How to Customize Baskets and Containers

Brandy asks:

“How can I customize some of the baskets and alternative containers I use to build gift baskets?”

There are several methods available to customize these vessels.

Baskets can be sprayed with non-toxic paint to change the wood color or style. For a Mother’s Day event, I spray painted numerous baskets before bringing them to Macy’s to create gift baskets for customers and topping them with matching bows.

Boxes can also be sprayed, but it may be better to cover the thin cardboard material with light cloth and tacking it down on the inside with glue. One designer I met in the 1990s mastered this technique with great results.

Some home decor shops will provide you with more ideas on customizing your baskets and containers, and the photographs at BasketsGiftBaskets.com may also be helpful.

If you’re a designer who specializes in customizing your vessels, what advice can you share with us?

Three Tips to Make Spa Gift Baskets

Jamie asks:

Are there tips you can give me about making spa gift baskets?

Creating gift baskets with soaps, scrubs, and other skin soothing products is similar to making baskets filled with food. However, there are certain methods to making these specialty gifts that are different than the basic snack assortments.

1. Try not to combine too many fragrances in one basket. Two or three at the most are agreeable without too many scents clashing.

2. Baskets are a terrific vessel. Also, look for miniature claw tubs and other containers that can be found through many of our favorite local and national wholesalers.

3. Don’t shy away from the high-end products that ladies and men appreciate. There are times when lower-priced spa baskets are appropriate, but when it comes to pampering, customers and receivers want to see lavish items, such as products you’ll find on the Organic Wholesale Supplies site that cannot be found everywhere.

I remember seeing the first spa gift baskets ever photographed, which appeared in a New York-based magazine back in the early 1930s and cost less than $25 for a grand basket given to a family of four. Since then we’ve come a long way in product selection and price. I know your spa gift baskets will be everything your customers want, and they’ll also return to buy more.