Gift baskets are a simple way to treat someone special to a variety of smaller gifts. Instead of buying one large gift, you fill a basket with a few smaller items. To save even more money on your gift giving this holiday season, head to your local dollar store. Dollar store gift baskets let you make gifts for everyone you know without going over your budget.
Snack Lover Gift Basket
Dollar stores have dozens of items perfect for those that love snacks. For the basket itself, purchase a cheap baking dish or large plastic bowl. Make the bowl work with the holiday theme by looking for baskets with Christmas decorations around the sides, like Santa Claus or reindeer. Head to the snack section of the dollar store and go wild. Pick up licorice, hard candies, sour candies, and individual single-serve packages of chips and pretzels. Visit the food aisle and look for cans of potted meat, smoked sausages, and other treats just right for one. Don’t forget to grab a few candy bars from the register, just to finish off the gift basket.
Gift Baskets for Babies
Most dollar stores sell name brand products in smaller sizes. The products are still in date, but the smaller size lets the store sell the products for just $1. Look for travel packages of diapers, lotion, baby shampoo, and other baby care products. Check the toy section for soft rattles, teething rings, and other baby toys. Fill a small plastic pail or trash can, also sold at dollar stores, with the baby products for the ultimate gift basket.
Cooking Gift Baskets
You might think that dollar stores lack for cooking equipment, but that is not true. When my sister-in-law married my brother, I made her a gift basket of tools and cooking equipment from my local dollar store and she loved having a bunch of new items for her new kitchen. Use a metal baking dish or an aluminum roasting pan as the base for the gift basket. Stock the pan with spices and seasonings, bottled sauces, extra dish towels, and kitchen tools, such as a new can opener, peeler, or utensils. I found a great can opener from a dollar store two years ago that I still use today.
Holiday Gift Basket Ideas
The seasonal inventory at dollar stores changes before every major holiday. Put together a gift basket that features cute Christmas toys and goodies for the holiday lover in your life. Choose Santa branded chocolates and hard candies, holiday themed bubbles, and miniature snowman figures. Look for holiday gift bags or baskets and fill with your Christmas goodies. Finish off the basket with a few window clings or other holiday decorations for a gift basket that your Christmas lover is sure to appreciate.
Jennifer Eblin - Jennifer Eblin received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Dayton before re-enrolling and finishing a B.A. in History. During ...
