Weathering our first hurricane in Florida was an emotional roller coaster to say the least. And I learned a lot. I learned about hurricane shutters, how to grab cases of water (fast). I learned that evacuating with tens of thousands of other people takes a lot of patience.. and lots of snacks.
And I learned that the compassion and caring of others is the bright spot in any storm.
Some good friends of ours became even better friends, by opening their homes and hearts to us. They gave us a place to lay our head, food in our bellies and smiles on our faces.
So now safely back home, I wanted to send them something to express how much their charity meant to us.
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There are a lot of gift baskets that you can buy that are absolutely beautiful. They can also cost a small (or big) fortune. But you can easily and affordably make your own. And you can add a personal and unforgettable touch with these unique, framed friendship quotes.
What You Need For A DIY Gift Basket
1- Basket
Start with an awesome basket they can reuse. Try to get one that fits their decor or their style or that you know can be useful in some way. A few places to find great, affordable baskets are Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Michaels (when they’re on sale or you have a coupon, which is all the time), World Market and Tuesday Morning.
I found these gift basket sets that already included filler, plastic bag, raffia bow and tag at World Market for just $10.
  
This was a great find, but you can also easily get all these components separately, affordably. Amazon has a variety of large cellophane bags for gift baskets.
Tip: The smaller the basket, the less you will need to fill it. You may fall in love with a large basket, but then you’ll have to spend a fortune to fill it.
2- Filler
Some kind of filler helps to make the basket look more full and high quality. A few good-looking and inexpensive options are raffia, the crinkled ‘grass’ used in Easter baskets and tissue paper. Depending on the look of your basket, newspaper can even be a good option.
Amazon also has lots of options for gift basket fillers here.
Tip: You might need or want a little more height to your basket. For this you can include some packing materials hidden underneath the filler such as bubble wrap. This also works as a little added cushion.
3- Special Touch
It’s a nice touch to include something they can display in their home to cherish and remember. These unique, framed friendship quotes are the perfect touch. And they’ll think of your friendship and gesture each time they see it.
  
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See how to download these friendship quotes, at the bottom of this post.
4- Goodies
There are lots of goodies you can fill a gift basket with. For a spa theme, you can add bath salts, lotions and a candle. For a food theme, include cookies, crackers and coffee, tea or wine. You can also mix it up and add a little bit of everything.
Keep in mind what they like. If they love coffee or tea, you can add some different kinds and include something they haven’t tried before. And if they’re health conscious or watching their weight, you could add some healthy crackers and a flavor infusing water bottle.
Tip: A few great places to get boutique, high-end style spa supplies, cookies, crackers, teas and cute coffee mugs for just a few dollars each, are TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Home Goods, Trader Joe’s and Tuesday Morning.
5- Handwritten note
The most important part is that the reason for the basket is clear and that what’s in it speaks to your gratitude and friendship. So be sure to include a card with a handwritten note about how they touched your heart.
Download your friendship quotes here for free.
And check out more gift and party printables in the Frugal Florida Mom Print Store:
Other gift posts you might like with FREE printable tags:
  
 
These gift baskets are perfect. I was looking for some gift ideas for my friend’s birthday. This post saved my search.
Yay! I’m so glad this was helpful! I hope your gift turns out perfect.
Thanks for this, I want to make a gift basket for my mon because she’s been so helpful to me. This is so simple to follow!
Fantastic! So glad this was helpful. They really are so simple and affordable to make.
I love making theme baskets for gifts and my church bazaar. I thrift/yard sale all year long looking for brand new items with Santas, snowmen, angels, gingerbread men, holly/ pointsettias on them. Candy dishes, candles, soap/lotion dispensers, dish towels, mugs, even teapots, and tablecloths, etc. I hit the places you mentioned as well as Kohl’s, Michael’s, AC Moore, and Joanne’s. Hobby Lobby is an hour away. Michael’s has clearances on their matching journals/pens/stationery. I make infused oils and vinegars, Epsom bath salts, pot pourri, sugar scrubs, sachets, and soap (scored a soapmaking kit ($25 book,molds, and 9 $10 packages of soap for $5 this summer). I buy and save pretty jars for bath salts and food items. I call some of them “Be Good To Yourself” baskets if they have a spa theme including a bath poof, emery boards, lotions, candles, etc. I scrub used baskets in soapy water, air dry, and spray with clear lacquer or paint; they are new again! I buy “Easter grass” when I find it half off at Goodwill. I wiped out the 70% off Easter cellophane at K-mart one year! Use a store coupon to buy items 40-50% off. It’s a fun game to see where you can cut corners and have a professional looking gift! AND it’s all paid for before Christmas!
Wow! You are really on top of it! These are all great things to do. I will be stealing some of your methods. 🙂 Happy Holidays!