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Celebrate autumn with these easy fall gift basket ideas. Treat your friends and family by adding a custom touch with free printable gift tags.
Although fall isn’t typically seen as a season for gift-giving, it’s an ideal time to surprise the special people in your life with something thoughtful. As the autumn leaves begin to change, a basket filled with small, comforting gifts is a simple way to bring warmth, care, and coziness to someone’s day.
Remember Someone Special
A personalized gift basket is such a nice way to remember a friend or family member who has an autumn birthday. Perhaps you know someone who has lost a loved one, or someone who simply needs a hug. Presenting a custom fall gift basket says “I care” in the best possible way. Read on for easy, step-by-step directions for assembling a lovely fall gift basket.
Set a Budget
The first thing to do when you are putting together a fall gift basket is to decide on a budget. This will determine your selections, and it will help narrow down the choices.
Choose the Perfect Basket
- Choosing the basket is not only fun, it sets the tone if you want a themed gift basket. I wanted everything to be black and white, so I chose a handled basket with a black bottom. (It’s currently sold out, but I found the same set with white bottoms, which I actually like better!)
- One way to save money when assembling a fall gift basket is to repurpose a basket you already have. Look around your home and see what you can come up with! Another great idea is to skip the basket, and use a gift bag. Kraft bags are quite sturdy and strong, and neutral in color.
- My basket came as part of a set that has two different sizes. I used the smaller basket (9 inches in diameter) for this project, and I’m using the bigger basket (10.5 inches in diameter) to hold the wool dryer balls I keep in our laundry room. The bigger basket would also be perfect if you were taking food or baked goods to someone. It’s roomy enough for a jar of soup and a loaf of bread.
What do you put in a fall gift basket?
You’ve got your budget and a basket. Now it’s time to have fun! When assembling a gift basket, the goal is to personalize it as much as possible. For example, if the recipient is a tea drinker, make sure to include some tea bags.
A really good idea, and one people love, is to include edible savory treats. A jar filled with salted roasted pecans, sweet Chex mix, cashews, almonds, walnuts, or pistachios adds a caring and personal touch. Package them in mason jars, and you have a festive addition to your fall gift basket.
List of Ideas + Inspiration
- Snack in a Jar (mentioned above)
- Candle
- Kitchen towel
- Sugar scrub
- Potpourri
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles (packaged in a cellophane bag)
- Tea
- Coffee Mug
- Note cards
- Coffee syrup
- Maple syrup
- Pumpkin Spice coffee
- Hand lotion
- Scented soap
- Shea butter soap
- Scone mix
- Apple cider mulling spices
- Linen spray
- Fall cupcake sprinkles
- Specialty pasta
- Pumpkin bread
- Fruit: pears, apples, peaches
- Gourmet snacks
- Fall, Halloween, or Thanksgiving napkins
- tan and white twine
Check out places like HomeGoods, T.J. Maxx, Dollar Stores, grocery stores, and other retail establishments. Many times, budget-friendly fall gift ideas are right at your fingertips, and can be purchased locally.
Putting It All Together
- Once you have assembled all your fall gift basket supplies, it’s time to put it all together. Grab some tissue paper, crumple it a little, and add a few pieces in the bottom of your basket. This will help raise the items out of the basket, and give them a soft base.
- After that, begin to add your items, starting with the biggest items placed in the back of the basket. Continue adding the smaller items, in between the big items. Move things around, and nestle everything together, until it’s all snug.
- Some of the items in your basket may not show. That’s OK…they make special surprises when your recipient is exploring their basket! The coffee mug I included was quite heavy, and it sunk into the tissue paper. I left it there, and simply placed the kitchen towel in the mug.
Printable Gift Tag for Fall
The final, personal touch to your fall gift basket is to add a gift tag. Get a set of custom free printable gift tags by filling out the form below. As an added gift, I am including a printable list of fall gift basket items!
Get Fall Gift Tags!
Get a set of colorful fall
gift tags, PLUS a printable
list of fall gift basket ideas.
Each year our church makes Patriot Day baskets and delivers them to fire and police stations in our community on the Saturday following 9-11. Volunteers fill them with home baked goodies from congregation i.e. cookies, muffins, chex mix, home baked pumpkin bread, prewrapped store bought snacks. Our pastor includes a note. We use baskets lined with cloth American flag napkins, wrapped in clear cellophane large bags and tied with red, white and blue ribbons. They are very well received.
Such a great idea. Beautifully packaged. So many useful things included. I just had a friend who lost a grandson. I just may make her one. Thanks for the ideas.
This is a lovely idea and your varied suggestions for what to include are very helpful. I enjoy reading your blog. It is visually beautiful, easy to navigate and interesting topics. Thank you for sharing with your readers.
I love this idea! Three dear friends have birthdays coming up soon and I plan to give each of them gift baskets. Thank you for this unique idea for special people in our lives.
Your ideas couldn’t come at a better time. I need a pick me up. We’ve had a recent loss. I love to give but my family isn’t as gift oriented. This will be 3x helpful. Give me a focus. Give me new reason to gift. And provide unexpected happiness (hoped for) thank you!
Wonderful ideas for a fall gift basket. I wanted to put one together for my sister, and thanks to you, I now have plenty of ideas. Thank you for your continued inspiration and for the easy to download PDF files. I think I’ll include a framed fall print in the basket!
So very, very happy to be receiving your emails again! This email is especially good. What a nifty gift idea. It is creative, genuine, with excellent individualized gift-giving choices. Thank you for sharing this gift with me.
Love receiving your emails with all of your ideas and printable art.
Absolutely love your ideas. Thank you and God bless you💕
Thank you for these lovely ideas & suggestions for creating nice and not too expensive gift baskets. Your suggestions are thoughtful and varied so I can adapt them to any season or theme!
I love your gift basket ideas. I would like to give gift baskets for Christmas gifts this year, for the girls in our family. I look forward to any ideas you have for Christmas.
Thank you for sharing all your wonderful ideas.
Love your gift basket idea. Thanks for the easy to download PDF files. I have your fall printables printed and framed on my living room wall. I get lots of compliments. Thanks!