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A Grand Entrance

© Shirley Frazier

Every holiday season, your baskets are up against a powerful potion. Here's the story.

A man is invited to Thanksgiving dinner at a house he's never visited. This guy's a smart cookie. He knows it's bad manners to arrive empty handed. What will he bring to show his appreciation -- a bottle of scotch, a tasteful white wine, or a small hostess gift basket containing no more than four inexpensive, yet thoughtful items?

Hostess baskets are as popular as Thanksgiving turkey. It's quite easy to create and is purchased most often for holiday giving when visiting someone for the first time. If a person is uncomfortable bringing wine or alcohol to the party or knows that other guests will be bringing the bubbly, the hostess will appreciate receiving a gift basket.

What goes into a hostess basket? Decorative soaps with little or no fragrance (in case the recipient is allergic to scents), kitchen to-do/shopping pad and pretty dinner napkins give you some idea of gifts to add to the cocoas, teas, nuts or candies that you've selected. It's perfectly acceptable if you choose to create your baskets with all gifts or all snacks and beverages.

These petite packages are usually sold for $15 to $20. If you have small, empty baskets stashed in your inventory and have questioned what to do with them, hostess gifts are the answer.

Printed cellophane is the preferred closure, because this type of basket is usually sold and delivered locally. A large bow makes the arrangement look more expensive than its price tag.

Buyers range from a single man invited to the potential in-laws' home, a woman meeting a friend's mother for the first time, and couples getting together at a new apartment. Ideas on bringing a hostess basket to a party are endless.

Use word of mouth at churches and professional or social gatherings to spread the word about your hostess baskets. Professionals use postcards and flyers as effective, low-cost advertising tools, which also mention that these bundles of cheer are great for December holiday giving.

So, your mission is simple. Help rid the world of the term "designated driver" by putting your hostess baskets in the hands of holiday visitors all over the world. The only bubbly that's worth mentioning belongs in a bath.