Making specialty gift baskets is easy and the whole family can take part in creating a gift which will be appreciated throughout the year and beyond. There is no reason to spend a huge amount of money on baskets found in strip mall shops. All it takes is a bit of imagination, a little time and a few dollars to bring joy to a favorite gardener at Christmas or any time of the year.
Homemade Gift Baskets for Gardeners
- Pamper Basket
- Seed Storage Tins
- Tool Bucket
Pamper Basket
Supplies to make this basket:
- Basket
- Tissue Paper or Fabric
- Colorful Ribbon(s)
- Handmade Soaps
- Lotion
- Bath Salts
- Scented Candle
How to Put It All Together:
- Place tissue paper or fabric in bottom and sides of basket.
- Place soaps, lotion, bath salts and candle in basket as desired.
- Tie ribbons around perimeter of basket and on handle (if applicable)
Extras:
Lotion and bath salts can be poured from original containers into colored glass bottles to match gardeners' decor. Soaps can be made at home or purchased and dressed up with ribbon or other wrapping. Gardeners soap may also be added to this basket. Add a coupon for a foot rub, an offer to till the garden or a gift certificate to a local day spa.
Seed Storage Tins
Supplies to Make this Basket:
- Tins (various sizes such as cookie and popcorn tins)
- Felt Fabric
- Glue
- Scissors
- Empty Baby Food Jars and Prescription Bottles
- Self Stick Address Labels
- Sharpie® Pens (Fine Point)
- Small Tablet (Should fit inside tin/1 for each tin)
- Seeds
How to Put it All Together:
- Clean tins, bottles and jars.
- Measure and cut felt to fit inside of each tin then glue it to the sides and bottoms.
- While the glue is drying, write names of seeds on labels. Be certain to include the date seed was collected or purchased. Now attach the labels to containers and fill with seeds.
- Set seeds into tins along with small tablet and a pencil/pen.
Extras:
The tins and seed containers can be any size as long as the lids fit snuggly. Tins may be decorated or left as are. The small tablet is so that the gardener can keep track of what seeds are in the tin without having to look at each label. It is also a good idea to keep track of the age of seeds and germination rates of any given variety. *This is a good project for the kids in the family to create. They can use their imaginations to make seed storage containers which can not be found in any store.
Tool Bucket
Supplies to Make this Basket:
- 5 Gallon Plastic Bucket with Handle
- Canvas Apron to Fit Bucket
- Hay
- Roll of Jute Twine
- Hand Tools (pruners, garden knife and sheath, hand hoe and cultivator)
- Garden Hose Attachments (sprayer or wand)
- Small Bag of Fertilizer (opt.)
- Soil Testers (pH and moisture testers)
How to Put it All Together:
- Attach apron to bucket and fill pockets with hand tools.
- Place loose hay in bottom of bucket much like you would tissue paper in a gift basket.
- Put any loose items on top of hay in bucket.
- Make a 'bow' from twine and attach to handle. Place remainder of roll into bucket.
Extras:
While at the garden center look for other items that can be added to the tool bucket.
The key is to create a 'basket' that not only looks good but is also useful. Imagination is the only limit on baskets and buckets which can be created for the gardener. Take a walk through the garden center or discount store to find all sorts of treasures to add to the lists above.
More Christmas gift ideas for gardeners can be found in these articles, "Christmas Gifts Under $20.00" and "Christmas for Every Vegetable Gardener".
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