Wrap up holiday shopping with gift baskets

By Kathy Hatfield
Correspondent

Gift giving should be a gratifying experience, not a source of stress. If this is not one of your favorite chores, however, perhaps the ideas given here will help make the process more enjoyable.

Gift baskets are fun to put together and fun to receive. Filled with many different items, the basket becomes a unique and personalized gift, specially prepared for the receiver.

To assemble a special gift basket, start by listing the individual's hobbies and interests. Does this person love to garden, camp, hike, bake or cook? Is he a chocolate lover? Does she enjoy a good cup of tea? If you work around a theme, you'll probably come up with more ideas once you get started. Depending on your budget and the type of gift you'd like to give, you can choose some or all of the ideas within each theme suggested here.

For the gardener, a package of flower or herb seeds, an attractive pot for planting, hand tools, a small container of time-release fertilizer and a gardening magazine would be appropriate. If you'd like to include a book, Eleanor Perenyi's "Green Thoughts," Michael Pollan's "Second Nature" or "Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul" are books that can be enjoyed during the winter months while the gardener is waiting for spring to arrive.

For the camper or backpacker on your list, who doesn't already have everything, give travel-sized containers of hand cream; arnica gel for bruises; prepackaged freeze-dried meals; small packets of tea, hot chocolate or coffee; a lightweight coffee press; a water filtration system; a candle lantern; a headlamp; a keychain-sized LED light; a Swiss Army knife or other pocket-sized multi-tool.

For the chocolate-lover, a decorative mug, a tin of cocoa powder, chocolate-coated spoons, chocolate cookies or seasonal foil-wrapped candies, a subscription to the magazine Chocolatier or a copy of Sandra Boynton's cartoon-type book "Chocolate, the Consuming Passion" are just the thing.

For the lover of tea, choose a sampler of fine teas, a teacup and saucer, a tea strainer, a package of tea biscuits and some orange-blossom honey with a honey dipper.

For the cooking or baking enthusiast, find unique small utensils, such as a palm-held peeler or mini grater; kitchen towels; and a sampling of purchased premixed spices for grilling meats, for bread dipping or for adding to salads and vegetables. Add a couple of favorite recipes and a package of decorative paper napkins.

And for someone who just needs or wants to be pampered, gather an assortment of sachets, scented oils, candles, scented lotion and bath beads. Add a dream pillow and some floral note cards.

For a gift that is special but does not necessarily center around a theme, choose a magazine appropriate for the recipient, a special tea, a potpourri pillow, a small journal, colorful note cards and a special pen, homemade bread or muffins, homemade jam and a "Chicken Soup for the ... (choose the topic)" book.

For someone who needs encouragement during a difficult time, give a jar of "encourage-mints." Write sayings on a piece of paper, cut them apart and add them to a jar of mints. You can find many appropriate sayings by doing an Internet search or by looking through books at the library. Make them serious or silly, depending on the mood you want to convey. For example, one from Franklin D. Roosevelt says, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!"

For those really difficult-to-buy-for individuals on your list, the following ideas can make it a pleasant and heart-warming experience. If the individual has a special interest, find an appropriate charity and donate to the charity in the gift recipient's name. Most charities have gift cards available for this purpose. This type of gift not only helps solve your gift-giving dilemma, but also helps others in need.

For a person confined to a nursing home or full-time care facility, consider the gift of time. Make a point to spend some time visiting with the person, either in conversation or by reading to him or her. If you are able to play an instrument or sing, consider providing an hour of entertainment for the residents of the facility.