Although I am a self improvement blogger by profession, I am in no way a mental health professional. See my disclaimer for more info.
Do you want to give an important person in your life a gift? Here are 19 self care basket ideas they’ll love!
Does your favorite person have something going on in their life? A breakup, birthday, or surgery?
If so, you might want to give them a self care basket. This is a great idea because they can actually use what you give them instead of letting it sit around the house. Not to mention, it’s a really thoughtful gift — especially for someone going through something hard.
If you want to make someone’s day, check out these 19 self care basket ideas. Make one for your mom, sister, boyfriend, or even yourself!
This post is all about self care basket ideas.
When should you give a self care basket?
If you’re thinking, “Hmm, when are some good times to give someone a self care basket?,” here you go:
- Birthdays
- Valentine’s Day
- Christmas
- Graduation
- Wedding
- As a house-warming gift
- When someone:
- has a baby
- is recovering from a surgery
- is going through a breakup
- accomplishes something major in life
- Simply because you want to!
As you can see, there are so many instances where you can gift someone with a beautiful self care basket!
Now let’s talk about some tips for making the absolute BEST basket.
How to Make a DIY Self Care Basket:
You’re here to make a FANTASTIC basket for your loved one, right? I want to give you some tips so they’ll absolutely love it at first sight:
1. Look for cheap items:
You shouldn’t have to break the bank to show that you care for someone.
As cliche as it sounds, your care for that person will really show through the fact that you decided to give the gift in the first place. Along with the items in the basket, of course!
2. Make sure they’ll actually use the items:
I know, I know; this sounds so obvious, but I want to make sure you keep this in mind when you’re shopping for items to put in their basket. You might see something that you like, but in reality, they might not like it at all.
Also, they might already have something similar to the item you’re planning on buying, so they might not put it to use.
So you need to think to yourself:
- “Will they like this?”
- “Will they actually use this?”
- “How often will they use this?”
- “What will they use this for?”
- “Do they already have something similar to this?”
3. Make it look nice:
If you really want to impress someone with their gift — whether it’s your mom, sibling, or significant other, you should make it presentable.
That means you should pick a nice basket, strategically place everything in it, and consider choosing a color theme.
For example, if your person’s favorite color is blue, look for:
- Mainly blue products
- Some blue or white tissue paper (you can get this from Dollar Tree)
- A good-quality wooden basket that they can reuse/repurpose
- A blue bow
- Some plastic wrap (if you want)
Then, when it’s time to put it all together, follow these steps:
- Start by laying some tissue paper down in the basket — make it look presentable by folding it upward and crinkling it
- Place the items in the basket, one by one, and play around with the positioning — it won’t look perfect at first (or maybe at all), but you’ll eventually be satisfied with how it turns out!
- Tie the bow on top of the basket handle
- If you bought plastic wrap, wrap that around the basket to finish everything off!
There you go! You made a DIY self care basket. Remember, don’t be frustrated if it doesn’t look how it does in your Pinterest boards.
It’s supposed to look unique! Plus, it’s so much better and thoughtful if you make it yourself than if you bought one in the store.
I think we should get into these basket ideas, shall we? Let’s do it!
19 Self Care Basket Ideas:
1. 5-minute journal
Even though I haven’t personally used this, I’ve seen a lot of people use and love it. It’s a daily journal that has prompts for gratitude, affirmations, goals, and more.
This is perfect for anyone who is ready to start their self improvement journey.
RELATED POST:9 Best Self Care Activities for Mental Health
FREE DAILY JOURNAL
This journal is my favorite because it includes a section to mark how you’re feeling before you start writing, plus just enough lines to let all your feelings out.
Journaling is absolutely one of my favorite ways to practice emotional/mental self care.
My free daily journal can help you do just that.
Click here to get the FREE journal now!
2. Yankee candle
I don’t know about you, but I love a good candle. Lighting a candle is a great way to relax after a long day.
Candles are great because there are SO MANY scents to choose from. There’s a fragrance for just about everyone! That’s why this is a good gift for anyone. But not just any candle; I’m talking about Yankee Candles.
I’ve had quite a lot of different candles from Marshall’s, HomeGoods, and T.J.Maxx, but my mom and I ultimately keep going back to the Yankee Candle store for our favorites.
They last so long and just smell amazing. So far, my favorite fragrance is the vanilla cupcake one.
Childish? Maybe. But it smells so good, and and it reminds me of, just, happiness. That’s the whole point of making this basket!
3. Some good, but affordable headphones
If your person loves music but doesn’t have a decent pair of headphones, they’ll thank you for this gift.
I personally listen to music all day, every day. I couldn’t go a day without listening to music. For a more “luxurious” listening experience, I use my AirPods Max.
