This Homemade Gift Basket Ideas post will inspire you to create a chunky wool basket and fill it with thoughtful gifts for the handmade loved ones in your life.
Last week I shared with you a super simple tutorial for learning how to crochet, my favorite low-commitment craft. If you missed it, here’s the video tutorial. In it, I will teach you how to crochet in just 15 minutes and I won’t use any language that you are unfamiliar with and I’ll show you slowly, over and over, so you can actually crochet by yourself. Oh yeah, and the best part? You don’t even need a crochet hook if you use big yarn. Watch the video here!
The yarn I used is called Tough Love by Love Fest Fibers and it is about as big around as a dime and is crafted from New Zealand wool in Nepal by women who benefit from this stable employment and help them to recover economically from a devastating earthquake in 2015. Each ball takes about 3-4 hours to felt (that means to make strong and sturdy, basket perfection!) and comes in a ton of dreamy colors. Basically, it’s my favorite giant yarn yet.
It is super practical because it is easy to crochet for a brand new beginner, it is a natural, easy to handle fiber (no delicate wicker here), and it won’t lead to stubbed toes or goose-egg noggins if a little one bumps into it. It is stout enough to stand up on its own, but soft enough you can scoot it into a corner or onto a shelf and make it fit its surroundings easily. It is functional, it breathes, is a renewable resource, and it beautiful.
1 ball is all it takes to be made into a gorgeous, hand crocheted basket and it can be done (done I tell you!) in about 2 hours.
I want to show you how to make this easy basket, stitch by stitch. I can teach you how in the Unhooked Quick Crochet Basket Workshop that’s at a holiday-perfect price. You’ll have forever access to the video tutorial, Plain-English pattern PDF, and you’ll be able to make one of these baskets in under 2 hours. Grab the workshop today!
I wanted to inspire you with the ways you can share a Homemade Gift basket like this for the holidays, as well as year round. Here’s what my real life inspiration team (my FB friends 🙂 and I came up with. The following photos are indeed affiliate links but I wouldn’t recommend something that I wouldn’t recommend my dear friends.
Homemade Gift Basket Ideas
A gentleman’s basket in black, with a bottle of whiskey, whiskey rocks, a mason jar shaker, and a batch of homemade brownies.
A hostess gift in classic grey with a fresh kitchen towel, some bottle of 1-hour Kahlua, canned whiskey peaches, and wooden spoons.
Charcoal grey basket with a story about exploration, a flashlight, a leatherman, pair of the best socks, and a container of Mailander cookies (they are like sugar cookies but Swiss and better- try them!).
A pink or blue basket for a baby you know with cloth diapers, cloth wipes, and natural baby wash.
A neutral basket for the expecting mother mints, a sip-able water canteen, and nursing mom supplies like nursing pads.
A wine-colored basket with a pair of glasses, opener, and this new non-fiction book about wine & war that looks SO interesting.
A navy basket filled with the makings of an Old Fashioned: a good bourbon, bitters, maraschino cherries, oranges, a muddler, and cocktail glasses.
A red basket with the makings for a picnic: shelf-stable dips and cheeses, crackers, olives, and good charcuterie.
A purple basket for the artist in your life with high-quality blank postcards, art supplies, and a gift certificate to a local studio for a class.
A neutral hued basket for the dog lover in your life (match the color to the pet so the shed blends in 😉 with a new chew toy, treats, leash, and collapsable water bowl. Mom gets the basket and the dog gets treats! Win win!
- A selection of handspun yarns for the crafter in your life and needles or hooks of the appropriate size, with a pattern gift cert for a favorite Etsy shop.
- A blue basket for the spa lover with artisanal bath products, soft, homemade socks, and an aromatherapy candle.
- Homemade jam, fresh bagels, and whole bean coffee.
- A journal, a throw blanket, and tea.
- Handmade fragrance, fine skincare, and some fancy underthings.
Have I got your wheels turning yet? I want to inspire you to create something homemade BECAUSE I KNOW YOU CAN. You already know that handmade is so much better, so much more thoughtful, and way more fun, to give and to receive. I can teach you how to crochet and I’ll be there to help you crochet the basket so it will be done, and you’ll be able to keep it, or gift it!
I do the picnic basket at LEAST once a year! Loved the other basket ideas as well. Thanks for sharing!
Oh thank you Kim! It’s a fun project for sure! Hope to see you in the workshop 🙂