This is not only a thoughtful gift, but it is also practical. It is a great gift for teachers or grandparents or as a get well or hostess gift. You can personalize tea gift baskets for a men, women, or for couples by choosing gift items that are their favorites. For a feminine look, use delicate colors for the containers, filler materials, and place a couple of small silk flowers among the gift and food items. For a more masculine look, use a natural color container such as a wooden crate or slat type of basket and use straw or a brown shred for the filler product.
Containers could be wicker baskets, unbreakable trays with an edge or handles, or wooden crates. Add purchased shred, straw, or excelsior in the container as a filler. If you have access to a paper shredder, make your own filler from newspaper, brown paper, old maps, or sheet music. Using filler products helps in the arrangement of the gifts and food items as it will hold them in place. It also gives your gift basket a more finished look. Another option is to use a decorative tea towel or cloth napkins to line the container.
Choose gifts and food items for your gift basket based on the size and shape of your container. A shallow container works well when the gift items are not too large. If you have larger items, choose a deeper basket or wooden crate. Start the assembly process by placing the larger gifts items in the center of the container and the smaller items around the sides of the containers. Play around with this until you are satisfied with the layout. You can use double sided tape to help keep the items in place; simply tape the items together.
Selecting gifts to place in tea gift baskets is rather easy as you can purchase many items in your local supermarket or dollar-type store. Place a small teapot or a tea cup and saucer in the center and arrange tea bags, loose tea, and small packages of cookies (shortbread, wafers, biscuits, etc.) around the gifts. Small jars of jams, jellies, or honey are also appropriate items. Two or three fresh lemons mixed in will give your gift basket a lovely finished look.
If desired, place your finished gift basket in a cello bag and tie it closed at the top with curly ribbon allowing the ribbon to hang down the front of the basket. Finally, remember to include a gift card.