Regular AirPods are great, too. There are different versions, but I personally have the original AirPods Pro and I love them. It’s nice to just pop them in when I want to tune the world out and put on my favorite album.
Click here to buy the most recent AirPods Pro.
4. Cozy blanket
We all love a good nap, don’t we? But what’s a good nap without a cozy blanket?
Let me ask you this: Have you ever felt like you wanted a blanket with sleeves? I’ve been rocking my blanket with sleeves for the last 3 years and I love it. It’s amazing because it keeps my entire body warm, and the best part is that it covers my arms.
I definitely recommend this if your person is a big napper or even if they like to lounge for most of the day.
I’ve also been getting more into weighted blankets. If you’ve never heard of this, it’s a blanket that usually weighs about 15 pounds.
You might be thinking, “Why the heck would I want a blanket that weighs 15 pounds?” Trust me — I thought the same.
Until I finally tried one.
I laid it on my body and it felt oddly relaxing. It felt like one of those back massagers, but for my whole body. If you need more convincing (for yourself or the giftee), weighted blankets are great for relieving stress and anxiety, and also help you sleep more.
5. Their favorite snack
Usually, you can win your way to someone’s heart simply by feeding them — especially with their favorite snack. So, why not keep it simple and fill their basket with their favorite treats?!
You most likely already know them pretty well (or at least I’d hope so), so you have a good idea of what snacks they enjoy.
Go to your local grocery store and grab some of their favorite snacks to fill their basket with!
6. Fuzzy socks
I know my mom loves fuzzy socks, which probably means other women are quite fond of them also. These are so comfy to wear after an at-home spa day or to relax in bed with!
You can find all kinds of fuzzy socks on Amazon. There are some with grippers, some for specific seasons, and all kinds of designs for everyone!
FREE SELF CARE ACTIVITIES LIST
Would you like a free self care activities list?
I know it can be difficult to think of different self care ideas, so I did the work for you! I created a FREE list of 81 self care activities that you can enjoy. To get the list, simply click here.
7. Reusable water bottle
If your person is an avid water drinker, it’s only reasonable to get them a water bottle. But not just any water bottle; get them a reusable water bottle. That way, they can refill it throughout the day and not waste plastic water bottles.
No, I’m not talking about the popular Stanley cup that everyone’s raving about. I mean, you could buy them that one, but paying $60 for a cup is totally insane.
I started using a reusable water bottle about 6 years ago and I really only drink a plastic water bottle when I’m at a party.
No joke.
My days of paying over $40 for a water bottle are over, so I’ve resorted to buying mine strictly at HomeGoods and Amazon.
I’ve been using my Simple Modern water bottle for 7 months now and I don’t know if there’s anything I would change about it. Yes, it does leak but there’s honestly no scenario where I’m tilting it anyway, so that doesn’t really matter.
And the best part? It’s only $30! Yes, it’s half the price of its competition and it does all it needs.
I can’t say enough good stuff about this thing. Click here to buy it now!
If you really want to spice things up, buy some waterproof vinyl stickers so your person can decorate their new water bottle.
You can find these on Amazon or Etsy. Look on Amazon for more general stickers and Etsy for niched stickers (specific interests in artists, colors, and more).
8. Book
Is your person a book lover? You already know your answer! I don’t know if a book lover will love anything more than a nice new book.
Add a book to their collection (yes, the one that is probably largely unread).
Don’t get just any book, though. Make sure that they’ll actually like the author and genre! How do you figure this out?
Ask them!
It’s as simple as:
- “Hey, who’s your favorite author?”
- “What’s on your TBR (to be read)?”
- “What was the last book you finished? How did you enjoy it?”
Also, keep in mind that they might prefer ebooks or audiobooks over physical books. If they prefer physical books, they might prefer hardcovers over soft covers.
Not to say that you need to cater to all of their desires, but it won’t hurt to ask just a few questions before buying them something. This will help you make sure that they are satisfied with their gift.
9. Face mask
Let’s get into the skin care section of the post (probably my favorite section).
Usually when you think of self care, skin care falls into the mix. Yes, skin care does count as self care because you’re doing something to take care of yourself.
If your person is getting into skin care, a face mask is a great product to give them. They can use this to get the dead skin off their face and make their skin nice and smooth! Here’s my favorite face mask.
10. Back massager
After a long, stressful day at work or school, a good ‘ole back massage would be perfect. If you didn’t know, these kinds of gifts are some of the best!
There are 2 kinds: a massage gun and a heated massage pillow. The gun is better to target specific spots on your back. The pillow is better for an overall experience (plus it’s heated!).
No matter which one you buy, I’m sure your person will be so appreciative that you got them such a thoughtful gift.
Click here to buy a massage gun.
Click here to buy a massage pillow.
11. Nail polish set
Who wants to spend $60+ on a manicure — especially in this economy? You can buy your person a nail polish set and have them set for the next few months!
