Gift Baskets are THAT GIRL for Last Minute Gifts
It is celebration season! Graduations are happening like clockwork and the parties that are being planned to celebrate our family and friends achievements have many of us booked and busy.
Are you busy looking for a great gift idea to bring to the party? Well, look no further because gift baskets really are THAT GIRL for any occasion and can be made with various budgets, big or small.
I love going to parties and I love celebrating others, but I somehow tend to remember only a day or two before that I should not show up empty handed. It happens often and it is pretty stressful because I run into this scenario:
I remember that I need to buy a gift and panic.
I find the gift I want to purchase.
It is only available online.
I place it in the cart to purchase and select one day shipping.
I see the cost of the item + shipping + tax and close out of the browser because the shipping cost is too expensive for my liking.
Now, I am back at square one trying to figure out what to buy for my loved one.
The solution to last minute gifts, whether you found out about the occasion the day before or knew months in advance, is custom gift baskets. Here is why. You only need to go to one or two stores to get everything you need for your unique and eye catching basket. My go to stores are Dollar Tree and Target.
I love Dollar Tree. Every time I go there, I am shocked at how many great items they have for just $1. If you are a student or someone that is balling on a tight budget, check out Dollar Tree! Now, let me tell you why I go to Dollar Tree for my gift baskets. They have the essentials. At a minimum, I can always find a bucket, confetti, a clear gift bag, bow, and card. That is only $5! Now, all you have to do is fill the gift basket with things the person may like. I also like that Dollar Tree has a section that is stocked with items that are in theme with the current holiday of the year.
If you are a Target shopper, you are probably familiar with a similar display found at the front of the store called the Bullseye Playground. Everything is usually $15 or less, with most items costing less than $5. The Bullseye Playground has items that are the perfect stocking stuffer and in this case, basket stuffer, especially for kids. Another reason why I like to go to Target to complete my gift basket is because they have a large selection to choose from. You can buy affordable or expensive items and they have a section specifically for gift ideas. When I arrive at Target, I am thinking of getting candy, snacks, gift cards, candles, travel size items, beauty products, mugs, graphic tees, and etc. The whole store is your playground, not just the section in the front.
Last weekend, my friend text me frantically because he found out at the last minute that his girlfriend’s family was throwing her a surprise party before her deployment. He was not sure what to get her, so he asked me for help. Initially, I was not really sure what to suggest, so I told him I would give it some thought. I figured it out later that evening, A GIFT BASKET THAT IS USA THEMED! It should not be hard at all because the stores are already stocked up on 4th of July goodies. The next day, we were headed to Dollar Tree and Target. At Dollar Tree, we bought a bucket, 5 bags of confetti, a bow, a set of bandanas, a card, and sandals. Everything was $11. Then, we drove to Target and bought a clear gift bag (since it was out of stock at Dollar Tree), her favorite gummy worms, a Starbucks coffee mug, travel size toiletries (lotion, cleansing wipes, Kleenex, mouth wash, bug repellant spray, make up wipes, Tylenol, a first aid kit, a nail kit, a flag pillow, and a bottle of California Roots wine. The most expensive item was the Starbucks coffee mug at $12.95. When we left Target, we had spent $30. My friend decided that he wanted to add a framed picture of them and a bouquet of her favorite flowers. So we went to Kroger to buy a bouquet of sunflowers for $6.99 and he had their picture printed and framed. We parted ways and I took all of the items home to create, with the help of my mom, the finished product pictured below. I loved the way it turned out and sent him the 4 pictures to show the creation of it from start to finish. He replied with “😍😍😍🙌🏽🙌🏽 amazing! I’m crying 😂😂😂😭😭” When we arrived to the party a day later, his girlfriend was surprised and happy to see everyone who came and of course, she was very happy with the gift basket.
A few months ago, my mom was in a similar predicament of not knowing what to get her client who she had helped buy a home. She had already bought gift cards that could be used towards the new home, but wanted to give her client something more. I told her about the idea of creating a gift basket and we made one just by going to Dollar Tree. We added candy, confetti, and a card. It was such a nice gesture with a great presentation and her client was pleased.
Do yourself a favor and make a gift basket for your loved ones and if you still aren’t sure what to put in it, a quick Google or Pinterest search should do the trick. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. Leave a comment below, if you have ever made a gift basket or if this blog has you ready to make one.
Time to CELEBRATE!
- T
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