New Baby

• A new baby gift basket may not have an actual "basket" at all. Instead use a diaper bag, bassinet, or diaper pail as the container. Fill it with diapers, baby bottles or nursing pads (if you know the baby will be breastfed), bonnets, blankets, clothing and other items all babies need in the first few months.
  
  

Bon Voyage

• Friends and loved ones leaving on a long trip are great candidates for gift baskets you make just for them. Start with a duffel bag or travel case, and fill it with travel guides, language dictionaries, travel games, stationery, toiletries and other things they'll find useful away from home.
  
  

New Job

• The type of new job gift basket will depend entirely on the job the gift is meant to celebrate. A new executive gift basket may include a PDA and stylus and organizational software, while a newly hired mechanic's basket may include wrenches, pliers and grease rags.
  
  

Craft Baskets

• Anyone who loves crafts usually loves actual baskets, buckets, bins and related containers. So using an actual basket for a crafter will work well. If the favorite craft is crochet or knitting, fill the basket with many types of yarn and patterns. Scrapbook makers love different types of stickers and page designs, while sewers usually adore having plenty of fabric and threads in their craft arsenal.
  
  

Green Baskets

• Going green--or at least being more environmentally conscious--has gone mainstream, and this creates another gifting opportunity. Use a compost bin as the "basket," and fill it with earth-friendly cleaning products, natural fiber towels and wash cloths, or organic garden soil and seeds.
  
  

Final Tips

• Use your imagination. Do it yourself gift baskets can be as simple or elaborate as you'd like, and they don't have to be expensive. In fact, making your own gift baskets is usually cheaper than buying them ready-made. Think about the person you're making the basket for, and think about the occasion you want the basket to celebrate. You'll soon have plenty of gift-basket ideas that are perfect just for them.