Let’s face it. Taste in gifts is extremely
personal, and it’s difficult to find something that every recipient
would like. To avoid sending gift baskets that curl up noses and
end up in the trash, consider the following options.
Give something with artistic flair. Oviedo, Fla.-based
Originality Inc. (
www.originalityinc.com) puts playful, fun gifts into
containers such as paint cans, sacks or plastic boxes. “We take a
theme or message and bring it a step beyond,” says Melinda
Tomasello, principal/designer for Originality. For example, in the
“Refreshingly Florida” package, kiwi chocolates and Florida-bottled
spring water come in a beach bucket.
Toronto-based SoulPaks (
www.soulpaks.com) offers gift boxes with five
items, each stimulating a different sense. For example, one box
might include a spiritual book, a relaxing CD, a box of chocolates,
a wooden puzzle and an aromatherapy candle. Clients can customize
by selecting from about 100 different items, says founder and CEO
Aaron Adamson.
For edible delights, Portland, Maine-based Aurora Provisions
(
www.auroraprovisions.com) uses locally made items such
as scones with wild Maine blueberry jam and lobster pot pies.
Organic coffee and Aurora’s own handmade chocolates are other yummy
options. For a gift to really wow, general manager Leslie Oster
suggests planners “get as much info as possible about the
recipients up front, so the basket is not generic.”