This holiday season I was in need of a few gifts that needed to be equally entertaining as they were cheap. At first my creativity was rather lacking. I kept trying to rack my brain for something….anything… that would be unique yet inexpensive. After a while I got frustrated with my lack of creativity and began organizing a small craft supply pile that had accumulated in the corner throughout the past couple of months.
This is the riveting story of me organizing a pile of crap…
THE INSPIRATION
I was sorting through the random collection of crafts, when I came across an unused picture frame and some extra candles that were purchased for a previous project in October. Call me crazy, or call it divine intervention, but at this moment I had a vision of the future: A gift basket with a selection of goods showcasing Keanu Reeves looking like Jesus.
While envisioning what the specifics of this gift would entail, I recalled some narrow storage-like baskets I had noted on my last Dollar Tree trip. I also remembered right next to those baskets was a pile of abandoned items that could best be described as someone’s last ditch effort to cure a hangover: ibuprofen, pedialyte, energy drinks and the like.
My little scatterbrained mind bounced from deciding what would be in a tentatively named Hangover Survival Kit, to deciding where to store the pile of supplies I was currently organizing. I optioned to put some of the items in a catch-all bin. When I opened the bin, I was met with little treasures long forgot. Random gifts that my family had sent me the year prior, that I just didn’t know what to do with. Looks like a little offloading it is this holiday season…
And just like that: from no clue what to do, to three completely separate gift basket ideas, in the span of just a few moments. This holy experience should make me prone to cleaning more often. But the reality is I’ll give my ADHD the win and still be a hot mess.
MATERIALS
HOLY KEANU:
With my frame and candles already purchased, it was just a matter of creating and attaching the images. I decided to try my hand at creating my own Jesus-esque Keanu pictures using Canva’s new Magic Media feature.
In the prompt box I simply typed, “Jesus but with Keanu Reeves Face”. In just a few seconds I had four different images to choose from. I also had the option to generate a new set of four images if none from the first batch were to my liking. After a couple of attempts, I had a multitude of options to work with.
After some minimal editing, I printed a large print using photo paper also purchased from Dollar Tree. I then printed two smaller images onto printable vinyl to use as labels for the candles.
Next, using the dimensions Cricut provides for their 12oz mugs, I created a quick mockup of my Keanu mug. When I was happy with the layout, I mirrored the image and sent it to my sublimation printer. Once printed, I cut out and attached the image to my mug, and added a protective layer of butcher paper (for any possible ink bleeding) using heat resistant tape. I inserted the mug into the Cricut Mug Press at let the cooking begin.
HANGOVER KIT:
This project was mostly just a trip to Dollar Tree. I assembled a list of items that would be beneficial during a hangover.
This list included:
- ● Electrolyte beverages like Pedialyte
- ● Ibuprofen
- ● Face Mask (I chose a chilling mask, but a traditional sleep mask works great, too)
- ● 5-hour energy (generic)
- ● Junk food such as chips and candy
- ● Word games, activity book or a classic magazine
I originally thought the basket may be better suited with a label or sign in/on it announcing it was a hangover kit. But I landed on designing and adhering a new cover to a magazine inside the basket would be a more creative option. So using similar techniques as described in my post on Custom Magazine Covers / Birthday Card Alternative , I created a fun faux cover printed on printable vinyl.
FROM THE RANDOM SHIT MY FAMILY SENDS ME COLLECTION BASKET:
This one was as simple and cost effective as the title describes. I collected a few random things that my family had sent me from last year’s holiday season and my birthday.
You see, my mother has a tendency of sending me rather random things. It’s sweet, really, as it shows that she is thinking of me. But there is definitely a disconnect from what she considers something to be neat or useful, and what I do. This quirky little attribute seems to be genetic, as the majority of the family on my mother’s side also follow suit.
I collected all of the items and went to work…
ASSEMBLY
I lined each basket using crumpled butcher paper. This works as both a filler, as well as to give structure and help tier / keep each item in place.
Based on the basket concept, I did my best to organize each gift in a way that showcased each individual item, but also gave a sense of balance and aesthetic to the basket. There was also the issue of balance in the literal sense. This took a bit of finagling.
I knew I wanted a cellophane-like covering for the baskets. But I found that (at least my) Dollar Tree did not carry any. I also live in the city, so there isn’t really a JoAnn or Michael’s right down the road – it’s a bit of a trek. So before I left Dollar Tree, I took one final lap, and came across these turkey oven bags. I figured it was worth the small price of admission to give them a go.
To my pleasant surprise, they were perfect not only in material and look, but also the right size for the baskets I had chosen; a truly happy accident. I closed each bag with festive ribbon.
Once I took a step back, I did realize that each basket would be well-suited with proper labels after all. Using Cricut Design Space, I designed a Print Then Cut tag for each basket, and had my Cricut machine cut them out. I then attached the tags to each gift, and the baskets were complete.
PRICE BREAKDOWN
For those of you who like to check the math, here’s my list of what everything costs. Obviously it’s a bit skewed based on what supplies you may or may not already have. I did have quite a few of the necessary supplemental items, as most often I always have photo paper, printable vinyl or sticker paper, and plenty of butcher paper on hand. And, ya’ know, I have a Cricut and mug press and sublimation printer…So I’ll go ahead and just assume you too only need to buy the main components:
HOLY KEANU SET
- Candles x 2 (2 x $1.25)
- Sublimation mug (Less than $5.00 / 2-pack at Target)
- Picture Frame ($1.25)
- Hot Cocoa Bomb ($1.25)
- Basket ($1.25)
- Turkey Oven Bags as basket wrap ( 2-pk $1.25)TOTAL: +/- $10.00
HANGOVER KIT
- Electrolyte beverages like Pedialyte (2 x $1.25)
- Ibuprofen ($1.25)
- Face Mask ($1.25)
- 5-hour energy (generic) ($1.25)
- Junk food such as chips and candy (2 x $1.25)
- Word games, activity book or a classic magazine ($1.25)
- Clear Eyes ($3.50)
- Basket ($1.25)
- Turkey Oven Bags as basket wrap ( 2-pk $1.25)TOTAL: +/- $15.00
RANDOM RE-GIFT BASKET
- Basket
- Turkey Oven Bags as basket wrap ( 2-pk $1.25)TOTAL: +/- $3.00
- Everything else was free…
And there you have it! Three unique gift baskets that are cheap, fun to make, and you definitely won’t have to worry about someone else bringing the same thing. Once more, the idea lends itself to a myriad of other gift ideas. If you know the recipient incredibly well, you could create a basket full of everything they dislike and call it the “I Hate You” or “Go To Hell” basket. You can take a note or two from my previous posts about fake product labels, unique sleep masks, and custom jockstraps, to make a Big-Ole Slut Kit. Or come up with your own and share in the comments below. Now get to basketing!
…uhh…Okay, bye…
The regift basket is funny! I will be stealing that one!