I find this to be the largest problem in the UK gift basket industry. There seems to be very little creativity when putting gift baskets together. Most UK gift basket suppliers lay all their products flat within the basket, unless of course the basket has a handle, then some may consider building their basket up using the handle as a stabilising point. Or they place everything within the basket to keep them stabilised. There is no height to the basket and most of the products are placed beneath the rim of the basket.
I am sad to say that most (not all) gift basket suppliers in the UK think that putting a gift basket together is easy. You grab a few items, put them in a basket, wrap in cellophane, and finish with a pull bow. This is why most gift basket look pretty much the same in the UK - You've seen one you've seen them all. It frustrates me no end. Where is the creative flair? Where is your stamp on your finished product?
I may offend a few people with this article, but with YouTube videos, Pinterest and other places for inspiration I find it totally unforgivable that the UK gift basket industry is suffering due to this lack of creativity. The gift basket industry in the UK is nowhere as large as it could be, remember that the gift basket industry in the US is a multi billion dollar industry.
If you really want to create a great gift basket and make your customers sit up and take notice, start using a variety of containers. Gift basket containers do not have to be baskets, just about anything with a cavity to fill can be used as the base of your gift basket. You do not have to use pull bows, take the time to create a beautiful bow for a change. Add a few embellishments. All of these little touches add your personal creative touch to the basket, and will help turn your gift basket from something pretty, but mediocre into something of beauty that will be admired.
Being in the UK gift basket industry, this is something I am passionate about and I am not afraid of the competition, in fact I welcome it. I need others to step up to the mark so that I can continually learn and evolve as a gift basket designer myself. I need the UK gift basket industry to start getting creative and push the boundaries. I need the excitement of competition. When gift baskets all look pretty much the same there is no competition between gift basket designers, nobody pushing the boundaries and in turn making you push your own boundaries. Competition is healthy for any business and everybody should welcome it.
I am currently reading a book on gift basket design and the author states that in one of her classes everyone was supplied with exactly the same products and told to make a gift basket from start to finish with what they had been given. According to the author each and every basket was different and unique in their own right. Creativity is something that comes from within. Everybody looks at products differently and has their own idea of what the finished product should look like. Nobody can read your mind or see what your minds eye can see, and that is why each finished gift basket was unique even though exactly the same products were used.
Gift basket designers in the UK need to start pushing the boat out. If in need of inspiration, use YouTube, check gift basket designs on Pinterest. Do not copy these ideas, use them rather to find your inspiration for creating an outstanding gift basket. Remember if you copy you not only infringe copyright laws, but you are back to the same problem of gift baskets all looking pretty much the same. Do not be afraid to experiment with different containers, if you find that your basket does not look great with the way you have laid it out, change the layout. There is no fixed way to design a basket, it all boils down to inspiration, creativity and experimenting, if you start with these you will be well on your way to being a great gift basket designer and not just a mediocre one.
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World of Hampers creates beautiful gift baskets for all occasions. Please check out our website http://www.worldofhampers.co.uk
