Perhaps you may feel overwhelmed with all the planning, shopping and wrapping of gifts that needs to be done at Christmas. One thing you can do to make the holidays less stressful is to involve your family. From the oldest to the youngest there is something everyone can do. This is especially true if you are giving homemade Christmas gift baskets. There are just a few guidelines that will help make the whole thing go smoother and make your holiday a lot less stressful and whole lot more fun.
•Planning is the key to success! This is not the type of project that can be successfully done on the spur of the moment. You will want to make a list of all your gift basket recipients, what type of basket you will be making and what will go in each basket. Also do not forget to list what type of container you will need for each gift basket. This will serve as your plan of action. From there you can determine what items need to be bought and what can be made.
•Use the team shopping approach. Older teenagers and other adults in your house can help with the shopping for the gift baskets. This can be accomplished one of two ways. If you need to shop at several different stores make a list for each store, give each person a list (and the necessary money) and tell them it is their responsibility to bring back the items on their list. If you prefer to shop as a family feel free to go together just make sure that everyone knows what you are shopping for and not to get distracted by other things. This is especially helpful if young children will be shopping with you.
•Divide and Conquer. Once everyone is back from shopping it is time to assemble the gift baskets. Make sure that you have set aside sufficient time to be able to creatively assemble your gift baskets. If you are making several different baskets it might be helpful to sort out items in groups according to what is going into each basket. This way the wrong things won’t get put into the wrong baskets.
•Making it really homemade. If you will be including homemade items in your gift baskets now is the time to get them ready. Everyone can pitch in to help make the cookies or bread you will be including in your gift baskets. These types of experiences often provide lifetime memories for family members. Don’t forget to take some pictures of all the fun!
•Assembling the baskets. Once everything has been bought or made now is the time to gather everyone together to assemble the baskets. Do not be afraid to let family members show you their creativity in assembling the gift baskets. They may put them together in a way you never thought of. Have your artistic family member add the tissue paper, ribbons and cello wrap while the youngest family members can draw homemade pictures or make cards to be included with every gift basket.
•Delivering the baskets. Whether your baskets are going near or far the whole family can get involved in helping deliver them. It may be fun to hand deliver your baskets as a family so everyone gets to see the delight of the gift basket recipient. This also provides a payoff for lots of hard work. Anyone who drives can be responsible for taking any gift baskets that need to be mailed to the post office or shipping store. Keep in mind that there are several stores that will both pack and ship your gift basket for a small fee.
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