First come up with a theme for your basket. I wanted my basket to be used for a comfy, cozy evening of Christmas decorating, so these are the items I chose for my basket: A cream colored throw, a variety of ornaments, Christmas scented candles, Christmas music, mugs, and a few selections of hot chocolate.

To make the basket itself special, I picked up a piece of craft wood, and using chalkboard paint, created a writing space for the couples last name. Instead of using chalk, I opted for a white paint pen, for a more permanent effect. I also included an est. 11.19.11 for their wedding date. To attach the sign to the front of the basket, I drilled two holes in each side of my sign,  then I used jute twine, tied in a knot at each hole and then tied in the back. It’s a good idea to loop the twine through your basket periodically as you wrap it around to add some support for your sign.

Now for the contents of the basket. It’s best to start with your biggest items first. I rolled up my blanket,  tied it with a bit more twine, then placed it at the corner of my basket. Next, I placed my container of ornaments near the middle. After that, I bunched up quite a bit of white tissue paper and laid it around the remaining open areas of my basket to create some shelves for my smaller items.

Then I placed two packets of hot chocolate in each mug, along with a pearl candy cane ornament, and added them to the front of my basket.

Finally, a small, gold-glittered bird finds a nest in the snugly corner blanket. And ta da! We’re all done. You can either wrap your entire basket in clear cellophane and tie with a ribbon, or you can do as I did and add a bunch of tissue paper to the top in coordinating colors. I hope this inspires you to come up with your own festive themes for the Christmas season, or any time of the year, for that matter! Happy shopping and happy wrapping!