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  • Gift Basket Ideas For Wedding Showers: Reader Question

    20 Comments
    Gift Basket Ideas For Wedding Showers: Reader Question

    A reader, Melissa, sent in this question:

    I would appreciate advice on this… my boyfriend and I have a TON of wedding showers to go to this summer, and I would like to put together a gift basket of items for the happy couples.

    what do you think would be the best items to put in them without coming off as cheap? And of course, I’d like to use coupons to get the items.

    Do you have any ideas for Melissa?

    Have a question you’d like to ask the readers of MrsJanuary.com? Send an email.

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    Posted By: on May 30, 2012 Filed Under: Frugal Living 
    Tagged With: Homemade Gifts, Save Money

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    20 Responses to »
    Gift Basket Ideas For Wedding Showers: Reader Question

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    1. Fiona says:
      May 30, 2012 at 11:30 PM

      I try to match up to the couple. For one they like to entertain alot so what I did was get a mixology book go through and found a drink recipe that matched the theme of the occasion then bought a basket and all the ingredients for the drink and put the reciepe in the card that was attached to the basket. Was a big hit with the coupole who got it.

      Reply
    2. Nacho says:
      May 30, 2012 at 10:41 PM

      I always do a mop buckets full of cleaning supplies. Or you can do a bathroom basket full of personal care supplies.

      Reply
    3. Angela says:
      May 30, 2012 at 8:56 PM

      Presentation is everything. I once made a three tiered “cake ” for a friends bridal shower of white bath towels. Roll the large towels(with facecloths and hand towels inside) to create the tiers, making sure all seems and ends are to the inside creating a smooth finish on the outside. It may take some practice rolling to get it just right, depending on the thickness of your towels.

      To secure the towels I used corsage pins that have a nice pearl on the end so it held everything together, looked great and was easy to disassemble for the bride. For the base you could use a nice round serving tray, or if using kitchens towels, a round pizza pan. You can decorate using any theme you like, and you can hide smaller items in the “cake” as an extra surprise. No need to wrap, so it saves on packaging too.

      The bride to be will be thrilled by the effort you put into it, making it even more special!!!

      Reply
    4. teachermum says:
      May 30, 2012 at 6:03 PM

      Oh, and I love the idea of a “first aid” basket…you don’t think about buying bandaids until you are standing in the kitchen with a knife wound!!! Those bits and pieces are expensive if you have to grab them all at once.

      Reply
    5. teachermum says:
      May 30, 2012 at 6:01 PM

      My goddaughter got married last year and dd and I took two laundry baskets brimming with stuff. DD wove ribbon through the slats. Many of the things I grabbed off my basement shelves and had to actually go out and purchase very little. Laundry detergent, dryer sheets, Mr Clean, Toilet cleaner, Vim, dish soap, scrubbies, rubber gloves, lotion, body wash, a man’s and a woman’s razor and shave cream, various sizes of Ziplocks, toilet paper, paper towels, tissues…

      We had to purchase a 12 pack of terry cleaning cloths, wax paper, foil, glad wrap, Windex, and the laundry baskets.

      Not a cheap gift by any means but there was no other gift like that and she has emailed me several times over the months how great it was to have all that stuff! She was living at home and he had just moved into their house not long before they got married so they sure only had the very basics. Dd thought it was a “lame” gift, but changed her mind after all the ooos and ahhhs!

      I have also heard of pantry showers (not sure if they do such things now but 25 years ago everyone seemed to have 2-4 showers (work, friends, family, etc) and often they were themed: pantry, kitchen, personal, white goods (sheets/towels) I like the idea of a pantry box/shower for a couple setting up house for the first time where people bring staples: flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, salt, pepper, spices, cocoa, chocolate chips, tinned basics like beans, tomatoes, soups, etc. A box of that sort of thing at any shower would be a great help when the couple is just starting out. I’d throw in a few recipes for the basics like bread, muffins, biscuits, pancakes, cake, etc as no one seems to make those from scratch anymore but they are so easy!

      Reply
    6. Ashley says:
      May 30, 2012 at 5:42 PM

      Oops pressed too soon…

      Pick up clearance or sale items and find a nice basket or box and wrap it up really pretty.

      Reply
    7. Ashley says:
      May 30, 2012 at 5:41 PM

      I just attended a shower for my friends fiancée. I couldn’t afford to spend a lot, so I cashed in $15 of swagbucks amazon gcs for a nice desserts cookbook and a wedding photo album (I ordered some other stuff for myself I needed to get free shipping), then picked up a nice nonstick muffin pan and a chenille throw blanket from RCSS. I wrapped it up really nice, and spent a grand total of about $15.

      My suggestion would be to pick a theme, and pick up some clearance.

      Reply
    8. Melissa, the question asker! says:
      May 30, 2012 at 4:45 PM

      Thanks everyone for the wonderful ideas, and thanks to Cassie for posting this! Im liking the towels and bathroom ideas! Also the medical, and hygiene baskets!

      Melissa Anne

      Reply
    9. Mallory says:
      May 30, 2012 at 4:31 PM

      I just attended a bridal shower and the bride received the most creative gift I’d ever seen. For every major holiday/special occasion (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, etc.) a gift bag was put together with items they can put out for that occasion (towels, bath&body works scented soaps, dishes, cutlery, etc.). Clearly this one takes some planning; however, if you get the items on clearance, it can be put together for a great deal.

