Do you love getting a gift basket on a special occasion? Most people do, and the reason is not just for all the nifty gifts inside. It’s the whole presentation from the vessel to the contents to the packaging, and it is usually a crowd pleaser.

If you want to make your gift basket for a special person in your life, you need to think outside the basket. Anyone can gather a bunch of small presents, but how it’s presented gives it the wow factor. You can upgrade your gift-giving game with a decorated gift basket. Use these ideas to make the best gift baskets Toronto that no one has seen before. Everyone will want to start creating their baskets, and you will start a DIY wave.

Here are some great gift basket decoration ideas to use on your next personalized gift.

Idea #1: Decorate the gift basket vessel

Do you think you have to use a wicker basket? Think again. The vessel you use for the gift basket should not only house the gifts but also fit the theme and be a practical item for the recipient.

A small metal tub or bucket is perfect if you put together a gardener’s basket. It looks like it belongs in the garden, and the seeds you included inside can be planted in it. A bucket is ideal for holding water in the garden. Plants love water heated by the sun, so if your friend has a metal bucket filled up the day before, it can take all the sun’s energy and use it to grow your flowers and veggies.

A tool basket can be a real toolbox, spilling out with many different items. For a movie night basket, find the biggest popcorn bucket you can and use it for holding the gifts. A kid’s gift can use a plastic sand bucket so they can take it to the beach later. This practical gift holder will be a big hit and more useful than a regular gift box and wrapping paper.

Idea #2: Decorate with creative filler

Most baskets have a standard filler, including straw, plastic strips or tissue paper. These are all fine and do their job of holding the contents and taking up space, but it could be much more.

Candy is a fun filler that becomes part of the best gift baskets Canada. Find out what type of confections your friend likes and fill the bottom up with a few scoops. You can go to the grocery store and buy these candies in bulk so they don’t break the bank.

Gift for a little kid that loves toy cars? You can pick up cheap Hot Wheels vehicles at the dollar store and put them in. Another filler idea is to put in a few cheap t-shirts with a funny print on them. They will help hold your real gifts and give another extra present underneath.

Idea #3: Spruce up the gift basket

Your basket may not be the main event, but it can still stand out on the gift table. Decorating the outside is a craft project from the heart. Pick your friend’s favourite colours and use different shades to add contrast. Plaster the outside with travel stickers and other trip memorabilia for a road trip basket so you can’t see the basket.

Hand-painted is special; even if you aren’t an artist, you can make a masterpiece. You can also cover the basket on paper and write jokes or inspirational quotes all over it in black marker.

Idea #4: Focus on the gift basket overwrap

Most overwrap baskets are usually cellophane, so you can look inside. This is a classic look, but you can choose something more decorative.

Try using the comic pages from a newspaper and carefully tie them up. It looks amazing and unique. Delicate fabric is another option that looks upscale and adds to the illusion of what’s inside. Buy a nighty or an extra-large shirt and use that. These become part of the gift and show your stylish flair.

Idea #5: Fill the basket with gifts

This leaves us to the gifts you are filling the basket with. The thrill of getting a gift basket is that you can identify all the different items before you open them. Add a little mystery and wrap a few items up separately.

Get some black and white wrapping paper and wrap two of the gifts in each. Then cut out two question makes and put a white one on the black gift and vice versa. This will get everyone’s attention, and they will all want to know what’s inside. Talk about a dramatic gift! Other ideas are to switch items’ contents into each other’s boxes or fill colourful boxes with candies.

Get a special photo of you two and get it cut into a 10-piece puzzle and put one piece inside each gift, so they have an extra challenge to do. They will have fun and discover a special memory once the puzzle is arranged.