Vintage Christmas Sleigh Basket with Vintage gifts
I recently wrote an article about making holiday gift baskets with vintage gifts for the upcoming holiday season. Yes, by the way, Christmas is only two months from today or 61 days away. It’s coming up quicker than you think!
A confession:
I am actually addicted to making holiday gift baskets as gifts for my family and friends. I don’t make them for everyone, every year but I do have a blast pick out a few recipients each year and putting thought and elbow grease into creating unique and different holiday gift baskets.
I think it started years ago when I bought a piece of Fostoria (American pattern) for my mother-in-law and a piece of Jewel Tea (Autumn pattern) for my mother one Christmas. Their thrilled and delighted reactions coupled with the fact that I was being eco friendly in my gift giving was exciting to me. It started a new tradition in my gift giving — vintage gifts.
Vintage Gifts are Fun to Give
Today, I pick a few off my list and brainstorm about their collections, hobbies, careers and personalities. I come up with a list of items — too many to purchase but enough so I don’t run out of ideas if I can’t find an item or two. My favorite thing to do is find something vintage to use as the container. Baskets are fine but I always want something more unique.
Advertising boxes, holiday tins, sewing drawers, enamel pans, basins, suitcases, bowls or dishes, crates, crocks and more are just a few ideas of items you can use as containers.
If I find a container that works in with their collection or hobby or whatever, then I pick up a couple of more vintage gifts to include. If I can’t find a vintage container I think will work, I still try to find a new one that will have a purpose long after the holiday is over. I’ll fill it with a few more vintage gifts and mix in some candy and baubles to fill it up.
Shop online at eBay or other vintage sites, visit antique malls, flea markets and even yard sales and auctions. It can be a lot of fun!
You can make holiday gift baskets for almost any budget and with some careful hunting, you’ll end up with a gift the recipient will treasure because of the time, effort and personalization you put into picking out the gift. Now, start shopping!
For more gift basket ideas, visit these articles:
Gift Baskets for Kids (& Kids at Heart)
Containter Ideas for Vintage Gift Baskets
Walking around the JW Riley Emporium, here are a few items I have found that would make awesome gift basket containers:
Coke Wagon for the Coca-Cola Collector or Lover
Old Crates are great as holiday gift basket containers
A vintage basket made of bark
Glass coffee table swan — an original container!
Collectible Beer BBQ could be filled with great stuff!
Holiday Punch Bowl complete with hanging mugs
Look around your nearest vintage or antique mall. I bet you find a lot of possibilities for vintage holiday gift basket containers!
Oh, I love your container options. Last year, I used cookie jars as containers and had a blast filling them for my daughters. No, not all cookies, lots of other things went in, too! This year, I have to figure out some way to top that! Thanks for the ideas.