When you browse all the amazing gift hampers online, you can’t help but wonder how they make their baskets look so perfect and balanced. Everything appears to be placed in the correct position and the bow is also immaculate. When you go holiday shopping and end up purchasing several items for the same recipient, why not package them together in one neat basket? Here are some tips to make your home-made basket look like a million bucks:

 

Select a theme

First, there are a few things you need to decide before you start putting together your gift hampers. Start by choosing a theme as all your decisions will be based on it. Once you have a theme in mind, you can select the perfect container and gift items to fill it. If the bin is particularly deep, you may need some type of filler material so that the contents of the bin are proudly displayed and not hidden inside. Finally, you need to select the type of wrapping paper or fabric you want to use, as well as an elegant matching ribbon.

 

Assemble with care

Once you have everything you need for your gift hampers, the fun part begins: assembly! Start with the container and place some filling inside. Shallow containers will still need some type of binder to provide a base, but you won’t need to use too much. It’s more for design purposes.

 

Proper arrangement

Now, just like a bouquet of flowers, you should organize the contents of your gift hampers according to three principles: the focal point, the mass elements and the fillers. Typically the largest item (such as a bottle of champagne) will be the main focal point and as such will be placed in the centre of the basket. Large boxes and containers with treats will surround the bottle, and smaller items will be placed in front of them. Remember, if you’re sending a basket of sweets or chocolates, you can line the base of the container with some loose sweets and chocolates to give it more colour and fullness. You should still use packing material (like straw) to form a soft base and then organize all your major items. When you’re done, cover any open spaces with loose candy.

 

Now all that’s left to do is finish our gift hampers off! If you wish, you can use one, two or even three pieces of cellophane or even some type of transparent fabric. Avoid light or white materials. Choose a colour and top it with a coordinating ribbon. Remember to attach the paper to the top of the basket with transparent adhesive tape and then decorate it with a bow. This will ensure that the entire casing stays in place.