How to Make Gift Baskets of Food

Gift baskets of food make a lovely gift for any occasion! You may want to stuff a basket full of quick, easy, healthy snacks for a writer friend, or perhaps fill one up with movie snacks and a new DVD for a child or teenager. Find out how to decorate the basket inside and out and learn what sort of food goes well in a gift basket in the guide below.

Step1
Fill the inside of the basket with decorative cloth or shredded paper raffia. You want the food items to sit up high when the gift basket is complete, so fill the inside of the basket until about two-thirds of the way full.

Step2
Decide on a theme for your gift basket. If you want to give a picnic-style basket as a wedding gift, make a list of food items such as cheese and crackers, tortilla chips, salsa, strawberries and grapes-then go shopping.

Step3
Add food items to the basket. Start by stacking the large items such as cracker boxes or chip bags at the back of the basket and gradually move forward to the smallest items.

Step4
Consider adding complementary items such as a cheese knife or corkscrew for the wine.

Step5
Throw in a handful of hard candies wrapped in shiny wrappers for decoration. Tie a bow onto one side or the top of the handle on the gift basket.

Step6
Place the entire gift basket into a large cellophane bag and tie at the top with a large bow or streaming ribbons.