These creative gift basket ideas are so fun you’ll want to give one to everyone left on your list! We were recently in charge of coming up with some budget friendly gift ideas for a work event. With a price point of about $20 per gift we knew we had to get creative to come up with some gifts that people would actually enjoy/want! I immediately suggested some gift basket ideas. It took a little planning and one night to put them altogether but they turned out wonderfully and were a hit with the recipients.
Sometimes coming up with thoughtful and useful gifts can be difficult on a budget. Themed gift baskets are a great thoughtful gift idea that really can be done at any price point. Below are creative gift basket ideas that you can easily do for $20 or less.
Creative Gift Basket Ideas
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Since this post, I’ve received several questions about where to buy affordable basket for the gifts. Here are a few suggestions:
Ask friends and neighbors if they have an baskets they are looking to get rid of. I know I almost always have one or two that I’m not using.
Check out your local thrift shops and second hand stores.
Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross and other similar retailers usually have baskets that are reasonably priced.
Pasta/Italian Night
For your pasta-loving friend – Put together the fixing for a perfect Italian night at home in a well-packaged gift basket. We picked up most items at World Market including gourmet pasta, pasta sauce, gourmet olive oil, meats and cheeses, and a colander. You could also include Italian spices, bread, and tea towels. What makes this gift basket idea special is that it includes everything the recipient would need to make the meal that evening – no need to think about what’s for dinner!
Baker’s Favorites
For your friend that loves to bake – An adorable mixing bowl stuffed with some of my favorite baking items like silicone whisks, measuring spoons, cookie cutters, and sprinkles. This was the hottest gift of the day! I made sure to pick colors that mixed well together – packaging matters. You could also include an apron, oven mitts, and gourmet baking mixes. What makes this gift basket idea special is that it contains items that people would use and enjoy but may not purchase on their own.
S’mores Night
For your friend that loves hosting – Who doesn’t love sitting by the fire eating these marshmallow treats? The basket included a bag of giant marshmallows, a box of graham crackers, and a variety of chocolate bars. We took it up a notch and included specialty chocolate bars in fun flavors like “hot fudge” and “peppermint bark.” The only thing this box was missing was some roasting sticks which were remarkably difficult to find in December. What makes this gift basket idea special is that it’s take and go. You’ll pal will be roasting marshmallows that evening and will hopefully invite you over to enjoy them as well!
Coffee Lovers
For your friend that’s always caffeinated – Everyone has a friend that always has a mug in their hand – their all probably moms. This is the perfect gift for them. A bag full of their favorite coffee, a fun, oversized coffee mug (grab two of these for $10), flavored syrup, and some gourmet cookies to top it off. What’s special about this gift is that it can be thoughtfully curated for the person receiving it. It would be wonderful to include a coffee subscription as well.
Family Movie Night
For your neighbors or friends with families – This basket contains the makings of a great evening at home and who doesn’t love staying in, snuggling up, and vegging out on Sour Patch Kids and popcorn? I stuffed popcorn tubs (similar here) with microwavable popcorn, boxes of candy staples, and a gift certificate to Redbox. What’s special about this gift idea is that it’s made for the whole family to enjoy!
Hostess Favorites
For your friend that loves to entertain – A breadboard (similar), tea towels, some fresh bread, and specialty marmalade or preserves make a fantastic hostess gift. Put everything in a pretty basket and you’re good to go. What’s special about this gift idea is that you can make this as minimal or as elaborate as you’d like! We found many of these items at Home Goods and TJ Maxx!
Carwash Kit
For your friend that loves their car – This is a great gift for a man’s man. We put together two of these baskets and they were HOT among a group of sailors. It’s so easy to put together and it’s the epitome of a useful gift. Simply fill a bucket with your favorite car washing supplies. We included ArmorAll Wipes, sponges, rags, auto glass cleaner, and car washing soap.
Saturday Morning Breakfast
For your friend that loves breakfast – This was Matt’s favorite and I’m seriously considering adding all of these items in his stocking this year. For the pancake lovers in your life, this basket is perfection! We found gourmet pancake mixes at Target and World Market along with some specialty syrups in flavors like Butter Pecan and Coconut Pineapple. Yum! What’s great about this gift idea is that you can completely tailor it to the recipient. If they love crepes instead of pancakes, add that in instead!
Sweet Treats
For your friend with the sweet tooth – When you have a crazy sweet tooth but have nothing sweet in your house, you’ll be so glad you got this basket! Matt grabbed his favorite candies and paired them with a variety of specialty sodas to create this simple basket for someone who loves sweets! There aren’t many people who wouldn’t enjoy this fun gift!
Pet Favorites
For your four-legged friends – So many of us have friends with furbabies – why not create a basket just for them! We included toys and treats for the pet in their lives. What’s special about this gift is that it acknowledges our four-legged friends! The options are endless with this one!
I would love to hear some gift basket ideas you’ve put together in the past or even some ideas that you’d like to try! I think gift baskets are a great way to give a thoughtful gift without busting your budget.
If you have a raffle coming up or a need for inexpensive gift baskets – pin the image below to save!
More creative gift basket ideas this way ——> Ultimate Guide to Gift Baskets
Want more gift basket ideas? Check out these holiday gift basket ideas.
Thank you Chelsea such great and creative gift ideas.
Great ideas! Gift baskets are such a fun gift to give and receive. Thanks for sharing!
>> Christene
Keys to Inspiration
Great ideas, but I’m not sure they can be done for $20 including the container. It might be better if you itemize how much you spent on each item you mention. Thanks for this article, it was helpful.
Hi Rose! That’s a great idea. Each of these baskets were under $20 as we had a budget of $20 per basket. A couple of the baskets themselves were an extra cost (the pasta basket + the pet favorites). The baker’s favorites utilized the mixing bowl as the “basket” and that did take the bulk of the budget ($12) but we found all of the fillers at TJ Maxx very inexpensively! Hope that helps!
Where did you get the wire, wicker, and cloth baskets? I’m finding them to be most of my budget.
I find baskets at thrift stores, home goods, TJ Maxx, At Home Stores, and Walmart! Hope that helps!