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The Perfect Impression With A Custom Wine Gift Basket

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The Perfect Impression With A Custom Wine Gift Basket

By: Gustavo Wilcox

About the Author

Read about cabbage seeds and purple cabbage at the Planting Cabbage website.

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With wine gaining in popularity over more traditional beverages, a custom wine gift basket makes the perfect gift for almost any occasion.  Most people are becoming aware of not only the health benefits of various wines, but the enhancement qualities of wine when complimenting almost any meal.

A reason to give a custom wine gift basket to a special friend, family, or business acquaintance, is that wine is an excellent addition to food in general.  In the tradition of European dining, a plate of cheese, bread and crackers complimented by a fine bottle of wine, can make a meal in itself.  An elegant dinner would be flawed without a good bottle of wine, red or white, to compliment the entrée.

A Wine Gift Basket Can Make Any Occasion Special

If you need a gift for a special occasion, like an anniversary, birthday, or holiday, a wine gift basket with select food items is always a ‘hit’.  A gift basket for your wine lover friends can turn a standard dinner affair into something very special.  For an anniversary, why not include a nice bottle of champagne and a set of champagne glasses to the basket for the celebration.

A Custom Wine Gift Basket for that Personal Touch

There are many fine merchants that provide ready-made food and wine gift baskets, but if you really want to give a gift that is remembered and cherished, why not personalize your gift basket?

Custom wine gift basket merchants offer a service that lets you pick and choose what items you want included in your gift basket.  This allows you to select only those items that you know the recipient of the wine gift basket will enjoy, and therefore, make it more personal.  For example, if the wine basket is going to an avid golfer, items such as golf balls, tees, divot tool, or golf towel could be added.

Another nice personal touch is to select a wine gift box set that has the name of the individual imprinted on the box.   Some merchants offer boxed sets that allow you to select the person’s favorite wines to add an even more personal touch.

The ultimate in personalization is to give a custom wine gift basket with the individual’s name, or special occasion, printed right on the label.   Even the recipient’s picture, or a company logo, can be added to fit the occasion.   You might think that this wine gift idea would be very expensive, but it can be done quite reasonably and in relatively small bottle quantities.

Give a Wine Gift That Will Be Remembered

The key to making your custom wine gift basket special is to know the likes and dislikes of the person receiving the basket.  Does the person have any favorite hobbies or pastimes? If you are not sure, why not ask a mutual friend or family member.  This little extra effort can make all the difference in how the gift is remembered.  Why not let the person know that you care by giving them a custom wine gift basket with their favorite items?

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Gustavo Wilcox -
About the Author:

Read about cabbage seeds and purple cabbage at the Planting Cabbage website.

Gift Basket Containers: Re-use, Re-gift, Re-cycle!

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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!

Faith Griffin invites you to visit her shoppe at Corner Shoppe Gift Baskets.com where you’ll find a huge selection of gift baskets for every occasion.

How to Choose Your Specialty Gift Baskets for a Gift Basket Business, Gift Shop, or Sideline

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If you have an existing gift basket business, or are planning to start up a gift basket business or home based gift basket business or just add a sideline to a business you have now, one of the most important things to consider is the type of gift baskets you’ll offer.

You can offer a wide range of gift baskets, focus on a unique specialty gift basket or do a combination of both. I recommend doing both.

For the newbie, start out with a focus on one type of gift basket, and then later add a strong line of gift baskets, after you get your foot in the door. This is often the best approach when you’re new. You’ll be tying up less money in inventory too.

Here are two possible specialty gift baskets to consider. The first is a gift basket for nurses. Make up a demo gift basket. I know marketing. For marketing your specialty gift basket you may have to get really creative. Take your demo to one of the local hospitals and wander though the cafeteria and set it down on a table while you have a beverage. People will assume you are delivering it to a patient.

Take plenty of business cards. Ask administration if you can post your business card on the hospital message board. Stop at the gift shop, show the demo gift basket and ask if they would take any on consignment. If they do and get enough orders, they’ll probably start ordering regularly from you without consignment. If you know of any health professionals, show them your demo baskets or even give them one and ask for referrals in exchange.

Nurses don’t have time to shop. They love to get and give gifts. They can’t get out of the hospital for breaks or at lunchtime because it’s usually against hospital policy to leave the premises. I know. I used to be a nurse. They are prime candidates for your baskets. You can have gift baskets that are full of nurse specialty and other medical items, a nurse’s relaxation gift basket and so on. They like the medical theme baskets because they can use the items or give some of the items in the gift basket to other nurses and other health professionals they work with or know.

