Gift Basket Ideas

The Right Quote, The Right Note
For Gift Basket Giving

How to express your true feelings with someone else's words

Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say... Or Not

There you are, feeling proud of yourself for being such a savvy shopper and gift-giver. You've analyzed your recipient's likes and dislikes, weighed the importance of the occasion, and considered the extent of your relationship. With all that information in hand, you've chosen the perfect gift basket that will send the right message- but then you get to Checkout and you're prompted to actually write the right message. You may not be able to express in words the sentiment you're trying to convey with your gift basket. Your Father's Day golf basket is meant to say, "Dad, even though you missed my wedding because the PGA Championship was on, I still love you enough to acknowledge your obsession." But you can't put that on a card, and "Happy Father's Day!" doesn't quite cut it.

When you're at a loss for words to personalize your gift basket, use a quote from a noted author, pithy politician, astute actor, or cunning comedian. Thumb through a book collection or do a quick search online for quotes and you're bound to find a poetic way to express your feelings- or at least to express what you want the recipient to think are your feelings.

Sweet or Snarky? It's Up To You
For example, get in a jab at your delinquent father with this quote from English philosopher Bertrand Russell:

• "The place of the father in the modern suburban family is a very small one, particularly if he plays golf."

Or go the sappy route with this classic, anonymous quote:

• "Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad."

Awww, how nice. Of course, used sarcastically that last one could also be interpreted as a jab- see how much fun it is to send a message with a gift basket?

Another Example
Say you need to find a gift basket for your nephew's high school graduation. What would you have liked? As a good student, you would have loved a nice box of chocolate-covered strawberries? decadent, sophisticated, yet still fun, just like you. The card should have said something motivational and poignant, like this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

• "Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

But your nephew barely graduated because he was too busy partying. What he'd really like is a beer gift basket, but his parents wouldn't approve. Instead, get him a snack/candy gift basket and add an ironic quote, like this gem from Winston Churchill:

• "Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."

With the right gift basket and the right quote, you can finally express how you really feel about the recipient without their even realizing it.