A Halloween gift basket is a unique offering for a housewarming gift, a corporate gift, or any other occasion. Here are some suggestions for creating one of these special fall seasonal gifts.
Halloween Gift Basket Containers
First, start with a creative way to stage the contents of the gift basket. While an ordinary basket will do the trick, these can be dressed up easily with some orange and black spray paint, along with Halloween decals, glitter, and other simple touches.The basket can be lined with orange and black tissue paper. Another simple and festive container is a large plastic pumpkin, like the ones that kids use for trick or treating.
For a somewhat more time intensive container, create a personalized cauldron by personalizing a black bucket. Other more time intensive projects: a coffin, a severed hand, or a skull.
Halloween Sweet Treats
Obviously, a Halloween gift basket wouldn't be complete without lots of candy and other goodies. For starters, there's always snack size mini candy bars, which everyone loves. Cookies and other baked goods shaped like pumpkins, witches, monsters, and other familiar Halloween critters also are a welcome addition. Sprinkle the gift basket with loose Halloween candy treats like candy corn, pumpkin cremes, orange and black M'nM's, and orange and black jelly beans. To add to the creepiness factor, through in some gummy worms, bugs, snakes, and other slimy looking creatures.
For a personalized touch, use Halloween cookie cutters to create shapes out of dark chocolate, fudge, or brownies. Top with a light coating of orange glaze, or a thin coating of chocolate frosting and some orange sprinkles. Another chocolate treat with that orange and black combination: chocolate dipped apricots.
Caramel apples and candy apples are a great Halloween treat, but these can get kind of messy in a gift basket. This might be a good item to buy store-bought and carefully packaged, or be sure to wrap homemade ones carefully.
Scary Halloween Props and Toys
In addition to sweet treats, a Halloween gift basket should have at least a sprinkling of scary and creepy accessories. Add at least a few of these to the basket for a festive Halloween effect. Here are some ideas:
- Plastic bugs, spiders,and snakes
- Vials of fake blood
- Severed body part props (eyeballs, ears, hands, toes, and so forth)
- Miniature skulls
- Glow in the dark decals
- Spider rings
Cute Halloween Props and Toys
For a less ghoulish effect, include fun and functional Halloween related paraphernalia. Try adding Halloween-themed versions of these fun and functional items:
- Black nail polish or lipstick
- Fake tattoos
- Socks
- Earrings and necklaces
- Neckties
- Pencils, pens, and other school supplies
- Orange and black balloons
- Orange and black flowers
- Cookie cutters
- Miniature pumpkins
- Pumpkin carving sets
With a little creativity, a Halloween gift basket is easy to make. Add sweet treats, scary props, and cute accessories into a Halloween themed container for a fun and unique present.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