Once you get a few nurses buying you’ll find they are good repeat customers. Plus they have plenty of associates they can recommend you to. Make sure you supply them with business cards. Fliers get lost or thrown away. Business cards are easier to keep track of. Business cards are cheap or you can make your own. They don’t have to be fancy but make them a little appealing. Your business is going to be judged by your baskets though, not the cards.

Another idea would be to approach brew pub and tavern owners. You could provide an endless supply of gift baskets for them to use for their giveaways to customers. They usually have contests and various kinds of drawings for their customers. I know a lot of restaurant and tavern owners. I used to list and sell restaurants and taverns when I had my real estate company. I know how they think and work.

Just make up two or three or more good demos for them to choose from. Have different price ranges from less to more expensive and two or three differently filled baskets. Have two or three different types of containers if possible. Traditional wicker baskets are good. Try a totally different kind of USEABLE container if you can think of something appropriate.

For this crowd make your gift baskets humorous, not serious. Include things you think brewpub or tavern patrons might like. Specialty cheeses, crackers, pretzels, chips, nuts, other food items. Unfortunately they probably don’t want healthy snacks. Maybe specialty beers, specialty coffees, hot chocolate mixes, t-shirts, baseball caps, coffee mugs, corkscrews, bar items, playing cards, auto-related items and small auto safety items. These are just a few of the items to consider.

Magic shop items will make your baskets unique and lots of FUN. Make sure you get some of these in every basket. Visit your local magic shop, usually found in the larger cities. If you don’t have a magic shop try to find a magic catalog. You should be able to find some on the Internet. Even retail prices are usually cheap for these items if you can’t arrange wholesale. You may not be buying enough wholesale in the beginning to warrant a wholesale account. Often minimum orders may be too high to make sense.

There are dozens of other specialty baskets you can make of course. But for the other gift baskets in your gift basket business you will want to focus on gourmet food gift baskets, fruit baskets if you come from an area that has plenty of fruit all year, corporate gift baskets which are real money-makers, but competitive, and bath and body gift baskets. Custom or personalized gift baskets are another option too.

With these tips, ideas and suggestions, you should be well on your way to choosing a specialty gift basket line for your new, existing, or work-at-home or home based gift basket business, gift shop or as a sideline to another business.

Helen Hecker heads Twin Peaks Press since 1982. Help publishers. Online marketing, mailing lists,press releases, Helen Hecker’s Biz Hotline, How to Make Gift Baskets DVD. http://www.TwinPeaksPress.com http://www.HowToMakeBeautifulGiftBaskets.com http://www.SellCookbooks.com

How to Make Corporate Gift Baskets Cheaply for Your Gift Basket Business, New Business or Add-On

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Corporate gift baskets can give a big boost to any gift basket business. They are often ordered in large quantities by companies, corporations and businesses, large and small, to give as gifts, to employees, clients and colleagues as a way to say thank you.


And just a few tips, ideas and help here will give you the information you need to help make corporate gift baskets affordable for you and your corporate clients.


By making unique, good quality demos cheaply, and buying products and supplies at wholesale prices, without buying up a lot of inventory, you can save a lot of money in the process. And if you can work from home you’ll save more money on overhead.


Although usually filled with more expensive, gourmet items, corporate gift baskets can be a good money maker for your gift basket business, a sideline or a new business. If you already have a gift-related, craft-related or home based business of any kind, or if you just want to start up a gift basket business, making corporate gift baskets is a good idea.


You can easily add corporate (or sometimes called business) gift baskets to your existing line of gift baskets. You may have some of the baskets, items or products right now. You’ll need to know: what are the most popular types of corporate gift baskets, what products or items usually go in them and what the competition is doing in terms of items, products and pricing.


Three of the most popular types of corporate gift baskets are gourmet – fancy foods, fancy fruits with cheese collections, and fancy coffees with chocolate collections.


Products or items you might usually find in corporate or business gift baskets are: seasonal mixed fresh fruits, freshly baked cookies, fancy crackers, deluxe wrapped chocolates and candies, truffles, biscotti, muffins, scones, sausage, pistachios and other nuts, gourmet cheese, cheddar cheese, gourmet jams and preserves, gourmet hot chocolate mix packets, fancy flavored coffees, chocolate covered raspberries or blueberries, and other gourmet goodies. You may have some or many of these items or products already.


