Thinking of what to gift your loved ones for Christmas can be a very tedious task. Make it fun and exciting! Christmas food baskets are wonderful gifting options for friends, family and acquaintances especially if you have a small budget and you don’t want to spend too much time on it. Here are some tips.

Be creative and include your best home made Christmas food items. You could also include more expensive items like Wine, chocolates and Cheese.

It is important that you decide the budget and plan what you would like to include in your Christmas gift baskets.

Ideas for Making Your Own Gourmet Christmas Gift baskets 

Decorative Tips 

Cane or wicker baskets and shoe boxes make easy bases for your gift hampers. You can also use jars. Use Christmas colours like red, green, gold and silver for the material to decorate your baskets. Satin, tissue paper, dried flowers, ribbons, bows, candy canes, bells and other inexpensive Christmas trinkets add that personal touch and can save you a large expense on ready made containers. Don’t forget to attach a Christmas greeting card with a personalized message.

Home Made Goodies

 Show off your culinary talents by making the sweet treats at home rather than buying them from the stores. It totally personalizes the gift and shows how much you care. You can make healthy goodies like low fat cookies, crackers and sugar free candies. I love to include home made liquor truffles and nutty chocolates in my Gourmet Christmas hampers. It’s the time to open your recipe books and use your granny’s secret recipes for brownies, pies and marshmallows. A basket without a Christmas cake and ginger bread would be incomplete. Include treats for kids as well to bring those happy smiles on their faces.

Fresh Fruits

Include fresh fruits and nuts instead of the canned and preserved products. Encourage your loved ones to eat healthy. Include red and green fruits like apples, chocolate coated strawberries, pears and grapes. Don’t forget honey coated almonds, spicy cashews and pitted prunes in your gift baskets.

Wine and liquor 

It can be a difficult task to buy wine and liquor for others and it is important that you know their taste before you spend on expensive bottles to include in your gourmet gift baskets. However don’t forget to include a bottle of good red or white wine or flavored liqueur in the Gourmet Christmas gift basket, to accompany the Christmas dinner. It can also be of great use at the New Year party!     

Cheese  

For all those cheese lovers, include gourmet Swiss and French cheeses and cheese crackers of their favorite brand. 

Once you start making your own gourmet Christmas gift baskets, you will tend to make them every year and will wait for Christmas, more eagerly than before.

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