Once the popcorn, candies, bath soaps, and coffee are gone, what in the world do you do with those containers that were part of your gift basket?

That depends largely on whether you have a use for them, or end up with a cupboard full of such things that you have to deal with at some point.  Don?t despair! With a little thought, the basis of one gift can become the base of something else, even another gift.

Re-Use. . .

Decorative tins might contain anything from cookies to candy, and come in all kinds of beautiful seasonal designs, and even commemorative patterns that are special editions, highly sought after by collectors.  Instead of leaving them in your closet, use them to freeze your baking in.  A deep tin will hold two layers of thin squares, or anywhere from 12-24 cookies. If you?re worried about air in the container, place a bag in the tin as a liner, then close it and vacuum the air out. These are great space savers because they can be stacked in a corner and the contents won?t get squashed if something is thrown in on top of them.

Re-Gift. . .

Not only will they do you good service, but they?ll serve to please someone else as well.  If you?ve gotten a gift basket that had a set of graduated size tins, recycle the whole set by giving them as gifts filled with your own cooking.  Squares and cookies that are homemade are really appreciated, especially by singles, older persons who don?t bake as much as they used to, and the working guy or gal with no time to cook. 

If you?re not into cooking either, turn them into your own gift baskets by filling them with candies that can be bought at bulk stores.  You get the same quality goods without the cost of packaging, and can buy exactly what you want, in the quantities you need.  You can even use foil to create a liner for the tin that divides it into compartments so you can fill it with an assorted selection of peanut brittle, mints or jellied candies. 

Re-Cycle. . . 

Other popular types of containers for gift baskets include those that could be classified as open dishes, such as decorated buckets, collectible paint tins, and imitation birdhouses.  These make a wonderful way to gift someone with a potted plant. Instead of paying for an expensive decorative dish, purchase plants in standard pots and slip them inside that pansy pail or antique fire engine. 

Be careful in your choice of plants though. If the container is very deep, make sure the pot is high enough that the plants? branches will come out over the top or you?ll cause it to become misshapen, and may kill off the lower leaves and blossoms.  Looking for a fun gift for a child? Get a pot, some planting medium, put it inside that birdhouse that held gardening gifts, and then add a package of large bulbs such as hyacinth or daffodils.  Children love to make things grow, and they?ll love it even more with such a charming ?garden? to do it in.  

If you?re planning on contributing items to a club or church sale and have plants of your own, why not take some slips and get them well started, then put the pots into some of the gift baskets, buckets and ceramic boxes that you?ve received?  They?ll appeal to the indoor gardener?s love of greenery and they?ll be enchanted with the way the plants are presented. 

So you see there are tons of options for re-using, re-gifting and re-cycling gift baskets and containers that were part of your favorite presents. And with a bit of creativity, they?ll become gifts that keep on giving!