It’s not advisable to include any controversial items like alcoholic beverages. Although beer, champagne and wine gift baskets are popular, I wouldn’t include any beer, wine or champagne in your demo gift baskets. You can make these available, if you choose, if they customize an order, but be aware you may need a license to sell beer, wines or other liquors.


Besides possible health issues – by giving alcohol gifts unknowingly to recovering addicts or closet addicts, you and the business or corporation may have legal or liability issues from the consequences of providing the alcohol to the employees, colleagues or clients.


Containers can be traditional, finely crafted wicker baskets or fancy, small to large hampers. In any case they need to be of excellent or high quality.


Next you’ll want to check out the competition. Check out several websites carrying corporate gift baskets to get an idea what they’re offering, what items or products they include in their gift baskets and the price range.


The online gift basket websites carrying corporate gift baskets are competitive. So concentrate first on selling your business or corporate gift baskets locally to large companies and corporations. You may have no competition. You can always put up a website after you get your business going.


You’ll need at least two gift basket demos in more than one price range. Three or four demo baskets would be better. They may be giving a gift basket in one price range to clients and to colleagues or employees in another price range. Be prepared also to offer custom gift baskets. They can choose the gourmet items they want to go into the baskets, hampers or other containers. They may also want to choose the containers.


After your demo gift baskets are assembled, call around to the larger companies and find out who is in charge of purchasing or public relations. It may take two or three calls to find out whom to talk to, to set up an appointment. Just ask who you can make a short presentation to.


Make sure your prices are competitive and offer quantity discounts. Offer free shipping if they need to be shipped out of town or if they have regional offices they need them shipped to. Make sure to adjust your pricing in advance if you’re going to offer free shipping. Know what it’ll cost to package and ship your gift baskets and whether you’re going to use the postal service or another shipping service like UPS, Fed Ex or Airborne Express.


Good times to make your phone calls are at least two months in advance of a major holiday, at the year’s end or at the beginning of the year. But make your calls every month all through the year. They may give gifts to clients throughout the year. And they may give gifts to employees at any time of the year.


If your presentation doesn’t result in any orders, ask for feedback. Perhaps it’s the type of items or products you’re presenting. Perhaps the gift baskets are overpriced.


Starting up a business to specialize in corporate gift baskets is easy to do. If you can, work from home – make it a home-based business. Make sure not to order in a lot of inventory. To keep your costs down, only buy enough products in the beginning to put your demo corporate gift baskets together.


After your presentation and resulting orders, you’ll know what items, products and supplies to order for the gift baskets. This is a good way to start on a shoestring budget.


Adding business or corporate gift baskets to your current line of gift baskets can help boost your bottom line. A few of the tips here should get you going in the right direction. If making gift baskets is new to you, you’ll find plenty of ideas to make a few demo corporate gift baskets and give it a try. This is an inexpensive or cheap way to add to your gift basket business, start up a gift basket business, or add on to another home based or work at home business.

Helen Hecker heads Twin Peaks Press since 1982.Helps business owners promote,market,sell anything.AP style press releases. How to Make Gift Baskets DVD.
Get Free Gift Basket Tips – Weeklyat http://www.HowToMakeBeautifulGiftBaskets.com

How to Personalize a Homemade Food Gift Basket

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Gifts of food can be given to anyone for holidays or other special occasions. These gifts will be appreciated by family, friends, coworkers, or anyone else on your gift list. Creating your own food gift basket can be a very special gift as you can personalized it with the recipient’s favorite candy, cookies, wine, or other food or beverage items.

When selecting foods to place in your gift basket, make sure they are fresh and check any expiration dates. It’s difficult to include foods that are perishable and require refrigeration, so keep that in mind when you are choosing items to place in a food gift basket. Fresh fruits and vegetables are wonderful items because they are inexpensive, colorful, and readily available. However, it’s better if you choose fruits that are not yet ripe; oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, and apples are good choices because they are more hearty.

In addition to wicker baskets, there are many other containers to choose from. Unbreakable bowls are appropriate for most food themes and it is easy to assemble your gifts in bowls. If you are trying to stay within a budget, shop at your local discount or dollar store. My local dollar store has a nice variety of large plastic bowls and serving trays that are sturdy and attractive. If you decide to use a serving tray, choose one with sides as the assembly will be easier.

Breakfast Basket:

This make a great gift for a hostess when you are an overnight guest, or as a housewarming, anniversary or wedding gift. It’s also a nice gift idea for a large family.

