ALT-1 Gift Basket
Gift baskets have always been given on momentous occasions; weddings, childbirth, or even the opening of a new business. And what better way to tell your dad you treasure him, then to give a gift basket on Father’s Day? And instead of a tacky premade one you can buy at any retail outlet, why not create one yourself? A basket stuffed with gifts bought by the entire family, and hand wrapped to perfection, is a thoughtful gift that combines useful and perhaps expensive presents with the effort required in its craftsmanship and preparation, telling dad that the family cares enough to spend both money and effort on him.
The basket itself is a simple issue; simply buy any basket from the store! (Unless you’re a fantastic weaver with tons of time on your hands) A traditional wicker or wooden basket would do, but if you want it to be even more special, there are a multitude of baskets to choose from out there. More importantly, however, is what comes after the basket; namely, what should you stuff it with? Traditional, store-bought baskets are always stuffed with food; but this is a creative, homemade one; so, go wild! Stuff it with anything you like at all, as long as you arrange it nicely so it doesn’t look tacky. And in case you’re still blank on what to stuff it with, here are a few suggestions;
1) Food
Ah, the staple of any traditional gift basket. While you might want to get creative with the presents, food is still one of the easiest, and most popular items to stuff a basket with. Think of what your dad likes to eat, but could never afford to on a daily basis. Wine is always a pleasant treat, and premium coffee beans or tea leaves are good pick-me-ups which dad can use on his daily routine. Bread, cheese and fruit are also common staple in the store-bought basket. But why not try adding in a few vouchers or gift cards to dad’s favourite restaurants, or perhaps even the most expensive restaurant in town? You can treat dad to his favourite foods, without the hassle of the food going bad or cleaning the leftovers up! And if your dad has an expensive taste, why not fork out the cash and add a can of truffle or caviar into the basket?
2) Electronic equipment/gadgets/tools
Try not to have too many of these; firstly, because they are obviously expensive, and secondly, because they are really hard to arrange nicely, to prevent the overall basket from looking tacky. But a few gadgets or tools which dad could use on a daily basis is a welcome addition to any gift basket. Does dad need a new watch, or maybe a phone? Or perhaps even a new drill or screwdriver set? If your basket is big, you could even add something like a portable coffee grinder! With the onset of technology, there are many options to consider in the realm of gadgets and tools, and a few of these added to the basket would definitely make dad’s day!
3) Hand-made crafts
If you’ve got the time, why not make a few of your own gifts by hand? You could sift through the endless family albums and frame up a special picture with a hand-made, customized picture frame. Or you could store dad’s favourite pictures as a collection on a CD or a thumb drive! A hand-made card, though cliché, is still a good way to express your love for dad, especially if it was hand drawn and much effort put in. Put something made by the family in the basket as well, to remind dad that the family cares enough about him to spend effort on him as well, and to remind him of all the good times he has had, and will have with the family.
4) Gift cards/vouchers
While some may frown upon them as an insincere gift, gift cards and vouchers are a good way to wrap up the stuffing of the gift basket! Nowadays, there are gift cards for everything; from restaurants, to sports shops, or even year-long passes to sport stadiums! Think about what dad would need and want; perhaps a voucher to a spa and massage to help him relax? Or year long passes for two to the sports stadium so he can spend some quality time watching sports with his child? Or maybe a debit card for use at his favourite restaurant? There are a variety of choices here, and simply think about dad’s interests and needs, and you’ll likely end up getting a gift card that would make him smile in delight.
5) Arrangement
While not strictly a stuffing, the arrangement of your gift basket could change the amount of surprise and delight your dad finds upon opening the gift basket. If your family had chipped in enough to buy tons of expensive gifts, you might want to hide them underneath the food and wine so dad gets a pleasant surprise when he sifts through the layers to the bottom of the basket. Or maybe you have a centrepiece of the basket, like a family photo with pleasant memories or a new blackberry phone? You could put that on top of the other presents, like a Christmas tree star, to make it the centrepiece of your basket. Also, make sure that the gifts are arranged such that the height is relatively equal, making it easier to wrap, and also that the colours are evenly spaced out and balanced; too much of red on one side and white on the other does not make a very attractive-looking gift basket.
So, this Father’s Day, why not ask the whole family to chip in and create an enormous and memorable gift basket for dad? Remember to deviate from the norm, the wilder and more creative your gift basket, the more effort you put in, the more dad would come to appreciate it. Remember, the purpose of gift baskets is very much like those of gift cards; to contain a variety of gifts so that dad will be pleased no matter what his liking. So, get creative, and begin that stuffing!
