Before you get started making your gift basket, take some time to consider what the occasion is. Is it a birthday, condolence or get well situation? Is the person diabetic or does the person require kosher food items? Try to pick out items that you think that person would enjoy for their given situation.

1. Try to pick out 1 or 2 items that have a little height to them.
2. Try to have a pleasant looking mix of colors.
3. Try to have as much variety as possible unless the giver requests otherwise.
4. Choose the appropriate basket size and color.
5. Lay your tissue or mylar sheet in the basket and tuck in the sides.
6. Tear off some plain newsprint paper, crumple it up, and lay it in the basket, which should be lined with the tissue sheet. Make sure that you put enough newsprint in the basket to where it is aligned up to the edge of your basket.
7. Grab a handful, (or several depending on the size of the basket) of krinkle and cover up all the newsprint paper so that no newsprint paper can be seen.
8. Now you are ready to arrange the product. Start with your two largest items and gently lay them in the back of the basket. Slowly work from the back to front displaying larger items in the back and smaller items to the front. Make sure that items face you and that they are not upside down. Try to make it so that you can see at least a bit of every item that is in the basket, even if it is only a corner. Labels should be upright and facing forward on all products.
9. Open up the appropriate size basket bag and gently center your gift basket inside the bag.
10. Pick the appropriate curling ribbon colors. For instance, a royal blue basket looks good with royal blue and gold mylar curling ribbon, a hunter green basket looks good with the hunter green ribbon and gold mylar curling ribbon. The baby girl basket looks good with pink and white curling ribbon.
11. Cut approximately 1 yard, snip and pull another set until you have the desired amount of ribbon you would like for your design.
12. Find the center of the ribbon and put your finger on it.
13. Gently and evenly gather the sides of the basket bag at the highest point of the basket.
14. Tie your ribbon around the cellophane bag securing it with a double knot and a bow. The ribbon should rest at the highest point of your products.
15. Take your heat gun, choose the maximum heat, and point towards your basket staying 2–6 inches away. Shrink the sides and the bottom of the basket tightly, but not so tight that it blows a hole into the basket bag. You also want to make sure that the gathered top of the basket bag does NOT shrink, so do not aim the heat gun there.
16. Make sure all the loops of your bow are free.
17. Put your label on the basket just above the basket rim and left of center.
18. Add the enclosure card

*Voila! You’ve just made a basket.


To learn how you can start your own gift basket business, be sure to visit www.RockHillCottage.com
........................

Rita Wilhelm
The Gift Basket Mentor, Inc.
www.giftbasketmentor.com

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