If you’re looking for some cheap but beautiful DIY gift ideas, how about a gift basket? They’re perfect for families and friends, unique, easy-to-customize, and cost-effective! Almost all of these 45 ideas would be suitable to give any time of the year, for Christmas, Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation – any and all occasions! Keep reading to get started on these cheap homemade gift basket ideas (that look anything but cheap!).
Creative Christmas Ideas, Full Steam Ahead
The past few years have been off the charts, right? I’m not sure about you, but for me, it’s just a total feeling of being out of place in my own life.
To be honest, I’m real glad we have Christmas to brighten things up.
The past few years have upended our lives in so many ways – our sense of normalcy, maybe our health, and likely finances, too.
So that all trickles down to making Christmas a little different, too.
This year, in order to be frugal, DIY everything is on the list – decorations, crafts, and even gifts.
And that’s where gift baskets come in… with the hope that a little creativity can yield a beautiful gift as well be easy on the budget.
Creative DIY Family-Friendly Gift Basket Ideas
Today I’m going to share 40 gift baskets you can make that are budget-friendly for a few reasons.
First, many are appropriate for an entire family. That way, you don’t need to buy each member an individual gift. So that definitely can save.
Also, as you fill the basket, you really can put lots of items in them that you can get inexpensively.
I don’t mean that they’re cheap quality, but you can find lots of different items.
You can find gift ideas that are either on sale, discount type stores, and even in thrift stores (yes, I totally think it’s OK to give a thrift find as a gift, if it meets a high standard of quality! Sometimes it’s even a rare, valuable find!)
How to Put Together a DIY Gift Basket (And What to Include)
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There are just a few basics to make this a success:
1| Container
You don’t have to just use a basket! You can use crates, buckets, tins, trays, or even something useful that’s part of the gift (a colander, for instance, if you’re giving a dinner gift basket, or a planter, if you’re giving a garden-themed gift).
Think through what you might be filling the basket with and let that dictate the type and size of the container you get. You really can use basket from thrift stores or yard sales, especially for something more unique choices!
2| Filler
Don’t feel obligated to fill the basket from top to bottom with gifts. You can use some shredded confetti, crunched newspaper, or any kind of fill to cover the bottom and then add your gifts on top, similar to what you might do for an Easter basket.
3| Gifts
There’s no right or wrong way to do this. There’s no magic number. My only recommendation is to find items the recipient would like. No need to ‘fill just to fill.’
You want to try to cover as much real estate as you can, so your gifts don’t look miniature in your basket. But think about meaningful gifts to include. Brainstorm ahead of time!
4| Bulk Gifts
If you have more than one friend or family you are creating gift baskets for, it may help to buy items in bulk and then divvy them among your baskets.
That definitely can be a cost-effective measure!
Take a look at these gift baskets below.
There are family gifts, gifts for women, and even some that would be appropriate for men.
They may even just spark your creativity to go in another direction you hadn’t thought of yet.
Be sure you head to the original post for any you’re interested in – it will give you all the details and tricks!
45 Cheap Homemade Gift Baskets for the Whole Family, Christmas & Beyond
gift basket ideas
Food Gift Basket
There really is no way to do this wrong. Just figure out your people's favorite foods, and done.
Gardening Gift Basket
This a super-cute one to customize if you have a gardener in your life. In particular, this post demonstrates how to paint the planter and make garden markers.
Garden Themed Gift Basket
If you want to go beyond gifting the actual plants, this post has an ABUNDANCE of every idea you can think of for a garden lover.
DIY Movie Night Gift Basket
Movie lovers in your life? A movie night basket is a perfect idea! Even if they don't use DVDs or Redbox and are a more 'on-demand' family, you still can fill a basket with goodies and treats for a family movie night.
Coffee Lovers Gift Basket
If someone you know loves coffee, this can never be the wrong gift! Fill it up with all sorts of flavors, mugs, and accessories.
His + Hers Coffee Gift Basket
This is a fun coffee-themed gift basket if you're giving it to a couple -with or without kids! His and Her gifts are always fun and appreciated!
