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Great Do-It-Yourself Gift Baskets

A well-designed gift basket has to be one of the best ways to put a unique stamp on gift giving. This is an easy, do-it-yourself, way to create something fun for family and friends. A gift basket makes any present personal and one-of-a-kind, and the key is all in the theme. Here are 20 creative ideas, sure to inspire and thrill any recipient.

The Hobby Lovers

  • Crafting Whatever their crafting muse may be, knitting, painting, or scrapbooking, the supplies should be readily available at a local craft store.
  • Gardening There's no need to limit this to just seed packets and tools; add some small plants, a pair of gloves, and some whimsical garden ornaments for fun.
  • Birding Feeders and food are great, but don't forget a great pair of binoculars, or, if you are feeling really generous, a camera too.
  • Antiquing This is an idea with a lot of freedom. Just spend a few hours in an antique shop and you are sure to make some great discoveries.
  • Woodworking This will probably require a trip to the hardware store, but amongst all the tools and supplies, a gift card can also be a great addition.

The Personal Care Experts

  • Make-Up And Hair Take a trip to the local drugstore and fill this basket up with all sorts of fun gifts for pampering.
  • Men's Care This one can run the gambit from cologne to scotch, beard oil to snacks.
  • A Night at Home Games, movies, and snacks are the winning combo in this basket.
  • Working Out Whatever their favorite activity is, fill the basket with all the supplies they will need.

The Adventurers

  • Outdoor Gear The list of outdoor gadgets is endless, so take a trip to your local outfitter and have a look.
  • Rock Climbing Climbing shoes and harnesses are a must for this brave bunch, but also consider a membership to a local rock-climbing group.
  • Road-Tripping This could be anything from snacks to sleeping bags, or tickets to an event.
  • Location-Based The theme for this one is somewhere specific, and use that to build something related to the location.

The Food Lovers

  • A Meal Gather all the ingredients for a special meal, add the implements, and don't forget the recipe.
  • Cooking Classes Get this foodie access to a class, and then provide them with all the tools they will need.
  • Appliances This may be an appliance itself, or perhaps just tools, utensils, and attachments.
  • Sweets This one is self-explanatory and fun. Find a variety of candy boxes, mix it up, and don't forget some chocolate.

The Kids

  • Superheroes Whether their favorite hero wears a cape, or a crown, there should be plenty of items to fill this basket up.
  • Gamers Beyond the games themselves, don't forget to check out gaming accessories, or a subscription to their favorite gaming site.
  • Tickets Theme parks, museums, zoos: it shouldn't be too hard to find something to interest any kid, and any related accessories too.

The Abundance of Things You Wouldn’t Expect

Ever since I went vegan, I have been absolute hawk when it comes to reading ingredients. In fact, if you decide to take up a plant-based diet and don’t read ingredients, you’re bound to fall victim to some milk powder. In fact, before I went vegan, I had no clue what milk powder even was, let alone that it was a thing. And after asking a lot of my friends if they knew how common it was in foods, my suspicions were confirmed that absolutely no one has any idea how frequent milk powder is in any packaged foods.

So, imagine my surprise when every now and then I come across a food that’s boxed up and doesn’t have any milk powder. It’s kind of amazing, really, that I’m even that excited to find bags of chips or certain flavored foods that don’t have it at all. That’s how prevalent the thing called milk powder actually is. It’s everywhere.

Luckily, though, that only seems to happen when I go shopping for savory snacks or packaged dinners. When I end up looking for sweets, the biggest thing I can’t have is gelatin. Much like milk powder, you wouldn’t believe how common gelatin is in candy boxes and other sweet treats. It’s kind of expected when you think about all the different candy boxes out there, but to think about what’s actually in it? Yeah, most people would rather not.

And I think that’s what keeps them at bay from considering plant-based alternatives. They choose to shut off the part of their mind that thinks about what they’re actually eating, and so that dissonance remains. I’m not at all suggesting what other people must put into their bodies, don’t get me wrong. I’m just explaining what’s happening in the psychology behind not thinking about what you consume.

Overall, it’s been a lot easier than I figured going vegan and adapting to such a new lifestyle. The hardest part, though, happens to be shopping on a vegan lifestyle. Ironically, my time spent shopping has doubled, and most would consider that a negative thing. I choose to think about it in terms of how conscious I’ve become of what I eat, though. And my body has benefited immensely because of it. I can’t complain about losing a little bit of weight in a healthy way while also remaining quite healthy myself. It’s just the natural course of this lifestyle and diet.