" A tisket,a tasket, a green and yellow basket. I wrote a letter to my love and on the way I dropped it.
I dropped it, I dropped it, and on the way I dropped it. A little boy he picked it up and put it in his pocket"
It was a wonderful surprise! A dear friend sent you a beautiful gift basket to cheer you after your surgery. One week later, the tasty snacks and candies have all been consumed, and you are left with the memories and an empty gift basket. Don't be tempted to dispose of it because you cannot think of other ways to use it! The real gift IS the container and not the treats inside! This empty basket is a very useful basket and it's ready to give more service in the months and years ahead with a little imagination.
A gift basket is a general term for the many types of containers and the various materials used to construct them. Gift boxes are usually themed, have beautifully applied graphics, and are perfect for holding mail, keys, recipes, and other small items that might be easily misplaced around the home. Place it in your entry, desktop, kitchen counter, shelf or mantle for a decorative storage accent that is so accessible! Care Package boxes, with built in handles, can hold anything from a boxed lunch to art supplies or become a makeshift animal hospital! Load it with a few simple first aid supplies, hand wipes, non-perishable snack items, juice boxes, water bottles, a coloring book or sketch pad, colored pencils, or a few small toys and you have created a very useful travel kit to keep in your vehicle for long road trips with small children!
Assorted Cookie Bouquet containers ( mugs, ceramic boxes, mini wicker baskets, melamine blocks or mini flower pots ) earn the designation as " mini gems" for storing those tiny items like earrings, buttons pins, thumb tacks, batteries, etc. that get lost so easily around the home and can be dangerous if swallowed by pets or small children. Give one to a neighbor or friend with a favorite planting from your garden. Use these to store and display anything from children's art supplies, desk supplies, or mixed paints to spices and potpourri!
Baskets, so versatile with or without handles, can be used in a myriad of ways. Store and display sewing notions, clothing items to be mended,a guest room amenities basket with trial-sized toiletry items, hand towels and wash cloths, small stuffed animals, rattles and teethers , silk or fresh flowers, fruit or a collecion of cherished items. Be creative and make a centerpiece for your table tonight and flank it with pretty pair of candlesticks! Faux Leather Trays are classy and practical, and can be used to hold snacks, drinks, a tea service, decorative candles, sea shells,books or puzzles for your living or dining room table.
Planters, constructed of durable metal and embossed with designs, can quickly double as coolers for use inside or out at your next party. Just line with a larger, clear plastic bag, fill with ice and add your favorite bottled wine or other drinks. Fill with several small containers of ice cream and surround with ice for a fabulous ice cream bar! Don't forget the scoop! Use this decorative and practical container to carry, store and display items all around the home as many ways as you can imagine! It can also become a new home for plants, flowers, magazines or towels in the bathroom.
Insultated Sports Coolers hold drinks and snacks on the course or at the track in style. Refill them with your favorite foods for a delightful homemade meal on the run, traveling care packages or first aid kits with ice packs for emergencies. The large Basketball Game Day decorative bowl is perfect for holding popcorn, chips, or other party foods. Fill it with fruit and granola bars and display it on a large counter or table for quick snacking! Use the empty " Gone Fishing" wooden boat as a decorative wall accent, fill with gummy worms or Swedish fish for a unique fishing themed party, or fill it with paper clips, memo pads and other office supply items to turn your new desk organizer into a conversation piece that will bring a wide smile to any avid fisherman's face!
Custom Embroidered Infant Layette Sets arrive in toy-sized Radio Flyer wagons, wicker handled laundry hampers or beautiful cloth or wicker baskets. The wagon is perfect for storing stuffed animals, toys and dolls and will be sure to become a treasured nursery plaything. Baskets and laundry hampers are also great for storing baby clothes,blankets, books, toys, stuffed animals and dolls, but can attractively perform double duty on the changing table for diapering supplies. As the baby grows, and the space needs change, the baskets and hampers can assume new roles on shelving units as more loosely constructed basket drawers.
Let's go back to the children's rhyme above so that I can show you how the rhyme fits together with baskets and decorating. I have loved this children's rhyming song since I was a young child, and yes, " tasket " rhymes nicely with basket! This well known children's rhyming game and song first surfaced in America around 1879 during the Victorian era. Children formed a circle, took turns running around the outside, dropped a handkerchief, and the nearest child picked it up and chased the dropper. If the dropper was caught, he or she was either kissed, joined the circle or revealed their "sweetheart's" name. Follow me ( and hang on tight ) as I attempt to weave all of these elements together!
A tisket or tasket ,( nonsense words used to fill the meter of the rhyme), likely refer to a " ticket", which was likely made from woven paper with cloth fibers. Paper and cloth are both useful and recyclable .The game is played in a circle. It has no beginning or end, and is renewable as the children " break out and rejoin " the circle as the game progresses. The circle is the most commonly used shape for basket making , and if constructed of quality materials, the basket will provide years of continuous service to its owner in a myriad of useful and decorative ways, regardless of whether it is plain or embellished with decoration. This Victorian era game is about young, innocent love and "courting". Gift baskets are very popular items to send to loved ones and friends of any age around the country to show them that you love and care about them. Love and service to your neighbor is vital to maintaining love, hope and life. La Bella Baskets has a " basket of hope" mission, spreading love and joy to single mothers around the country every month. I hope that you are still with me after that last stretch. I had to " weave" so many elements together in a clever manner!
Two years ago today, I started my " work from home" gift basket business as a consultant with La Bella Baskets and wanted to compose a special blog for the occasion. I am a veteran mother of four children, now ages 16-22, and have enjoyed creative writing since childhood. Being an Interior Designer for over twenty-five years with a special interest in Custom Window Treatments, I am always looking for creative ways to weave design into as many aspects of my life and environment as possible! Recently, I started including decorative storage and display tips in each of my gift basket review blogs on my website. The baskets are beautiful indeed and very useful after the snacks and treats have been eaten. I also try to be respectful of resources and try to creatively re-purpose materials whenever possible. I have woven three passions together: creative writing, design, and recycling (or " re- purposing " as it's referred to in the design world ) into this one large blog which I hope will inspire all of my readers to think creatively when they purchase or receive a gift basket in the future! Remember that gift baskets are the gifts that keep giving! I hope that you will enjoy these ideas as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you. Here's to creative storage, decorating and re-purposing!
La Bella Leigh
To view the gift baskets mentioned in today's blog, visit my online gift store located on my website link provided here. One click is all it takes!