These 25 easy gift basket ideas are an inexpensive and tasteful way to make great holiday gift baskets. You’ll find tips, specific themes and easy mix recipes for great and inexpensive gifts!
Gift Basket Ideas And Recipes
Need Gift Ideas for Christmas but don’t want to spend a lot? Here are some tips to help you remember your friends without breaking the bank:
- Buy items in sets and divide them among the baskets. Buy a four pack of nail polish for four ladies baskets or buy packs of whistles or other party favors for the kids.
- Remove individual popcorn, coffee or cocoa packets from their boxes. They will fill the baskets better.
- Shop garage sales and thrift stores for baskets and other containers.
- Dollar stores have lots of great inexpensive gift ideas. Browse!
- Use cellophane bags to package your mixes. They are inexpensive when purchased at party stores or florists.
- A gift can be as simple as tea bags in a tea cup tied with a pretty ribbon. A large soup mug and saucer with soup mix or a small glass bowl with some potpourri might also make a simple but nice gift.
Try making these specialty gift baskets:
- Football Fan– (teenage boys, brothers, fathers and brothers-in-law!) Fill a large bowl purchased at the dollar store with candy bars, bags of microwave popcorn, sodas, chips, dips, a favorite football flag or hat, and a calendar of game days.
- Fisherman– In a tackle box or fish bowl put hooks, bait, line, hot chocolate or sodas, trail mix, gloves, fishing magazines and a fish pillow.
- Dog– In a dog bowl, place a ball, old sock with a knot tied in it, dog bones, rawhides, a leash, a name tag and a brush. You might include a picture of a mailman with “the enemy” written on it.
- Cat– In a cat litter box, place a catnip toy, cat food, a poop scoop, a leash, a name tag and a little rubber mouse.
- Car– In a large bucket, place fuzzy dice, air freshener, wax, car wash, chamois (“Shammy”), tire cleaner, a car trash can, a key ring, ice melter for cars and an ice scraper.
- Baby Basket– Spray paint a basket white and line it with a baby blanket or use a diaper bag. Fill with bibs, baby oil, baby lotion, baby powder, diaper ointment, a teething ring, burp cloths, wipes and a rattle.
- Relaxing Basket– Line a basket with a hand towel. Add a lavender candle, bath oil or bubble bath, bath salts, bath balls, a favorite magazine or book, a poof and scented soap, and a do not disturb sign (Make one out of a piece of cardboard).
- Coffee Lover – In a basket, include flavored coffee packets, cinnamon sticks dipped in chocolate, wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon, cookie mix or cookies, flavored powdered creamer and a coffee cup.
- Baker’s Delight – Line a large mixing bowl with a dish towel. Add cookie mixes, hot chocolate mixes, brownie mix, muffin mix, a package of walnuts, measuring cups and pot holders. Of course, be sure to include a copy of Dining on a Dime 🙂
- Ice Cream Lover– Place tissue paper on the bottom of a basket. Add sundae dishes, an ice cream scoop, nuts, hot fudge sauce, butterscotch sauce, chocolate syrup, Maraschino cherries and a gift certificate for 2 1/2 gallons of ice cream.
- Soup Basket- In a basket, stock pot or bean crock, add large soup mugs, 7 bean soup, cornbread mix, cookie mix and oyster crackers wrapped in cellophane bags and tied with a ribbon.
- Nail Polish Basket- In a pretty bucket or basket, add a variety of nail polish, emery boards, nail clippers, polish remover, cotton balls, hand cream, cuticle cream and a nail buffer.
- Family Night– In a large bowl, add a puzzle or game, popcorn, candy bars, soda, hot chocolate mix and mugs.
- Fruit Basket- Line a basket with tissue paper. Add apples, oranges, hot chocolate mix, various teas and dried fruits (like figs or raisins). Sprinkle in the shell nuts on top of everything.
- Cookie Delight-In a basket lined with tissue paper, add two cookie mixes in cellophane bags or jars tied with ribbons, Russian Tea (also in a cellophane bag or small jar tied with ribbon), cookie cutters, a teacup and two pot holders.
- Chocolate Lover- In a basket, add Hot Chocolate Mix, Brownie Mix, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Mix, Party Mints, Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix and a small package of marshmallows.
Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe
8 cups dry milk
4 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 3/4 cups cocoa
1 1/2 cup non-dairy creamer
1 sm. pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
Sift the ingredients into a large bowl. Place the mix into an airtight container.
Attach this to the jar:
Hot Chocolate
5 Tbsp. (1/3 cup) Hot Chocolate Mix
1 cup hot water (not boiling)
marshmallows or whipped cream
Place the Hot Chocolate Mix into a mug. Add hot water. Stir until Hot Chocolate mix is dissolved. Garnish as desired with marshmallows or whipped cream. Serves 1.
Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix Recipe
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins and/or nuts
In a bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients. Place in an air tight container. Package raisins and nuts separately.