      Reply
    10. Elizabeth says:
      May 30, 2012 at 4:14 PM

      Good idea if it’s done well! I think it’s probably best to avoid throwing in random bits and pieces and samples — those start to look cheap. You should try to go with a theme and add some other, non-coupon items as well (especially if people know you’re a couponer!).

      I think anything looks better if you have really luxurious packaging — lined baskets or useful, good-quality reusable containers and fabric ribbon to tie the cellophane. Sometimes you can find great clearance prices on baskets and things at RCSS. In general, too much obviously dollar store stuff will make the whole thing look cheap. I was at a baby shower recently where someone made a diaper cake. Unfortunately, the base was a cheap foil tray and the toys, the baby items were all obviously from a dollar store, and the bow was a limp piece of curling ribbon. Aside from the diapers, most of the other stuff probably wouldn’t get used. Luckily, most smart shoppers tend to look for the good stuff at a very low price!

      A housecleaning kit could be nice — a good quality bucket loaded with cleaning supplies and scrubber sponges/microfibre cloths, etc., especially if they’ll be moving to a new home. You could also do a kitchen or bathroom-themed basket. For my SIL’s housewarming, I’m making a basket with a set of towels (2 each of bath, hand, and facecloths) along with Method handsoap and Method cleaning products (not exactly coupon stuff, but I used a credit I had from Well.ca. You could also cash in SDM points). She’s going from one bathroom to three, so I imagine she’ll need more stuff! I’m also throwing in a book of household hints.

      Good luck! Sounds like shower season could be a lot of fun!

      Reply
    11. Betty says:
      May 30, 2012 at 4:11 PM

      Having attended & hosted quite a few wedding showers (including my own), myself & my friends always appreciated tea towel set (oven mitts, towel & pot holders), bath sheet/towel/facecloth sets, summer acrylic pitcher with tray, glasses & straws set, placemat settings for six, one of your favourite cookbooks with a couple of handwritten or typed recipes handed down to you or one you invented, decorative acrylic bowls (for fruit, veggies or whatever you want to put in it), etc. Actually if you got a big enough bowl, you could put many gifts in it & wrap it in cellophane & tie a ribbon on it. My friends & I used to joke that they should have showers for married people every 10 yrs. so that they could get new bathroom towels, sheets, blankets, etc. to replace the ones they received at their wedding shower. The acrylic dishes may be cheap but they are very useful & look pretty when hosting a barbecue for friends/families. If they happen to accidently get broken or cracked by a guest or the hostess, or kids then it’s not as much of a big deal as when it happens to expensive dishes (like Royal Doultons!!). Just remember to set a budget for what you want to spend. Actually, we would usually as a group contribute money to buy something bigger for the bride & groom (patio set, outdoor or indoor tools, etc.). That way they don’t get 3 or 4 toasters, can openers, etc.

      Reply
    12. Tammy says:
      May 30, 2012 at 4:06 PM

      My daugther got married last summer and at her shower I gave her, along with another present, a bucket full of cleaning supplies. Everyone needs them, it got a good laugh, and I am sure have been put to use.
      Someone else gave her a basket of “medical” supplies – bandaids, antibiotic cream, antacid, tylenol, etc. Great gift for someone starting out.

      Reply
    13. Melissa says:
      May 30, 2012 at 4:04 PM

      when I got married .. I received a basket full of cleaning products and all the gadgets that we would need to clean the house.. it was greatly appreciated and some things you would never think of buying but they come in useful. You can definately use coupons to purchase most of these items.. cleaning products, a mop, laudry detergent and supplies.. you can even wrap it all up on a laundry basket

      Reply
    14. Michelle says:
      May 30, 2012 at 4:03 PM

      I like to do theme baskets. Try things like a cooking/entertaining theme (wooden spoons, brie baker, cheese knife, tea towels, cookie in a jar mix), a movie night theme (gift card to local rental place/itunes to download or a romantic film, popcorn, popcorn seasoning, large plastic bowl to put it all in) a romance theme (candles, chocolates and a bottle of wine), a spa theme (wicker basket from garage sale, beauty products, home made foot scrub or face mask, candles, manicure kit, nail polish) or something based on their interests like sports (bike lights, bike bell, trail map with your favourites marked on it, picnic items to take with them or energy bars) or travelling (guidebooks to various places ie where they are going on their honeymoon, luggage scale, luggage tags etc). A lot of these things can be picked up at the bulk store and made to look beautiful with nice containers which you may have or be able to find at garage sales or thrift stores. A little extra effort on the packaging and being attentive to their likes and dislikes will be more appreciated than the monetary value of the gift.

      Reply
    15. ger says:
      May 30, 2012 at 4:00 PM

      i say almost any personal care for both (shampoo, conditioner, his and her razors/deo, face wash, shave gel, bodywash, etc) and household cleaning items :)

      i think if you pack it full enough, it won’t come off as cheap! you can also but a bunch of trial soaps, bodywash, sham/cond, mouthwash, toothpaste in a smaller basket inside it and label it as their honeymoon kit :)

      the way i look at it is, if i used to spend say 50 on a gift PRE-coupon days, i try to still come close to it now even after coupons. i like the idea of being able to pass on my savings to those getting my gifts. i know that this isn’t saving me any money on gifts but i’m saving money in the big picture with my own buying so i’m okay with it all :) imho….

      Reply
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