Creating Gift Sets with a Personal Touch

[pchefinski]

I sold 2 gift sets in a recent catalog party - one bought by the host and another by her sister. When my friend (the host) and I put them together today (they were sets that I made up, not the pre-boxed ones from the catalog), we used really cute metal trays and added some goodies to them, then shrink-wrapped them. We used shrinkwrap bags from the local dollar store, and the filler items were from the $1 store as well. But they turned out so nice! They really looked like the ones you buy at the store for an insane amount of money. The pictures really don't do justice to how they look in person, but I wanted to post them anyway.http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m35/elijahtheodore/baskettrio.jpg
The two gift sets we made and the mini baker that we shrinkwrapped with the seam on the underside (like professional wrapped items).http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m35/elijahtheodore/collegebasket.jpg
The College Student Gift Set: Small Micro Cooker, can opener, bar board, twixit combo pack, quikut paring knife combo; we added hot cocoa, chocolate chips, marshmallows, towel.http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m35/elijahtheodore/snowflakewarmupbasket.jpg
The Snowflake Warm Me Up! Gift Set: Warm Me Up! Set (p 45 of catalog); added towel, 2 chocolate snowflakes, silver kisses, 2 snowflake potholders. (This one looks wrinkled, but it isn't.. The outside is completely taught and smooth; we put a 2nd festive holiday bag on the inside of the shrink bag to give it some color and dimension.. just playin around! It turned out cute.)http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m35/elijahtheodore/shrinkwrappedbaker.jpg
And this.. this is cool. We shrinkwrapped this like they do items you'd find in a store. Turned out really good!I added a Season's Best Fall/Winter 06 to each basket, along with a fall/winter mini catalog and a business card.This whole thing was basically trial and error to see what we'd get. This is what we came up with..End results:
* To shrinkwrap things like the mini baker so they look like professionally wrapped items you need to put a large sticker on the back to keep the gathered plastic in place as you shrinkwrap the package. I'm going to buy large labels & print my info and the gift set contents on them and stick them to the bottom to secure the ends of the shrinkwrap bag.
* I'm bringing the sets to my party on Sat (12/2) and offering the concept to all the guests. I will charge only the cost of the materials to make the package, not extra to pocket anything. (is that what you all would do?)
* Using shredded holiday filler paper in the baskets/trays is cheaper than using a towel, and mimics that of professional baskets/sets you find in the store.
* Shrinkwrapping things is TOTALLY ADDICTING! LOL

 

[pamperedbecky]

VERY CUTE!! Great job!

 

[KimmyDarling]

That is really neat. I'll look forward to hearing how the folks at your Saturday show like them!Thanks for sharing!
Kim

 

[SusanBP0129]

Awesome!! I have been thinking of doing this. Thanks for the great ideas & tips!!

 

[apriljc]

Looks great. What a cute idea. Maybe I should try something like this.

 

[PamperChefCarol]

I have been making gift baskets for the past few years. Everyone always loves them,and yes, the shrink wrapping is sooooo cool!

 

[Paige Dixon]

I made up a couple of "baskets" for gifts lately. It's hard to take something brand new out of the box, but it makes it so much nicer in a "basket"!! If I had room I would definately bring these to shows to give gift ideas. I think it would be great to package some up for a Christmas bazaar or craft fair.

 

[chefkristin]

How do you shrinkwrap things?

 

[Ginger428]

How do you shrinkwrap things?

1st...they are beautiful
2nd...took the words right outa my mouth!

 

[pchefinski]

Put the item into the shrinkwrap bag, gather the top and hold while you use your hair dryer on high setting and blow it on the bag.. the bag will start to shrink and get really tight and smooth. Tie a bow around the gathered bag top and do touchup shrinkage if need be. It's really fun and SUPER SUPER easy. I found medium bags with bows for $1, and they were big enough to put a wire basket, probably 12 x 18?.. anyway, they were bigger than I thought. You can also find shrinkwrapping stuff at Michaels or probably any other crafting store. I believe you can buy rolls of the shrinkwrap plastic as well, but I'm not 100% positive (see how often I go into Michael's? LOL).

 

[lacychef]

Those look very cute! Thanks for the idea; perfect for my open house!

 

[ChefAggi]

Those gift baskets look AWESOME!!!
They certainly have given me some ideas!!! I might have to try it out at one of my shows this winter. Maybe do something like a Sweetheart Basket for February. The Snowflake basket seems like a great idea too!!! You got my little hamster in my head doing backflips on her wheel!!! ooh the ideas are just spinning right now in my head!!!
Thanks soooo much for sharing!!

Cheers

 

[DebbieSAChef]

Great baskets!!Those are great gift basket ideas!!

They are so pretty, who could resist?? I think they will be a big hit. Let us know. Thanks for sharing your ideas and pics!!

Debbie

 

[chefkristin]

Do you buy extra stuff for the gift baskets like cash and carry? Or is this your own product in the basket and just for showing what they can do?

 

[PampMomof3]

THose look great Amanda! IT looks like you're getting your spark back with TPC!!!

 

[pchefinski]

Do you buy extra stuff for the gift baskets like cash and carry? Or is this your own product in the basket and just for showing what they can do?

The two baskets are actual gift sets sold at a recent show. That show's host is coming with me to my next show on the 2nd, as it was booked from hers, and we're taking them to show what can be done before she gives the one to her sister (one of them was hers, the other was her sister's; both are to be given as Christmas gifts). So they'll be an example of what a little extra $ will get them for the holidays. Hopefully it'll take off and we'll get tons of orders for gift sets. Right now I don't have the extra money to pre-order and keep extra stuff on hand for the gift sets, but if it gets big enough (I wish!), then maybe I'll end up doing it to have pre-made cash & carry ones. I'm bummed that I didn't think of this way sooner or that I haven't done a fair this holiday season. I'm going to take what I can get and definately remember it for next year. I think I may offer the extra packaging (at cost of materials) throughout the year though -- for Father/Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, summer baskets, etc.. Maybe offering a "gift set of the month", but I'm not positive yet. Still in the brainstorming stage. If anyone has any other ideas, please post them!