Day 12 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways (with Karen Ehman)
Winners announced here! Congratulations!
*Give Away has Ended*
It’s Day 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!
If you’re just joining in, start at Day One here.
We are finally on our last day of giveaways. I have had a blast learning from our guests and seeing your comments. With so many on our gift-giving list and time running out, I thought I’d offer you my favorite Christmas gift idea for our final day: Book baskets!
Simply take a book and build a gift basket around it.
The first time I saw one was when my best friend from college, Kelly, gave a Laura Ingalls Wilder book basket to my daughter when she was about seven.
In it she placed an old copy of Little House in the Big Woods. Then, she included all of the items Laura got for
Christmas in 1867.
~ A peppermint stick
~ A pair of red mittens
~ A cookie shaped like a heart and sprinkled with white sugar
~ A shiny new penny
~ Her own tin cup
~ A rag doll named Charlotte
It was an instant hit!
In the years since, I have given away lots of book baskets to kids. Some books have included Balto, Hansel & Gretel, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Peter Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh.
Also the Curious George books are easy to do this with. In one, he visits a candy factory. In another, he takes a trip to the zoo. In one he makes pancakes. These are easy to come up with items to carry out the theme. (fancy chocolates, candy molds & supplies; animal crackers, gummy bears and a stuffed animal; pancake mix, turner, maple syrup and chocolate chips.)
This year I came up with a new favorite to give to a little girl. A book basket with the new children’s book from our day one guest, Candace Cameron Bure. It is called Candace Center Stage.
In this basket, I included some fun–and pink!–items to round out the theme of the book: A ballet slipper ornament, a stuffed pink bunny wearing a tutu, some Bath & BodyWorks pink chiffon lotion, a pink wash poof (or whatever they are called!), a sweet-smelling bath bomb, fuzzy socks, a Hello Kitty pink ring light to read by night (or use to take selfies on a cell phone) and some colored pencils and fun straws. What little aspiring ballerina wouldn’t love this cute and fun basket?
You can even try your hand at baskets for adults.
Know a gardening enthusiast? Purchase a book on gardening and then round out the basket with some gardening tools, packets of seeds, a pair of gardening gloves and some carrot-cake muffins or home-canned jam.
How about a baseball fan? Include a biography of their favorite player and some peanuts in the shell, Cracker Jacks, Big League Chew gum and some baseball foil-wrapped chocolates.
And, for a great gift for a special girlfriend, mom or sister, give a tea cup devotional. Simply choose a devotional book. (Try this one for a mom or this one for anyone!) On top of that, place a new or antique tea cup and saucer. In it, tuck some tea bags. Tie it shut with clear wrap or tulle and tie shut with a bow. You may also stick a pen in the bow or add a tag with a favorite Bible verse written on it. Perfect to bless someone while encouraging their walk with the Lord.
With a simple book, you can build a great gift!
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Day 12 Giveaway
And now, for my giveaway! One of you who leaves a comment here will win a copy of my new book (releasing in February) called Keep Showing Up:How to Stay Crazy in Love When Your Love Drives You Crazy and a $25 Amazon gift card. If you are married, you can read the book and purchase yourself something you’d like from Amazon. If you aren’t married, maybe use the gift card to buy some items to make a book basket for your married friend centered around Keep Showing Up to give to her for Valentines Day.
==> P.S. If you’d like to be the first to know when the launch team application for my new book, Keep Showing Up, opens up next week, click here to join the interest list.<==
To enter to win this giveaway, tell us in the comments what book do you think would make a great book basket and what items would you put in it?
- U.S. Addresses only please.
- You can comment on all 12 days (once per person) up until midnight Pacific time, tomorrow night (Sunday, December 16). Start with Day One here.
- Share the giveaway with your friends and followers. You can use the share buttons below or repost and share on Instagram (my fave) and tag me @karenehman.
- One daily winner will be chosen from each day’s comments.
- To enter to win the Grand Prize (below), comment on all 12 posts and share on social media.
- All winners (including Grand Prize) will be announced here on the blog on Tuesday, December 18, and contacted via email. Please allow 4-6 weeks to receive your prizes.
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I love books of all kinds. I could see a book basket with The Five Love Languages and include something representing each language. Tickets to a play (quality time) , homemade coupons for chores done (acts of service), chocolates (gifts), body lotion (physical touch) and notecards to write out words of affirmation.
This year I’m giving a quilter vintage quilting books and magazines. Also, I found beautiful quilt squares that need to be quilted. I think it will be a perfect gift!!