Tea Gift Basket for the Tea Lover
Not to be outdone by coffee, but here's a basket with all kinds of treats for tea lovers!
Natural and Organic Beauty Gift Basket
If you have a crunchy friend where non-toxic products are of utmost importance, this post will give you all kinds of ideas of what to put in a gift basket like that!
DIY Cupcake Kit
How fun is this? Know someone who loves baking? This is a super-cute to focus on cupcakes in particular? You can even broaden it to baking.
Fresh Flowers Themed Gift Basket
This one is for the girly-girl in your life! Themed around a fresh bouquet of flowers, add in all the floral themed gifts, such as scented candles, lotions, potpourri, and sachets!
Relaxation Gift Basket (With Free Printable Gift Tags)
Soooo many people need to take better care of themselves... this gift can take relaxation to the next level!
Relaxing Bath Gift Basket (with free printable tags!)
A relaxing bath is always much needed and very welcome! A gift basket with soothing bath essentials makes an amazing gift. This one includes body wash, soaps, candles - plus instruction for a cute terra cotta "basket."
DIY Beauty Skincare Basket
Skin is one of the first things many women neglect because our lives are so busy. This is a great gift to give for a woman to pamper herself. This post actually is a step-by-step to make these skincare items yourself - truly a DIY!
“Take it Easy” Cozy Gift Basket
This is a super-cozy gift basket idea... fuzzy blanket, slippers, coffee mug and a tea towel, all in a cute storage basket!
Spa Gift Basket Ideas
If a woman can't get to the spa, bring the spa to her! Fill this basket with a candle, lotions, foot soaks and scrubs, loofa, massager... she'll love it.
DIY Health & Wellness Gift Basket
This gift basket idea is when you want to gift someone overall health and wellness! You can focus on fitness, overall holistic wellness, spa and pampering, or self-care! Mix and match ideas to give a total wellness package!
Farmhouse Style Gift Baskets
Know someone who loves farmhouse? Why not fill it with all kinds of farmhouse style goodies... a candle, a book, chocolates, hot cocoa, an ornament, some home decor - in a super-cute crate or galvanized bucket? Bullseye.
For the Home Gift Basket
Whether it's a housewarming gift or just a gift you want to give for the home, this one has all kinds of goodies that are useful and pretty, a welcome addition to any house!
Pre-Planned Date Gift Basket
So many couples need time to connect. This gift basket is chock full of ways to help your favorite couple have some needed quality time.
Double Date Idea And A Paint Night Gift Basket
If you want to get in on the fun, I love this idea for a double date! A dinner and paint night in all in one! That's a super fun friend gift for couples!
Pancake Breakfast Gift Basket
A pancake breakfast gift basket is perfect for someone whose favorite meal is breakfast - and favorite breakfast food is pancakes! So many ways to make this a gourmet treat.
Cheese, Nuts and Crackers Gift Basket
This is a gift idea that feels really fancy...gourmet cheeses, nuts, cutting boards, and knives... even throw in a bottle of wine. Perfect for someone who loves the French culture or the finer things!
Gourmet Sweets Gift Basket
If you have a sweet lover in your life, there are so many fancy sweets you can put in a gourmet. Think about that area in TJ Maxx when you check out... just load up!
Ice Cream Gift Basket
Ice cream sundaes on the way! This is super fun for a couple or a family with kids. An ice cream bar in a bucket, box, or basket is always welcome.
BBQ Gift Basket
This is a great gift idea for a man or woman who loves to BBQ. Some cooking mitts with all the utensils, spices and everything needed for a perfect cookout.
Beach Themed Gift Basket
If you know someone who loves the beach or warm weather, a basket with all the beach gear would be perfect! This also shows you how to make a DIY basket at well! You can also put all the fun, beachy items in a beach tote bag, too!
Custom Self Care Gift Basket
This gift basket really focuses on the recipient. Think about the special person in your life, what would make them feel loved, what do they like, what do they need to relax and recharge - and steer your basket in that direction.
