How to Wrap a Gift Basket

Last Updated: March 17, 2022 References

Wrapping a gift in a box is hard enough. But wrapping a basket? Eesh. Oval, circles, hexagons; it can all be quite the decorating nightmare. But with some pretty cellophane wrapping in hand and some tape, you'd be surprised what skills you didn't know you had.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting Set Up

1
Grab everything you need. Once you have your basket assembled, you're ready to start wrapping. Items can jut out a bit, but not too much. And don't worry about your basket's shape; any shape and size basket will work. Here's what you'll need:
- Arranged basket
- Printed cellophane, shrink wrap, or wrapping paper (triple the amount of the size of the basket)
- Clear tape
- Scissors
- Twist tie, pipe cleaner, anything to cinch wrap together
- Bow
- Packing tape (optional).
2
Roll the cellophane onto the table and place the basket in the middle. Spread it out on an even surface and place the basket in the middle on all sides. If the basket is absolutely huge, you may need another piece of cellophane, under the basket horizontally.^{[1]
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- Again, on all sides. That means it needs to be centered on the right and left and top and bottom.
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3
Center the basket so there's about one foot (30 cm)of cellophane in the front and back of the basket. You'll probably only have a few inches on the sides, and that's fine. But as for the front and back of the basket, center it on your sheet so there's 10-12" (30 cm, or a bit under) on either side. This will cover the front and back of your basket and leave plenty of room at the top for some pretty frills.
- When you've found these measurements, cut your cellophane (or shrink wrap, etc.) to size. Again, if your basket is of titanic proportions, cut another sheet of similar size to cover the sides.
- Make sure all four sides are even. Line up the edges to be sure, and readjust as necessary.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Wrapping Beautifully

1
Lift up the long sides of the cellophane and fold in the short sides. Take the front and back sections of the wrap and lift them up, pressing them against the basket, covering both ends and meeting the sides at the top. The sides of the wrap will then stick out.
- Then, take the wrap touching the table (or surface) in the center and bring it up to the side of the basket. You'll then have a right and left "flap" jutting out. Do this on either side of the basket.
- Alternatively, you can just pull down the sides. Pull it taut; there will be a slight overlap in the middle where the front and back meet, but that's it. You can then tape them down on the bottom of the basket from there.
2
Fold the front edges toward the back and the back edges toward the front. You know how you have two "flaps" on either side of your basket, from where the center sides were brought in? Crease those at their bottom edges (like you're wrapping a standard box-shaped gift) and bring them in, back flap first. Then fold the front flaps over the back flaps, creating a sort of V-shape on the sides with the creases.
- Take the pieces that you folded down last (likely the front flaps) and secure them with tape. Transparent, double-sided, or packing tape all work. You'll probably want pieces that are around 2" (5 cm) long.
3
Hold the cellophane at the top of the basket in your hand, and pull tautly. This is where you start making the frilly firework fanfare at the top. By now the cellophane is taped down on the sides and jutting into the air at the top. Right at the top of the basket, grab the cellophane and cinch it together, as tightly as can be.
- With the wrap in one hand, use your other to "fluff" the top. Spread out the edges so it juts out symmetrically on all sides until it looks like you'd like it to.^{[2]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Adding the Bow and Final Touches

1
Twist your twist tie around the neck of the basket. Place a twist tie where you're holding the neck of the frilly top. This could also be a pipe cleaner, or anything that'll hold it together. And remember, you can always take it off after the bow is placed on.
- Alternatively, you can use clear packing tape on the neck, but this isn't removable.
2
Tie the bow around the neck of the basket. No gift basket is complete without a bow, and yours should go right around this neck in the wrap.^{[3]
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Research source} Tie it around twice, forming a knot that won't slip. Make sure it's facing the front!
- If you'd like, you can now remove your twist tie, pipe cleaner, or whatever you used to cinch the wrap together. The bow has that job now and will keep everything in place.
3
Tape down any awkward corners. Oval baskets especially tend to lead to awkward angles. If you have little corners toward the bottom of your basket (anything circular may lead to this), just tape them down and under if at all possible. Tape should be on the bottom of your basket more than the sides.
- Then fluff and adjust as necessary. Your basket is sealed and ready. If it's shrink wrapped, it could even be ready for delivery via the post.
- Need to place a tag? Around the ribbon of the bow is your best bet. The neck of the wrap works well, too.

Community Q&A

Question

How long can I leave a fruit basket wrapped?

Community Answer

Depends what kind of fruit you have in there and how ripe they are to begin with. Relatively stable fruit like apples or pineapples should generally be okay for about a week, but softer fruit generally need to be used or refrigerated within a few days.