If you follow HCS at all, you’ve probably noticed that we’re waaaaaaay into gift packages of all kinds. That’s why it’s so exciting when an opportunity comes up to make a cute gift basket for a great occasion, in this case – the engagement party of our dear friends, Chris & Shannon!

Here’s the steps we took to create this little number:

1. No gift basket is ever enjoyed on looks alone. Make sure you fill it with something your recipient will enjoy, use and think is awesome. Here, I know that our lovely engaged couple loves to have fun, host a few friends for drinks and that they just recently moved into their first shared place. I thought Margarita’s and some new ‘non catcus’ margarita glasses for their new place would be a gift they would both enjoy. We threw in all the necessary ingredients, 4 new margarita glasses, a cute book with some different margarita recipes, plus some fun brightly colored straws and a toy waterguns – just for fun!

2. Always line your basket with shredded paper or another filler. Otherwise the items will be all the way at the bottom, not able to be seen. Start with the tallest items in the back – they will help create depth. Then fill in with the larger items – in this case we had to turn one of the glasses upside down, in order to fit the book and rimming salt in a nice visual way. Keep in mind you may have to improvise to get the right mix of your items.

3. Add in the smaller items in the nooks and open spaces. Ensure that your basket is travel-ready, however far that travel may be. This basket went straight to the party, and right from my hands into the hands of the couple it was made for. Due to this, I was able to leave it mostly unwrapped and some items (such as the limes) were just sitting on top. If you are leaving your basket or other gift at a gift table or are unsure of it’s chain of custody, be sure to wrap it with plastic and give it a light shake, just to see if any of the items move or become loose.

4. Top it off with a bow, card, or some other identifier that it is a gift. Here we used a natural ivory bow just on the handle, so we could still carry it to the party. And…ta-da! You’re all set.

Have a great last bit of summer everyone!