Those frustrating People Who Have Everything are the reason you have a drawer stuffed with receipts you had to save “just in case.” These people, and we all know at least one, are impossible to shop for. The trouble is that they think nothing of buying what they want, need, or see at any moment. And it can be guaranteed that they will do this right before their birthdays or holidays. They can’t help it. They aren’t thinking about you. So, when it comes time to think about them, what do you do?

Give Gift Baskets

You strive to be a great gift giver. You never buy anyone socks for Christmas. You know who likes dark chocolate and dry champagne. You take pride in giving the kind of gift that makes your friend’s eyes light up.

And that’s why gift baskets are so great. It’s not just one thing. It’s a whole collection of gifts. But, I’m not talking about generic gift baskets with chips and chocolate, although there isn’t anything wrong with those. I’m talking about the customized gift basket that mean lots of great little gifts specific to the receiver’s special interest.

Leave the Creativity to the Professionals

Ok, so maybe you don’t consider yourself to be all that creative. So what. You probably have other great qualities. For example, you probably know how to defer to the experts. If so, you’re in luck. There are businesses everywhere that make baskets for reasonable prices (check the internet or the yellow pages). Plus, they can make them reasonably priced because they buy in bulk.

Great for all Budgets

Gift baskets can be modest or extravagant. For example, for the cigar aficionado, you could put together a cheap basket by filling an old cigar box with an ashtray, a lighter, and a few different cigars. Or, you could fill a small humidor with top-quality Dominican cigars, a cigar cutter, a smokeless ashtray, and a torch flame lighter.

Budget Benefits of Gift Basket Companies

If you choose not to put baskets together yourself, an even easier way to stay within your budget is to pick a local or internet company to customize baskets for you. Sure, if you pick a company from the internet, you’ll have to pay shipping and handling. But, either way, you can pick your budget and be guaranteed not to go over it (as most gift givers tend to do).

The Basket Doesn’t Have to be a Basket

Keep in mind that the holder is just as much a gift as the things filling it. So, get creative. Sure, some people like the baskets. In fact, a nice collectible basket can be the most impressive part of a gift basket if you’re giving it to someone who collects baskets (such as Nantucket, Longaberger, English Market, or Capodimonte).

For non-basket collectors, try to stick with the theme. For example, golf lovers can get their gifts stuffed into a ball caddy. For kids, use sand pails. For babies, use diaper pails. For gardeners, use a bucket. For college kids, use a shower caddy. The ideas are endless.

Gift Basket Ideas for Sports Lovers

You have a friend who likes to golf. Fill a golf caddy with balls, tees, little pencils, a golf towel, ball markers, a divot tool, shoe spike wrench, energy bars, and sports drinks.

For a recent college grad or just a faithful alum, fill a basket (or upside down baseball cap) with college memorabilia including a logo items, stickers, mugs, a replica stadiums, and bobble-head dolls.

Gift Basket Ideas for Kids

Maybe you have a kids in your life that you don’t know how to shop for. It’s impossible to remember from month to month, year to year, what they are interested in. So, for the youngsters, fill a sand pail with plastic sand tools, coloring books and crayons, clay, stickers, favorite candy, and gum. When they get older, use games, puzzles, and comic books.

Gift Basket Ideas for Dieters

You like to give food as a gift, but a couple on your gift list is starting a low-carb diet. Give them a gift basket with cheese, sausages, beef jerky, sugar-free chocolate and candy, and diet drinks. It’ll make it easier for them resist the fast food drive through and the holiday party binges.

Gift Baskets for Cooks

For the cooks in your life, fill a stock pot, wok, or mixing bowl with a variety of knives, exotic foods like white truffles, good kitchen scissors, spatulas, and an apron.

Gift Baskets Aren’t Just for Food

Gifts of food, while usually a great idea, aren’t always practical or appropriate. So, break the mold and put together baskets without melted candy bars and crushed crackers.

For the musicians, fill an upside down tin drum with CDs, a harmonica, a tin whistle, and maracas. Give a friend moving into a new apartment a bucket of cleaning supplies. Give a dog owner a retractable leash, flea shampoo, and fancy collar.

For newlyweds going on a tropical honeymoon, send this gift basket (and send it early enough to make it convenient). Fill a straw hat with suntan lotion, a baseball cap for him, sunglasses, towels, a beach wrap, and a beach bag.

For the first-time European traveler, send a money belt with Euros, a travel guide, walking shoe inserts, AC adaptor, toiletry kit, and a translation book.

Men Actually Love Gift Baskets

Most men won’t admit that they like gift baskets. However, most men are used to getting gift baskets. They are sent to their offices to grease palms and say thanks. They are given by corporations as bonuses and by customers for jobs well done.

Most professional men have been getting gift baskets their whole careers. So, men might not make a big deal about a gift basket, but they’ll open it right away and start in on it. And for men who get one every year, try skipping a year and you’ll hear about it.

Gift Basket Ideas for Men

Again, to make the gift all the better, go for a combination of food and gift. For the fisherman, fill a creel filled with artificial lures, needlenose pliers, fishing line, hooks, splits, and some gummy fish.

You probably know some men who like to spend Sunday on the couch watching a favorite sport. What could be better than the gift of total relaxation. Fill a popcorn bowl with favorite snacks and drinks so your sports nut doesn’t have to move from the couch all day. (And don’t forget the logo hat or oversized foam finger.)

Hard to Shop for No More

So, although you might not hear, “oh, I love gift baskets,” from the mouths of any of the men you know, it’s probably because their mouths are already full of something from the basket you sent. And for the rest of the loved ones on your list, gift baskets might not be the flashiest gifts on the table, but they are sure winners every time.