It is the season to be jolly. It is true. The streets are decorated with the holiday cheer and we are all getting ready for the big family celebrations. We all love this time of the year. Nevertheless, kids are the ones who enjoy it the most. There is lots of snow to play with, lots of food and candy and many gifts to open and enjoy. An entire year of being nice finally pays off.

If you are looking to make a unique present this year, for all those nice children in your life, here is a great idea: create a children's gift basket. The concept is simple, one that most of us are familiar with and it leaves so much room for improvisation and personalization that you will fall in love with it. Also, this is a great money saver if you have more than one kid to get presents for. You will see later on why and how you can transform this gift to be not only nice, but practical as well. First, let's start building this basket. Here are the steps to creating a kids' gift basket:

Step 1 - Decide on the Contents

Decide what your basket will include. Although you might think that your first step would be getting the basket, it is more important to know what goes in it. This way you will know what basket size you need. Some of my favorite goodies include: chocolates, candy, scarves, hats, mittens and of course, stuffed animals. If you want to stay away from the sugary stuff, you can substitute the candy with crayons and other arts and crafts items, which will fill the basket and also give the kids an opportunity to play.

Keep in mind that the best touch you can give to a child's gift basket is to place a cute little plush toy inside. It can be used as the centerpiece item and it will bring the basket to life. It is an absolute must. Get some type of animal that you think they will like. If you are unsure of what type they will like, just get one that they will like to snuggle next to at night. This type never fails. And no matter what the occasion, kids will always love receiving a plush toy. Plus, I could not imagine kids' gift basket without one. It would not look as happy as it should.

Step 2 - Get the Right Basket

Now it is the time to get the basket. Try to get simple basket. Although we might think that a kid's basket should be all decorated, the business inside the basket might make it look too crowded. Therefore, I would stick to the classical wooden one. Now, based on what you decided to put in the basket choose the right size. Think about the amount of candy and other goodies that you would like to place in there and also think about the size of the plush toy. Theoretically this is the piece that will occupy the most volume, and therefore, you need to pick the basket based on the size of the stuffed animal.

So now, you have all the items ready. You have the contents and the basket. Your next step is to put it all together and actually create the gift. I would also recommend getting some wrapping paper, scissors and maybe some fun stickers. These items will be very useful if you want to create a really special present. I will explain how to decorate the basket in part two of this article.