Create a Christmas Gift Basket for Teens

If you have teenagers on your holiday gift list, you already know how difficult they can be to buy for. This is especially true if the teens are members of your extended family or if you don't know what they really want. A Christmas gift basket is the perfect way to give a thoughtful gift that teens are sure to enjoy!

The Basket

The first thing you need to choose is the basket itself. A wicker basket from the dollar store or craft shop will do the trick, but why not make the basket part of the gift itself? Consider using a large popcorn bowl, or a big container with a lid that can be used for storage.

For girls, a cosmetics tote or wire basket is a good base for your gift basket, or, if you know their tastes, a decorated hat box would do the job. For boys, try a plastic desk organizer or a storage box designed to hold CD's or video games.

The Filler

Once you have your basket, you'll need something to put inside the bottom of it to hold your gift items in place. Colored plastic "grass" (like you'd find in an Easter basket) works well, as does shredded paper or balled up tissue paper. To make things more fun, you can use plain, air-popped popcorn, peanuts or other nuts in the shell, or wrapped hard candies as your filler.

A winter scarf, t-shirt, socks, or other soft fabric item would also make a good base to line the gift basket with. For the sports enthusiast you could use tennis or golf balls. Try to keep the filler scaled to the size of your container; if you're using a large item for a basket, then you can use larger-sized filler items.

The Gifts

Now it's time to figure out what to put in the basket! Your choices will ultimately depend on how well you know the recipient and how much money you want to spend. Gift certificates are always a welcome gift for teens, and they don't need to come in large amounts to be useful. Pick up some small denominations of gift certificates from a movie rental outlet, coffee shop, or health food store. There's something for everyone at book and record stores, so consider those places for gift certificates as well.

Teen girls are usually very concerned with their appearance, so health and beauty items are great basket fillers. Generic items that every girl can use include lip balm, clear lip gloss, scented bars of soap, emery boards, cleansing cloths, nail polish remover, toothbrushes, makeup brushes and applicators, compact mirrors, and purse-sized bottles of hand lotion. For long haired girls, scrunchies and barrettes are also good choices.

Teen boys can be a little more difficult to buy for, but with a bit of inspiration you're sure to find the right items. Munchies such as nuts, pretzels, and trail mix are a good start. Protein bars are another option. Sports socks work well, or try hand-held electronic games based on sports or casino games.

Other generic gifts for both boys and girls can include gloves or mittens, ear buds for walkmans or MP3 players, bottles of flavored water, gourmet hot chocolate mixes, seasonal treats and candies, pre-paid phone cards, and magazines.

Putting it All Together

Putting the gift basket together is easy. You'll need your basket, filler, gifts, clear cellophane wrap, tape, ribbon, and a gift tag. Start off by making sure that the price tags are all removed from the gifts and the basket itself.

Fill the basket or container about half way with the filler material, and then just place the items into the basket. Start with the larger items, which you may want to gift wrap first to heighten the enjoyment of the gift itself. Fill in the empty spaces with the smaller items.

Cut a length of the cellophane that is long enough to pull up over the sides of the basket, leaving several inches of overhang on either side. Place the basket in the center of the cellophane, and lift both sides to meet in the middle. Holding the ends together, tape the sides in several places to secure. Gather the cellophane together at the top, and tie it all up with a festive ribbon. If there are bits of cellophane peeking out at the sides, push them in towards the basket to hide them.

That's all there is to it! Your gift basket will look terrific, and any teenager will be delighted to open it up and discover all of the fun and useful presents inside.