A DIY spa gift basket is a shallow basket filled with three homemade bath and shower gifts, such as bath salts, shower steamers and bath tea, plus two or three simple extras like a washcloth and a candle, packed in shredded paper and finished with twine and a tag.
A DIY spa gift basket works best when most of what is in it is homemade and the few bought things are simple and useful. People can tell the difference between a basket that was thought about and one that was filled from a shelf, and a basket of things you made yourself is the first kind by default.
Here is one way to put one together: three homemade items that suit a quiet evening, two or three plain extras, and packing that holds everything upright. Most of it can be made in one afternoon from the same cupboard of ingredients.
Ingredients
- A shallow basket, about 30cm long
- Shredded paper filler
- Epsom salt, coarse pink salt, lavender oil and dried lavender, for bath salts
- Four to six homemade shower steamers
- Dried chamomile, rolled oats and rose petals, for bath tea
- Small muslin drawstring bags
- A clip-top glass jar
- A cotton washcloth and a small candle
- Twine, cellophane and a blank tag
Tools
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Small scoop or spoon
- Scissors
How do you make a DIY spa gift basket?
1Pick the basket and plan the contents
Choose a basket that is wider than it is deep. A shallow basket shows off what is in it; a deep one hides everything below the rim and needs twice as much filler.
Plan five or six items at most. Three homemade things are the heart of it. Two or three bought extras, a washcloth, a candle, a wooden brush, round it out. More than that and it starts to look like a hamper rather than a gift.
2Make a jar of bath salts
Bath salts are the easiest thing in the basket and the one that looks most generous. Mix Epsom salt with a little coarse pink salt, add a few drops of lavender essential oil and a pinch of dried lavender buds, and fill a clip-top jar.
A single jar goes further than several small ones, and the salts look best seen through clear glass. The bath salts recipe has the ratios and a few scent combinations, and the Epsom salt bath page covers how much salt one bath needs.
3Press a few shower steamers
Shower steamers make the basket useful to someone who rarely takes baths. Four to six is plenty. Eucalyptus and mint is the scent almost everyone likes.
Make them a day or two before you assemble the basket so they are completely dry. The shower steamer recipe makes twelve, so you will have some left over for yourself.
4Fill a bath tea bag or two
A bath tea is a muslin bag of dried flowers and oats that steeps in the bath like a giant tea bag. It is the most unexpected thing in the basket and people love it. Chamomile, oats and a few rose petals are a gentle combination.
Tie the bags tightly and add a note saying to drop one into the bath as it runs, then squeeze it out and throw the contents away afterwards.
5Arrange the basket from the back
Fill the basket about two thirds with shredded paper, then place the tallest thing at the back: usually the jar of bath salts. Work forward by height. Fold the washcloth into a neat square and stand it up rather than laying it flat.
Wrap the shower steamers in a small bundle of cellophane so they stay dry, and tuck them at the front where they can be seen. Push extra filler into any gaps so nothing moves when the basket is carried.
6Finish with twine and a tag
Tie twine around the handle or around the whole basket if it has none, and hang a blank tag for your message. Clear cellophane over the top keeps everything clean if it is travelling, but a basket given by hand looks better open.
Add one small card explaining how to use each homemade item. A bath tea and a shower steamer are unfamiliar to plenty of people, and a line of instructions is what makes sure they get used.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Everything slides to one side when carried | Too little filler, so items can move | Fill the basket two thirds with paper before arranging, and push more into every gap afterwards. |
| The basket looks sparse | The basket is too deep, so items sit below the rim | Use a shallower basket, or raise the base with more filler so everything sits near the top. |
| The shower steamers went soft in the basket | They were packed unwrapped or before they were fully dry | Dry them fully and wrap them in cellophane before they go in. |
| The scents clash | Several strongly scented items with different fragrances | Pick one scent family for the basket, such as lavender, and keep the other items mild or unscented. |
What should go in a DIY spa gift basket?
Aim for things that are used, not kept. Good homemade options are bath salts, shower steamers, bath teas, bath bombs and a milk bath mix. Good bought additions are a cotton washcloth, a plain candle, a wooden bath brush, or slippers.
Leave out anything that spoils quickly, anything with fresh ingredients, and anything heavily scented enough to clash with the rest. Three strong scents in one basket compete with each other.
How do you theme a spa gift basket?
Pick one scent and one occasion, and let both decide the rest. A lavender basket for someone who sleeps badly: lavender bath salts, a chamomile bath tea, a plain candle. A eucalyptus basket for someone who is always cold in winter: eucalyptus shower steamers, a peppermint bath tea, thick socks. A Mother’s Day basket built around rose: rose bath salts, a rose and oat bath tea, a soft washcloth. One theme makes a basket look deliberate even when it is small.
For smaller gifts, the bath bomb gift set and the shower steamer gift set are each a single idea in a box. The rest of the season is in gifts and seasonal.
Frequently asked questions
What do you put in a DIY spa gift basket?
Three homemade bath or shower items, such as bath salts, shower steamers and bath tea, plus two or three simple bought extras like a cotton washcloth, a candle or a bath brush. Five or six items is enough.
How far ahead can you make a spa gift basket?
A week or two. Bath salts and dried bath teas keep for months, but shower steamers and bath bombs are best fresh, so make those last and wrap them in cellophane to keep them dry.
How do you keep things upright in a gift basket?
Fill the basket about two thirds with shredded paper before placing anything, put the tallest item at the back, and push more filler into every gap until nothing moves.
Is a homemade spa basket a good Mother’s Day gift?
Yes. It is personal, useful and easy to tailor to one scent she likes. Lavender or rose makes a calm, gentle basket, and a handwritten card explaining each item makes it feel even more personal.
