6 Fun & Easy DIY Gift Basket Ideas for everyone on your list

If you need an easy gift idea, here are six beautiful DIY gift basket ideas that are budget friendly. The DIY gift baskets can be used for birthdays, hostess gifts, Thank You, Christmas and other holiday events.

Why a DIY gift basket?

Gift baskets are my favourite kind of gift to give. By curating a collection of items that your recipient will love, you can show them how well you know & care for them. DIY gift baskets can also be extremely budget-friendly. You can set whatever budget you want for the basket, and buy goodies from a boutique shop to a dollar store. It's completely up to you! Either way, how you create and style the basket will make it look high end.

Watch my video to get all my gift basket tips and learn how to make 6 different DIY gift baskets:

What to put in a DIY gift basket

Your gift basket can be completely unique to the person to whom you're giving it. Put as many or as few items in the basket as you'd like, and create a fun theme that your friend or family member will love! For my baskets, I've put everything from food to home decor inside - it all depends on the recipient's interests! These 5 DIY gift basket ideas below will help you get started.

How can I make dollar store baskets look nice?

If you're opting to use items from a dollar store in your gift basket, you can still make your gift look luxurious and expensive. Choose items that have a similar theme & colour scheme. Then, choose a basket that matches the feel of the items and fill it with recyclable shredded paper to match. Next, arrange the items on top of the paper in a pleasing way - the large items can go at the back and the small ones at the front. Now you can add gift tags and/or free printable labels to make your basket look like a beautiful, custom creation. I've included some free printable tags and labels in today's post! Finally, you can wrap the whole thing with some cellophane and tie it with a beautiful bow.

What to use instead of a basket for a gift basket

Another way to elevate a DIY gift basket is to use a creative container. Instead of a classic basket, use another container that matches the aesthetic of the items you're using. For example, you could use a beautiful mixing bowl for a pancake-themed gift basket. You can use a lovely glass pitcher for a gift basket with mulled wine ingredients. A beach bucket would be adorable for a beach themed gift for kids. You could put a housewarming gift filled with beautiful laundry items and linens in a laundry basket. Think outside of the box - or the basket! - to create something that's truly special.

6 Creative DIY Gift Basket Ideas

These easy gift basket ideas will get you started with your DIY gift basket creations. You can copy these ideas exactly, or use them as inspiration to make your completely unique gift. Use these for everything from Christmas gifts to birthday gifts to housewarming gifts... have fun creating!

Pancake Breakfast Gift Basket

This fun gift basket idea is perfect for an entire family! In this gift, you can include pancake mix, a matching kitchen towel and oven mitt, maple syrup, a mixing spoon, and a spatula. Add any other essentials you think might be nice for a pancake breakfast morning. Pack all of the items inside a beautiful mixing bowl filled with shredded basket filler for a fun pancake breakfast gift!

Click on the image below to get download & print your free label for this basket:

Mulled Wine Gift Basket

This isn't technically a gift in a basket, but it's in a pitcher and I love how it turned out! To make this mulled wine gift, create a DIY mulled wine mix. Here's how:

cut one apple, one orange and one lemon into ¼" slices
place the slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
dehydrate the slices in an oven at 175 degrees F for about 3 hours, flipping the slices every 30 minutes (you can learn more about drying citrus slices by reading this blog post)
place ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 teaspoon cloves and the dried fruit slices into a tall cellophane bag and tie it with a bow

Now, to put together your mulled wine gift, place a the DIY mix in a large pitcher. Then, add a bottle of red wine (a cabernet sauvignon is nice for this) and a bottle stopper.

Finish the gift off by tying some gift tags and instructions on how to make the mulled wine to the pitcher and the wine bottle. Click the images below to download and print these free gift tags:

Sugar Cookies & Hot Cocoa Night Gift Basket

This gift basket idea is great for the whole family! Encourage an evening of cookie baking and hot coca sipping with this basket. In this gift, you can include a DIY sugar cookie mix (more on that below), a rolled-up apron, cookie cutters, hot chocolate mix, sprinkles, mugs, a rolling pin and marshmallows. Place all of the items inside a basket for a fun sugar cookie & hot cocoa night gift. This one makes a lovely Christmas gift basket idea!

Click on the image below to get download & print your free labels and tags for this basket:

To make the sugar cookies in a jar:

in a large bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and a pinch of salt
in a 1 quart mason jar, put 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
pour the first flour mixture over top. You may need to gently tap the jar to fit everything
then, put the lid on the jar and tie a tag with the directions on the neck of the jar (you can find the free printable instructions tag above)

Cozy, Self-Care Gift Basket

Whether your recipient is a tween, a mom, or a best friend, they'll love this gorgeous pampering gift basket. In this gift, you can include a cozy blanket, warm socks, slippers, hand towels, twinkle lights, hand soap, a candle, room spray and dried lavender. Place all of the items inside a basket for a gift that's perfect for pampering during an at-home spa day.

Click on the image below to get download & print your free labels and tags for this basket:

Coffee Survival Kit Gift Basket

This is a gift that will work for so many people on your list. In this gift, you can include a bag of coffee, a dish towel, some coffee syrup, a mug and some candy. Place all of the items inside a basket for a perfect gift for a teacher or a friend. If your recipient isn't a coffee lover, swap the coffee for tea (or hot chocolate) items! You could also include snacks in this basket to go with the coffee like biscotti, cookies, chocolates and so on.

Click on the image below to get download & print your free label for this basket:

Ice Cream Sundae Gift Basket

This is another family-friendly gift that's so easy to put together. You can also find most of these items at a dollar store, which makes this basket budget-friendly. In this gift, you can include waffle bowls, an ice cream scoop, sundae syrup, cherries, sprinkles and candy. Graham crackers would also be a nice addition to this basket. Place all of the items inside a basket and add this label so the recipient knows all they need to add for their sundae night... is ice cream!

Click on the image below to get download & print your free label for this basket:

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More free printable gift tags

These Cottagecore inspired free printable gift tags coordinate well with these gift baskets. Click on the image below to go to the post & download your gift tags!