Ask The Gift Basket Expert » Design Tips

How to Pack the Inside of a Gift Basket

Shirley George Frazier — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:28:45 +0000

Paula asks:

“Can I use Styrofoam peanuts to elevate products in my gift baskets, or is newspaper better?”

Unprinted newspaper, the type that resembles brown grocery bags, is a popular item that’s placed inside of baskets or containers. Newspaper is also acceptable. Many designers shun newspaper because of the ink transference from the paper to hands.

Some designers add peanuts inside of baskets, but this technique seems to be reserved for those who know how to stabilize them properly.

Peanuts have a habit of shifting inside of a basket or container, and if products are not set on top firmly, snacks and gifts can shift, causing the design to become unattractive when it finally reaches its destination.

Try adding peanuts as part of your exploration into gift basket designing. You’ll know if that material is best or if newspaper will make gift basket creation more manageable.

© 2008-2010 Shirley George Frazier. All rights reserved. Shirley George Frazier is recognized as the leading authority on the gift basket industry. She is author of How to Start a Home-Based Gift Basket Business, The Gift Basket Design Book, and Marketing Strategies for the Home-Based Business. Visit GiftBasketBusiness.com for videos, CDs, reports, tips, online newsletter, and much more to learn, grow, and profit with gift baskets.

Must All Gift Baskets be Wrapped?

Shirley George Frazier — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:08:55 +0000

Tanya asks:

My customers want to see what’s inside of the gift basket before they buy it, and this costs me money because I have to take the cellophane wrapping off the gift, which wastes money since I have to re-wrap it.

Now I’m wondering if my gift baskets have to be wrapped in the first place. Is there a rule that says it has to be wrapped?

You’ve not explained the environment where you are selling gift baskets.

If you are in a retail shop, it’s best not to cellophane or shrink wrap gift baskets placed on store shelves.

An unwrapped example allows customers to see exactly what they’re receiving and the styling that complements it. This is the way most retailers display everyday and custom designs.

You’ll see a quick-and-easy cellophane wrapping technique in this video:

Additional help is found on the CellophaneWrapTips.com site.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule that states gift baskets must be wrapped. However, each design is enclosed in cellophane, a basket bag or shrink wrap before delivery whether by courier or worldwide shipper. That rule stands in terms of security and overall presentation when delivered to the recipient.

How Many Items in Each Basket?

Shirley George Frazier — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:50:48 +0000

Ann Marie asks:

“Is there some kind of formula to figure out how many items goes into a small, medium, or large basket?”

Someone, somewhere may have created a formula, but in my experience, none exists because the size of each basket or container and product determines what fits and how much to include.

Look at your inventory. There are slim boxes, wide jars, and flexible packages. Each one fits differently into every design, so there’s no way to match number of items to every basket.

Like veteran designers, you’ll develop an eye for configuration so there is less guesswork in deciding what and how much to add.

How Do You Make a Gift Basket Fan Topper?

Shirley George Frazier — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:11:18 +0000

Shawn asks:

“I would like to know how to make the fans that I see placed in some gift baskets?”

A fan, which is made from cellophane, gets its name from the left-to-right accordion shape it displays atop a gift basket.

Some wholesale catalogs include photographs of completed gift basket designs topped with tall, luxurious fans of cellophane designed in a complementary color to the cello that encloses the basket.

It truly adds height and value to every gift with minimal time and cost.

A fan topper video will be available at GiftBasketVideo.com later today and can be accessed by members of the Golden Basket Club.

Respond to this post, Shawn, by this weekend in the comments area, and I’ll provide you with details to see the video.

How to Secure Gift Basket Items

Shirley George Frazier — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:25:56 +0000

Patti asks:

“What do you use to secure the items in the gift basket?”

Designers attempt to match the number of products with the basket’s size.

This matching assures that the products fit snugly into each design so everything is secure and does not shift during delivery.

When necessary, tape-based products are placed on and between products for added stability. This includes:

Tape from a dispenser

Dots of glue

Hot glue emitted from a glue gun

There was a time when we added lots of tape to a gift basket design. Now we eliminate as much tape as possible in exchange for the snug fit I mentioned above.