Topping
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Mix topping ingredients in a bowl. Package in a small cellophane bag.
Attach this to the jar:
Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix
To prepare, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together: Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix, raisins and/or nuts, 1 cup apple juice, 2 Tbsp. oil, 1/2 cup applesauce.
Stir just until combined. Spoon into lightly greased muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. While still warm, dip in melted margarine and then topping. Makes 12-15 muffins.
For more gift basket tips and recipes like these, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook!
Click here to get the Dining On A Dime Cookbook, with tasty recipes and great tips to make your life easier and save you money!
amy metzinger says
December 2, 2010 at 11:16 amLove the recipes for jar gifts!
Gail says
December 2, 2010 at 11:27 amIn the Apple Cinnamon Muffin mix, the instructions say to mix together, and the list includes margarine but doesn’t specify how much. Do you add margarine to the mix, or is this only to make the topping stay on? Sort of confusing.
Tawra says
December 2, 2010 at 11:47 amThanks for noticing that. Sorry for the typo. You dip the tops into the melted margarine and then topping after they have baked.
Jenni says
December 2, 2010 at 12:58 pmI’m at work right now and in near tears for the absolutely FANTASTIC ideas you have here!!!!! I’ve been stressing – well, ‘overly concerned’ – at what to do for family gifts this year. These are the best ideas I’ve heard in a long time. Thank you for your creativity and sharing it with us. I just purchased 3 of the Dining on a Dime books (for gifts) and 1 of the Digging out of Debt (for MY family). I love the idea of a Baker’s Delight basket – just perfect to add the books to!
grandma says
December 2, 2010 at 1:33 pmadd some hot chocolate mix and a mug to a book for a cozy night of reading.
put a tea cup with a tea ball and samples of teas and some plain cookies for a tea drinker.
Richard says
December 2, 2010 at 3:02 pmI found a great site for stocking stuffers cheap and with free shipping after only $20. “www.minimus.biz” has travel size containers of a huge amount of stuff which make great stocking stuffers. But you’ll have to get the chocolate Santa locally!
JUANITA says
December 4, 2010 at 5:16 pmwHEN YOU DO THE CRANBERRY AND POPCORN CHAIN, DO YOU USE FRESH OR DRIED
CRANBERRIES? FOR THE ROPE, DO YOU USE THREAD OR FISH LINE? AM ANXIOUS
TO MAKE ONE OF THESE.
Susan says
December 4, 2010 at 11:09 pmMy 8-year old daughter just purchased some fun items to assemble into a “cookie kit” from the Dollar Tree. She bought a cookie sheet, a plastic mixing bowl, silicone cookie shapers, recipe cards, 3 large spoons, a spatula, & a box of Duncan Hines cookie mix – all for the grand total of $8.45! She’s planning to write a cookie recipe on one of the recipe cards & somehow tie it all up with a pretty bow (haven’t figure out the specifics on that part yet).
Anyway, I thought that was the cutest idea for a steal! Thought I’d share.
: )
grandma says
December 5, 2010 at 9:29 amWhen I have made these before I tried thread the first time. It kept breaking and the cats destroyed them.
Then I used dental floss. Next time I will find the finest fishing line in the house and use that.
I used fresh cranberries ate less of them and they were cheaper than the dried ones. They also stayed looking like fresh berries which made it more natural.
Bea says
July 15, 2011 at 1:46 pmI made the Minted Coffee Mix recipe from the cookbook last night and it is so good. I had some leftover candy canes from Christmas and was hungry for something chocolate so I made the mix and had some last night before bed and it is better than a purchased coffee mix. YUM!
Sarah says
October 31, 2011 at 9:13 amI JUST found this site and I am IN LOVE! These are SUCH great Ideas! I have been nervous about Christmas this year and am LOVING what I’m finding!:) So happy I could cry! What a blessing this site is! THANK YOU!
catchmor.com says
November 7, 2012 at 12:53 pmI was very pleased to uncover this web site. I want to to thank
you for ones time for this wonderful read!! I definitely
appreciated every bit of it and I have you book marked to check out new stuff in your web site.
Julie says
December 10, 2013 at 9:47 amOur vet advised us to never let our dogs chew on socks. The elastic thread that is used to make some socks can cause intestinal blockage if ingested. Besides that one item I think your dog gift basket idea is great. Could also include a gift card and coupons for pet food.
Simplesista says
December 10, 2013 at 11:06 amThe family photo on today’s newsletter of tawra, mike and the children is absolutely lovely.Has warmed the cockles if my heart! I’ve been extremely unwell these last couple of weeks, feeling a tad down and u have cheered me up-thanks! Hi Jill, how’s u? Hope everybody had a good thanksgiving. Best wishes from the worn out and weary shores of England!xxxxx
Jill says
December 10, 2013 at 3:18 pmOh that is so awful to be to not feel good at Christmas time. Tawra’s has had a run with all of them being sick with strep, pneumonia, and the whole works so it is amazing the picture turned out as well as it did. We had a really nice Thanksgiving. My daughter in law had everything looking so pretty and the food was to die for too. We are getting geared up for Christmas because Tawra is coming here to Kansas for it.
