Rachele Flowers Caversham

Children are not the only ones to celebrate Halloween. Adults give parties too. A nice idea is to take your host a gift basket to show your thanks.

Gift baskets, of course, are not strictly just for Halloween. So the trick is to add items specific to this holiday.

It is possible to buy them pre-packed from a shop. Alternatively, make up one yourself - you can then make it more personalized.

Start by choosing the basket. Don't just go for a pleasing shape. Think about whether it will carry the items you desire to put in.

Now choose those items to go inside it. Before packing the presents, make a 'cushion' to place them on. This can be achieved by scrunching up small pieces of paper. After that, wrap each gift and pack into the basket.

Take your time to carefully arrange the gifts to achieve a pleasing arrangement.

Once sorted, complete by wrapping the basket in cellophane. Tie it up with ribbon to stop it opening.

Remember to attach a card to show the recipient who it's from. You might want to get into the Halloween spirit and scrawl 'Open at your own risk!' across the card or simply 'Happy Halloween' will suffice.

Another option is to purchase a basket from an online store. They can cost as little as $30 or go up to $100. Choose carefully - there are some good deals if you search.

Should you make a Halloween gift basket or buy one? This is entirely up to you. If money is an issue, obviously you get more value for your money by creating a basket yourself. To add a touch of creativity to it, you can put other items rather than candy, masks, a bottle of wine or pumpkins.

How about including: a bouquet of dead flowers, toy spider webs, a Halloween CD or popcorn?

Your host will be delighted by their Halloween gift. Remember, it is the thought that counts just as much as what you put in the basket.

If you yourself receive a delightful gift basket, you can save the basket to reuse for another occasion should you not have another use for it. Christmas is just around the corner. It would be easy to transform the basket into a perfect Xmas gift!

Helen Harvey enjoys everything to do with costumes and Halloween. Have a look at her latest website, where she reviews the best and outfits.