This is great because:
- It’s cheaper
- You don’t have to worry about telling your nail tech that you don’t like your nails
- It feels more therapeutic
- You can do your nails in the comfort of your own home!
12. Foot spa
Do you see where I’m going here? They can give themselves the ultimate spa night! I mean, with all these spa products, they have no excuse to not enjoy an at-home spa day!
I don’t know anything more relaxing than a good foot spa. Seriously — why is it so relaxing?!
RELATED POST: 21 Best Relaxing At-Home Self Care Activities
13. Nail clippers
Alright, this is the last spa item in this post. I recently bought these matte black nail clippers and I love them. So I wanted to include them in this post!
This is another item that they can use during their at-home spa day. As someone with naturally long nails, these nail clippers are essential! I must trim my nails so I don’t accidentally cut myself when I’m moving too fast.
14. Puzzles
Doing puzzles is a great way to stimulate your mind and get off your phone. There are so many designs, shapes, and sizes of puzzles, so you have a lot to choose from.
If you really want to make it thoughtful, pick a theme that your person likes. For example, if your girlfriend is into Taylor Swift, go on Etsy and look for some Taylor Swift puzzles. I’m telling you; she’ll absolutely love it.
Plus, you both can bond and spend time putting the puzzle together!
15. Flowers
I would love to be surprised with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. These are a great gift to get someone for their birthday, graduation, Valentine’s Day, or just because!
You can get these at your local flower shop or even Trader Joe’s. I’ve seen some really nice, affordable flowers at Trader Joe’s, so I suggest getting some from there!
16. Gift card
You can never go wrong with a gift card. This could be for their favorite restaurant (fast food or dine-in), retail store, movie theater, or any of the above.
Here are some great gift card ideas:
- Amazon
- Target
- Walmart
- McDonald’s
- Chipotle
- Sephora
- Ulta
- AMC Theatres
Don’t feel like you have to go above and beyond with the amount of money you put on the card. Put as much as you want — whether that’s $25 or $50. You do you!
They’ll appreciate it regardless. Just make sure that they actually like the place that the gift card is for.
For example, if you know your boyfriend doesn’t care for Taco Bell, maybe get him a Chick-fil-A gift card instead. That way, you can make sure that he’ll actually use the gift card.
17. Diffuser
Is your person into natural remedies? Get them an essential oil diffuser! Different essential oils can help relieve congestion, stress, anxiety, physical pain, and so much more.
This is also a great alternative to candles — especially if they live somewhere that they can’t light candles (like a college dorm). Or maybe they don’t really care for candles!
I used to religiously use my essential oil diffuser just about every day.
In a way, a diffuser is kind of better than a candle because you can add different oils to make your space smell different all the time. I mean, you can make your office or bedroom smell like:
- Lavender
- Citrus
- Chamomile
- Eucalyptus
- Tea Tree
- Pepperment
- …and more!
Click here to buy an essential oil diffuser.
Click here to buy an essential oil set.
18. Affirmation cards
Something else you can get them to help with their mental health journey is affirmation cards.
I love these because every time you’re feeling down, you can pull one of these from a box and read it. In reading it, you will hopefully feel uplifted and add a boost to your mood.
They remind of those coupon books we made as kids for our parents (haha).
In a way, they’re similar because when you read an affirmation card that someone gave you, you think about them. That’s what makes these so special!
19. Mug
One of my favorite gifts to give is mugs. These are perfect to give because everyone loves something to drink, right?! Not only that, but they are totally customizable.
You can go on Amazon or Etsy and customize a mug as much as you want. You can add things like:
- Their initials
- A photo of:
- them
- the 2 of you
- their pet
- another loved one
- Their favorite quote
- …and more!
There are also so many different designs, textures, and colors to choose from. I mean, the choices are just limitless.
If you really want to treat you person, include their favorite drink in their self care basket.
It might be tea, coffee, lemonade, Gatorade, or whatever. I’m sure they’ll be happy that you went the extra mile to get their favorite drink to sip from their new, special mug!
Let’s recap!
We made it to the end of the post!
Today, I gave you some of the best ideas for a great self care basket:
- 5-minute journal
- Yankee Candle
- Good, affordable headphones
- Cozy blanket
- Their favorite snack
- Fuzzy socks
- Reusable water bottle
- Book
- Face mask
- Back massager
- Nail polish set
- Foot spa
- Nail clippers
- Puzzles
- Flowers
- Gift card
- Diffuser
- Affirmation cards
- Mug
Please remember to take time to take care of yourself!
Here are 7 totally free self care activities that you can do!
In the midst of chaos, don’t forget to smile,
DeMarcus – your self care buddy
PIN IT FOR LATER:
This post was all about self care basket ideas.
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