Gift baskets make great gifts for their universal appeal, fairly cheap and easy construction, amount of care and thought and amount of personalisation and uniqueness. If you’re looking for the perfect romantic gift for a lady friend then, gift baskets are one of the best choices and there are all sorts of clever touches you can add to make them romantic, sexy and sweet and make them the perfect gift baskets for her.

Below are listed several ideas for the kinds of items you can include in your gift basket. Choose from the list and design your own ideal gift basket, but as you do make sure that you the items you select compliment each other and give the basket an overall theme or cohesive appearance. Once chosen, arrange the items so that some are visible and some are hidden within the basket. Use ribbons and bows to decorate it and choose a basket that fits the mood of the items inside.

Wine or Champagne – Wine or champagne are pretty much essential in any gift basket giving them something they can relax with to loosen the mood and to add a touch of class to the evening’s proceedings. If you can afford champagne then this will go down even better as a sign that you’re willing to go the extra mile for her and because every woman loves a bit of bubbly (plus you have the fun of popping the cork). If you can’t afford champagne however you can still make the basket into a bit of a celebration by getting some other form of sparkling wine, martini asti, or even bucks fizz. With a ribbon around it too a bottle of wine or champagne also adds to the aesthetic of the basket and should be visible poking out the top of the basket.

Wine Glasses – Wine glasses look the part and are also something she can appreciate right away if she uses one to drink the bottle you’ve provided.

Chocolates – Alongside the bottle of wine or bubbly, chocolates are the other completely essential ingredient for your basket. Like bubbly beverages, every woman likes chocolate, and it will further add to the romantic atmosphere (this is actually a scientific process in fact as chocolate produces the same chemical hormones as does being in love). The good news is that she’ll probably share them with you too.

Flowers – Flowers will instantly increase the visual appeal of your basket and will give her something she can put proudly on display to demonstrate just how thoughtful and romantic her guy is. As there are so many other things in the basket, it needn’t be a large bunch of flowers, but just a few roses poking out the top of the basket can make it far more appealing. If you have red wine then pic red roses, or white for white, or alternatively pick something different all together if you know her favourite (and if you don’t… why not??).

Rose Petals – If you present your lady with a large basket with a few items in it it can seem somewhat empty. Padding it out with something attractive then can give it the impression of being far fuller and also enable you to prop your other items up. The rose petals are also nice in themselves, adding a deep red mise-en-scene and making the basket smell pretty as well as look good.

Potpourri – An alternative to the rose petals, potpourri will also serve the purpose of filling out the ensemble and propping up the items inside. It also smells good and can be a useful present for later.

Romantic CD – A CD of romantic music is another gift that can be appreciated right away and can suit the mood created by the wine and chocolates to create a truly romantic and relaxed atmosphere. Again if you want to put in the extra effort you can make her a mix CD of romantic songs you know she’ll appreciate.

Perfume – Perfume is a great gift (and another one that smells nice) and the range of elaborate containers they often come in also means it looks the part too. Alternatively just the perfume container can itself make a great gift and if you want to get really creative you can design your own perfume to get inside. Women appreciate effort you see…

Fruit – Fruit is also a common mainstay in fruit baskets, though if your aiming for a romantic, sensual gift basket then some fruits will go better than others. Grapes are one such good choice as they not only look good, but also nicely compliment the wine. Again pick red or white grapes depending on the flavour of the wine and arrange them so that they’re visible.

The fruit that is associate with romance and sensuality however is the humble strawberry. Again these match the colour scheme you’re creating being a deep red, but are also fun to eat. If you want to put in a little extra effort and make them even more appealing you can try dipping them in melted chocolate, or supplying whipped cream. The strawberries will need to go in some kind of bowl however or risk being squashed, but if you want to be really clever you can make this out of chocolate too. Simply take a bowl and line the inside with smooth foil then ‘paste’ the melted chocolate around the inside. Leave it to dry then remove the foil and you should have a creative container that can be eaten itself. Then you can start feeding the strawberries to each other.

Candles – For creating an atmosphere again and because they look the part, candles make a great addition to any romantic gift basket. Don’t just go for plain white candles though, think a bit outside the box and see if you can’t find something a bit more interesting, or maybe some attractive candle holders. To further add to the relaxed mood try going for scented candles (at this rate your gift basket will smell fantastic…).

Massage Oils – Massage oils make a great inclusion in any romantic gift basket as it suggests that the night is going to be even more relaxing for her once she gets to enjoy this part of the present. Remember, if it’s really a gift basket then not everything in there should be something you can enjoy together and giving her a sensual massage with oils can be a great way to show you care, give her your undivided attention and leave her feeling completely relaxed and at ease.

Moisturiser – With a face cream or mask she can either use it herself for another chance to relax and look great or you can give her a facial to put her in a really chilled out place.

Lingerie – Now here’s a present you can both enjoy. Picking lingerie is an incredibly personal endeavour and shows that you know her well enough to pick some that will both fit and look appropriate. Again a frilly red, pink, white or black number will also go well with the colour scheme of your basket and from an entirely selfish point of view it’s a great way to ensure that you both enjoy yourselves later on that night…

Lipstick – A tube of red lipstick can add to the overall elegant feel of the night and also be a great present that again requires knowledge of the kinds of things your partner will enjoy. Again it fits the tone and colours of the rest of the basket and mixed with the lingerie should you choose to get both it will help her to feel sensual and sexy.

Bubble Bath – One of the best way most women like to unwind is with a hot bath. Bubble bath can help make this experience all the more relaxing, especially if it’s scented with lavender or includes a muscle soak to relax the muscles. In fact any bath related goods will go down well if it means.

Spa Day – Including a gift voucher for her to enjoy a spa day with professional massage, sauna and steam room. You can either go along with her or give her a voucher to take a friend but either way it represents the ultimate in indulgence.

Shoes – You don’t need me to tell you that most women love shoes, and if you include some sexy red high heels or black they can again really help her to feel sexy and beautiful as well as increasing the overall look and feel of your basket. Furthermore this can leave them with something practical they can actually use from the basket and add an element of excitement and good old materialism to the proceedings.

Jewellery – Jewellery always goes down well and again gives them something exciting to open that they can use again and again.

Mack LeMouse

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