Hot Cocoa Gift Basket
This is a delicious gift basket idea that comes not just with all the fixings and mix-ins for cocoa, but with homemade hot cocoa! How fun!
Sangria Gift Basket for Friends
I feel like this gift basket doesn't need any explanation. Sangria is always a fabulous choice for a friend who loves wine or fruity drinks.
Quick and Easy Dinner
I just love this idea! A full dinner ready to go, plus a cute colander to go with it! You can go in a lot of directions with this theme!
Commuter Gift Basket
This one is genius! If you have someone in your life who spends a lot of time in his or her car, this is the way you need to go!
Wood Worker Gift Crate
I love this idea for a guy or girl! So many ladies are into home reno and DIY! This would be fabulous for them! Lots of other gift ideas and printables in this post as well!
Road Trip Gift Basket
And along those lines, if you know a family that loves to take road trips or has one coming up in the future, this is a really thoughtful gift idea as well!
Book Lovers Gift Basket
I love this idea for a booklover! Book marks, books candles, a cozy blanket, even a Kindle gift card would be great to include!
{Book-Based Basket} Special Ingredient Gift Basket
If you want to get into the details for a book gift basket, try a book-themed basket - where the book itself (a cookbook in this example - but any book would work just fine) will steer you into what kinds of items you put in it! This one has a ton of create room which would be a blast to create! Especially if your friend has a favorite author!
Candle Gift Basket
If you know someone who loves candles, this is a great idea for them! So many yummy scents and beautiful styles to choose from1
Campfire S’mores Gift Basket Idea
The complete campfire Smores event all in one basket! Fun for big and small kids alike!
Snow Day Survival Kit Christmas Gift Basket
Oh, I just love the creativity on this! How fun to create and give - fill this bucket with cookie mix, cookie cutters, hot cocoa, and all kinds of treats to keep busy on a snow day!
Survival Gift Basket Idea
Speaking of survival, there are lots of other themes you can use besides snow day survival for a gift basket? How about school survival, college freshman survival, teacher survival, empty nest survival, winter survival - or even a legit emergency situation survival basket? Lots of ideas that can be customized to the recipient's stage of life!
: Family Game Night Gift Basket
This is such a perfect gift for a family, especially if you know they have a regular game night! So many ways to make this a customized hit!
Tackle Box Craft Gift Basket
Oh my. If you know a crafter, this would such an appreciated gift! What a fun idea to fill a tackle box or something like it with all the craft supplies.
Craft Night in a Tin
And while we are talking crafters, here's a whole craft kit in a basket! This is such fun and it perfect for those creatives on so many levels!
Pretty Paper & Supplies Gift Basket
If you have a student in your life or someone who loves all the pretty paper and office supplies, this is such a practical but pretty idea for a gift basket idea!
Popcorn Gift Basket
Who doesn't love all the fixins' for popcorn?!? I love this easy - it's so easy and affordable. You can even grab these free printable labels and tags to go with it!
Color-Themed DIY Gift Baskets
This is such a fun idea for a gift basket, especially if you know that your person LOVES a particular color! This post gives lots of fun ideas for an array of color choices!
Related Articles for Creative Gift Ideas
If you are looking for more gift ideas, I have a bunch!
Along the lines of gift baskets, here are 40+ mason jar gifts! Super-creative ideas!
If you want more DIY types of gifts, here are over 75 handmade gifts for adult friends and family and over 50 homemade gifts from the kids!
You can also gift homemade candy – here are 50+ mouthwatering Christmas candy gift ideas!
Here are some DIY gifts kids can make for Dad and homemade gifts kids can make for Grandma!
There’s no shame in buying if you’re short on time and energy. Here are a few gift guides:
Gift Ideas for Mobile Babies 9-24 Months
Gift Ideas for Toddler Boys, Ages 2-4 YO
15 One-of-a-Kind Gifts Guaranteed to Wow
20 Best Subscription Boxes for Kids
20 Essential Oil Themed Gifts for Your Crunchy Friends and Family
And if you want to see all my Christmas posts in one place – DIY, crafts, home decor, recipes – be sure to check out the All Things Christmas page right here!
Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!
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