I have only about 1,000 more little men (gingerbread ones) to make in the next week or so. To put it in prescriptive that is only 2,000 more eyeballs I have to put in. : ) Can I do it? Yes I can! I think I can anyway. 🙂 Speaking of them I had better get back to the old grind. My break time is over. : )
Hope you get to feeling better by Christmas Day. Worn out and weary but holding our own in the flat lands of Kansas. : )
Melva Ferreira says
December 11, 2013 at 3:58 pmHi Tawra & Jill, just wanted to share that I had my Secret Santa gift exchange at work. I made a movie night gift basket. I used a popcorn container from the dollar store as my basket & filled it with candy, chocolate, cookies, popcorn packets, hot cocoa packets. I also included a Christmas movie. I then wrapped it in a cellophane bag I also got from the dollar store. It was a big success! Thanks for all the great ideas.
Denise says
April 1, 2014 at 11:22 amGreat ideas for theme baskets. They are great fundraiser ideas, too. You can use dollar stores and the 5 below store for many things as well.
Blanca Ruiz says
December 3, 2014 at 2:17 amLove your ideas are very awesome. Thank you for those great ideas
Christine W says
December 3, 2014 at 4:15 amWednesday 12.3.2014
I love your gift basked ideas. I think friends will really enjoy something that I put together myself, with their special interests in mind.
Joanie Davis says
December 3, 2014 at 4:41 amWhat a great article! It’s so much fun to create and give personalized gift baskets. Dollar stores and thrift stores are wonderful places to find baskets, containers and large mixing bowls for designing gifts. When I was a child, I can remember several ladies stopping in to give my ill grandmother a Sunshine Box. It was simply a gift wrap covered cardboard box filled with baked goodies and small gifts. No one ever heard of gift baskets as we do now (wow, I sound really old today). I guess Sunshine boxes were a forerunner to today’s gift baskets. When I am hard pressed to present several small gift items and don’t have a basket, I cover a cardboard box with appropriate gift wrap and stuff it with tissue paper. I’ve had so many people ask me how I ever came up with that idea. I never tell them it was simply desperation. 🙂
donnab says
December 3, 2014 at 6:09 amHi Jill:
when we do gift baskets, we usually include a jar of apple butter or jam/jelly. my daughter likes to use the 4 oz canning jars because she feels opening an 8oz jar is hard to use within the spoilage time. 4 oz jars are fantastic…and we have found that if people know you’re into canning, they will return your jars and our family members pick them up for us on their various travels, so it’s not too expensive.
Donna B.
Evelin says
December 3, 2014 at 7:00 amI had no idea what to give as a present to my boyfriend’s parents but now I know! I will make them one of these baskets. I am sure that they will appreciate it. Thanks for the idea!
Mary Jane says
December 3, 2014 at 8:36 amMy sister used to decorate her home with thrift store and yard sale baskets, back when dollars were especially tight. She only picked up good quality or unusual baskets, and hung them about her house. When Christmas came or any other time that she needed a great gift, she would choose one of her baskets, and carefully fill it. It took the edge off of gift giving costs, and opened up room for more great baskets that she paid no more than a dollar for. Another friend of mine, collects, displays and re-uses decorated tins. They line up the top of her cupboards, and she too, chooses from her collection to give gifts. What is really cool, is that those of us who know her, go out of our way to look for and pretty or unusual tins, and present them to her with a gift inside.
Tommie says
December 16, 2014 at 8:36 pmWhere is the apple in the apple cinnamon muffins. They sound great.
Jill says
December 17, 2014 at 7:04 amIf you look down to where it tells how to prepare it it says to use apple juice and applesauce in the preparation part.
Tommie says
December 16, 2014 at 9:00 pmSorry!!!!! I found the apple–not in the gift mix, but in the final prep. This recipe sounded so good that I didn’t want to mess it up
When I make them.
Jill says
December 17, 2014 at 7:06 amNo problem Tommie. You could also chop up an apple – microwave for a minute or so and add to the batter before baking if you would like apple chunks in it.
The Gourmet Grocer says
September 14, 2015 at 12:53 amExcellent ideas for gifts that won’t hurt the budget. Thanks for sharing.
Maggie says
December 28, 2017 at 1:11 pmI made a gift for my sister’s granddaughter when she got her first car.
A small fleece blanket (2 for $5 here in VA), some de-icer for her car windows and a large scraper for the snow – brush on one end and scraper on the other. Total gift was less than $20 and much appreciated. She had just started college in a part of VA that was in the mountains and always had cold and snowy weather.