Choose a wicker tray or basket with handles as it will be easier to work with than one without handles. Fill the container with shredded brown paper, straw, or purchased shred. If desired, add a couple of rolled napkins. Select food items that one would eat or drink for breakfast; herbal tea, coffee or coffee beans, small bag or box of pancake mix, bottle of maple syrup, jams, jellies, and a small jar of honey for the tea drinkers. If there are small children in the family, include several serving size boxes of dry cereal. Add several fresh oranges or grapefruits and a couple of lemons. Since an overflowing gift basket looks better than a sparse one, fill in any empty spaces with colorful silk flowers or greenery. A nice decorative touch is to include a wooden spoon or a wire whisk tied with curly ribbon or a bow.

Pizza Basket:

Create this gift basket for a student going away to college or anyone setting up their first home.

Use a pizza pan or pizza stone as a container to hold the food items. Place several red checkered napkins or tea towels on the pan or stone to help position and anchor the other items. Include gifts such as pizza dough mix, pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder or a bulb of fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, a small bottle of olive oil, grating cheese, a cheese grater, and a pizza cutter. If you prefer an easier method, use a wicker basket instead of the pizza stone or pan.

Asian Food Basket:

Make this gift basket for anyone who enjoys Chinese food. It’s also a great gift for a bridal shower or wedding.

Use a wok or bamboo steamer as the container and fill it with the makings of delicious Asian cuisine: soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, fresh ginger, ginger grater, a bulb of garlic, cornstarch, Asian noodles, duck sauce, a stir fry spatula, and a cookbook. Tie curly ribbon or raffia around several sets of chopsticks and position them throughout the basket. Don’t forget to add some fortune cookies.

After you have completed your food gift basket, you may want to place it in a cello bag or wrap it in cello paper; the bags are much easier to work with. This will help in transporting your gift basket and keep it dust free. If you choose to use cello, you can place ribbon or other decorative items before placing the basket in the bag, on the outside of the cello wrapped basket, or both. A nice idea is to place a decorative item amongst the food items before placing it the cello. You will need to use ribbon or raffia to tie the bag closed above the basket. It looks really nice if you allow curly ribbon or steamers to cascade down the front of the completed basket.

Janet Vogel is the owner of Homemade Gift Basket Ideas where you will find more than 50 different themes, including Italian Gift Baskets, detailed Assembly Directions and decorating tips.

How to Avoid Becoming a Basket Case over a Coffee Gift Basket

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What gift says that you care about the coffee aficionado in your life better than a gift basket filled with coffee and coffee-making paraphernalia? Sending a coffee gift basket is now almost as popular as sending gift baskets filled with other consumables. The very idea of coffee itself conveys the flattering idea of refinement and gentility, coupled with diligence and a creative mindset.

If your creative bent is strong enough, you can of course assemble the gift basket yourself and make sure that your excellent selection of gourmet coffees comes with a personal touch. However, with good coffee commanding premium prices, it may be more cost-effective for you to order pre-packed coffee gifts from gourmet or premium coffee suppliers. A coffee gift basket from suppliers like these gives your coffee connoisseur friend or relative the opportunity to sample a variety of gourmet coffees. Hopefully, they’ll share some of it with you, especially if the basket contains premium items like Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee!

So, getting a gift basket filled with coffee sounds like a surefire way to please a coffee fan, right? Despite anyone’s best intentions, this sentiment may not hold true all the time. As desirable as premium coffee may sound, gifts of this sort may be wasted on someone who is strongly set in his or her coffee-drinking ways. You won’t get someone to switch to Colombian peaberry coffee overnight when their all-time favorite is a Sumatra dark roast.

Conversely, if the intended recipient is indeed open to trying different types of coffee, ensure that they aren’t already members of gourmet coffee-of-the-month clubs. Giving a friend a coffee gift basket in such instances may overwhelm them with more coffee than they can drink! So, discreetly you find out if your gift will be appreciated before splashing out that cash.

When you’re looking for the ideal gift for a coffee-loving friend, make sure to pay attention to the quality of the coffee included. This should be the main attraction of any gift basket and not be overshadowed by nonessential items such as coffee cookies or candy. In fact, if the ad you’re looking at places more emphasis on the beauty of the basket, intricacy of the wrapping or even its chocolate coffee spoons, it’s a sure bet that the coffee is included only as an afterthought. Steer clear of such gift baskets and look for those that focus on the coffee and nothing else.

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