I never thought to do something like this. Great idea! I love the idea of a Laura Ingalls Wilder book basket.
Great ideas…..tremendous giveaway!!!!!!
What an awesome idea! I will have to take this back in my memory bank for future gifts.
I cannot LOVE THIS IDEA ENOUGH!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this!!!!
Especially love this one. Thanks again and God bless!
This is a great idea. I am a reading teacher and this would be great for my students. I am not sure yet what books or items I would put in the basket, but I know my students would love their basket. Thanks for the great idea.
Llama llama red pajama with red PJs stuffed llama, cool drinking glass for water, toy phone
I think the book Love You Forever would be a good book basket. I would include a picture frame.
So excited to read this post! I still have my Laura Ingalls Wilder book set from when I was a kid!! Love basket gifts, and I love books. Really great ideas, and great inspiration. I would love to win your book too!
Oh my goodness!! These are great gift ideas!!! Awesome!!
Decorating a theme basket is great for fundraisers for church and ministries because ladies love to shop. You can hardly wait to unwrap them. The idea of building the basket around a book title is awesome!
For kiddos – Clifford (a red plush dog, treats, craft); One Zillion Valentines (paper, scissors, stickers, a plush heart, chocolates); God Gave Us Christmas (a stuffed polar bear, a nativity ornament, scarf, hot chocolate). For adults – (I’ve done this) a daily devotional, tea cup, tea spoon w/chocolate; a cookbook and tools or a baking book and tools (cookie mix, baking sheet, etc); a DIY book and a basic tool set (hammer, screw driver, paint brush – from harbor freight, super inexpensive); or a book on brain teasers/games and book of brain teasers or a board game.
I love book baskets! My very favorite book ever is called “Garden Spells” and I would pair it with seed packet, gardening tools, herb teas and lavender cookies. I might even put in some apples and cinnamon items since the book features a garden with a huge apple tree at its heart. :-)
One year I started getting creative with money giving at Christmas. Couldn’t stand the thought if passing out envelopes and calling it a day. So I created by Christmas boxes where I took a slipper box, and folded tissue so it would lay flat. The money went between the folds, but on top I created a collage of things that made me think of the person. My grandfather was a carpenter so I found scrapbook stickers that were tools and scattered them throughout the top part of the paper. Some I had sayings and items. I used buttons, stickers, pictires, whatever came to mind. Favorite thing to watch as the person opened their personal box.
Little women, maybe a notebook or stationery, pencils, pen, pincushion, china cup and saucer.
What a great idea!! There are so many books this would work with. Truck or car books for little boys… Give a mouse a cookie.. cookie mix., chocolate chips , etc.
I’ve always liked If you Give A Mouse A Cookie. I like to make baskets with wooden skewers. With this one, I would put the book in the center and make a cookie bouquet around it with all different types of Cheryl’s cookies At different heights. Also, I would probably put a stuffed mouse in the front and center.
My favorite book growing up was “the Magic Castle.” I passed it on to my girls to read when they were growing up too. It was an old favorite of theirs as well. To make a basket, I would add a pretty tiara, a delicate strand of pearls, some blue slipper socks, a stuffed dog, a small bushy plant and a few small candy treats. I love this idea and will use it for some of the kids parties I go to! I know it will be a hit! I’ve really enjoyed these last 12 days and all the wonderful ideas from everyone!
My favorite book growing up was “the Magic Castle.” I passed it on to my girls to read when they were growing up too. It was an old favorite of theirs as well. To make a basket, I would add a pretty tiara, a delicate strand of pearls, some blue slipper socks, a stuffed dog, a small bushy plant and a few small candy treats. I love this idea and will use it for some of the kids parties I go to! I know it will be a hit! I’ve really enjoyed these last 12 days and all the wonderful ideas from everyone! Merry Christmas!
What a great idea! My 5 year old granddaughter loves Fancy Nancy so I would probably build a basket around Fancy Nancy. She likes all things fancy so maybe a fancy tea set, and a simple recipe for tea cakes for a tea party. Maybe a fancy hat and some play jewelry. A lacy little handkerchief would be cute too. This would be a good start anyway! Merry CHRISTmas! This has been fun!
I love this idea!
Thank You Karen, I Love it!!! What you did with Candace’s book basket is perfect for my Grand-daughter’s they will absolutely Love it!! Merry Christmas!!!
A Harry Potter basket would have a wand, jelly beans, chocolate frog.