CHRISTMAS BASKET-MAKE & TAKE

Everyone loves receiving a gift basket for Christmas from someone who has put much thought, love and effort into making it especially for them.  With that in mind, wouldn't it be fun to get together with your group of church ladies and have a Christmas Basket-Make & Take.  The holidays are a great time of year to get together and fellowship and with a Make & Take, your time is well spent.

Choose a date, place and time to get the ladies together for a Christmas Basket-Make & Take.

 

Have each lady bring something as their basket (this can be anything, a wooden basket, a kitchen calender, large soup bowl, decorative Christmas sleigh, etc.)  Even the pouch of a Christmas oven mitt turned upside down makes a great "basket".  The term "basket" simply means the container they will be putting all their goodies into.

Also each lady will need to bring items to put into their baskets.  Things like Christmas candies and cookies are always great.  Also Christmas mugs and hot cocoa are great items to add to a basket.  Anything Christmasy works.  Pot holders, kitchen towels, decorative items, ornaments.  Have the ladies bring a variety of items. 

If you wish, you can designate a specific item for them to bring on their invitations, i.e.,  have one lady bring Christmas cookies, and another bring a large bag of Christmas candy, have another bring a few boxes of cocoa and another bring candy canes, or ornaments, etc.

You will need things like basket filler, cellophane bags in different sizes and assorted ribbon on hand to finish the baskets. 

Small Gift basket ideas might include:

--A Christmas mug filled with cocoa and cookies, wrapped in a small cellophane bag and tied with ribbon.  You can attach a spoon with the ribbon for added charm.

--A Christmas soup bowl filled with a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup and individual packs of crackers and a few after dinner mints, wrapped in a small cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon.  A spoon could also be added to this one.

--A Christmas themed oven mitt,  turn the mit upside down and add a package of Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix, pouch of decorator's icing and attach a wooden spoon to the mitt's loop.  No wrapping needed.

A mixing bowl also works well as a basket.  Add a cake mix, mixing spoons and tub of icing or other various baking ingredients (dry goods only).  Wrap in a large cellophane bag and top with a ribbon.  You can tie a wooden spoon or a wire wisk on with the ribbon for a little extra cuteness.

Your baskets can be any size and have any kind of treat you want to add and embellished anyway you like. 

If you wish, have each lady bring a small treat for everyone to snack on at your meeting.  Basket making will make you HUNGRY. 

Suggestion:  Once everyone has their baskets made, they can either take their basket home and give as a gift to whomever they like, or for a gift exchange game, have the ladies stand in a circle holding the basket she made.  Read a Christmas poem (story) aloud to them, when you say the words left or right, have them pass their baskets either left or right.  When the story is finished, each lady receives the basket she is holding.

Suggestion:  If you wish (provided all ladies are in agreement) you could donate all the gift baskets to a local charity for disbursement to under privileged families in your area, or if your church hands out gifts to each family at Christmas, donate the baskets to your church.

Suggestion:  Have each lady invite a friend to your meeting, any of your meetings, because the more you include lost friends and loved ones into your group for fun times, the more they will get to know all of you and the more they will want to attend church. 

Have fun, and above all have a

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!