates. | | | | will be thoroughly appreciated by the chocolate lover |
| Or chocolate covered raisins, chocolate covered | | | | recipient. |
| strawberries, Hershey chocolates, dark chocolates, | | | | |