AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Housewarming’

Have you ever wondered why some parties just seem better than others? Maybe it has something to do with the décor. The decorations can really set the mood for a party. Whether it’s something you have brought in or you make it by hand, the possibilities are endless for what you can use to liven up a party and set the tone.

Consider that your centerpieces are what most people are going to be staring at while they sit at their tables to eat, talk, and relax. If you have fantastic centerpieces, you’ll really get everyone’s attention. If they’re fun, whimsical, and people are allowed to take them home, so much the better.

One way you can create centerpieces that really catch your guests’ eyes is to make candy bouquets. These fun little creations are easy to create, have a low cost, and people love them.

There are several ways to create these darling little candy treasures. One way is to gather them into a bunch and everyone can take home their own little bouquet at the end of the party. Another is to make them into free-standing bouquets that are placed in a mug, vase, votive holder, or other container. Either way, they’re festive and will serve their purpose well as a much admired centerpiece.

To make a candy bouquet that your guests can hold in their hands is easy. You’re going to need lots of candies. Hard candies, mini chocolates, lifesavers, and other small edibles in wrappers are the things that will work best. You need to leave them in the wrapper, so choose a candy that looks good while wrapped and also is recognizable and easy to work with. Nothing too gummy or gooshy, unless you want to use individually wrapped larger gummy bears.

Wrap some wooden skewers or lollipop sticks with floral tape. You can find this green tape in craft stores. You’ll also need some green felt to make leaves with. For each stem that you wrap, you’re going to need two leaves. You’ll want to adhere those leaves to the stem with a hot glue gun. Next, take one piece of candy for each stem and using hot glue, glue just the bottom of the candy to the stem. When you are done, it will look like a flower on a stem. The idea is to bunch up several of these to create a bouquet that guests can take home.

The other step you can do is to create each flower and then stick it into a piece of Styrofoam or floral oasis. The piece of Styrofoam should be anchored in a cup, mug, or votive holder. This is intended to be a takeaway for your guests exactly as they are (as opposed to taking a free standing bouquet).

Candy bouquets are ideal as they are easy to make. You can form a little assembly line and get them all done easily. If you have a friend or two to help you, set up stations. One person can do the leaves and stems, another the adhering of the candy, and the other can do the assembling of the bouquets.

Set them out on tables at your next party and just watch the smiles on your guests’ faces. Then watch those smiles get even bigger when they find out they can take home their own little thank you candy bouquet. It’s worth the effort to create these darling centerpieces.

Are you looking for the perfect housewarming gift? People who are moving into a new home have an endless list of things they need, but one thing that they could really use is relaxation. Moving is stressful, and a wonderful italian food gift basket can be just the right balm. It will also make their new house feel more like home to have a delicious, savory, aromatic meal. Here are some ideas for assembling an Italian dinner basket. Perfect as a house warming gift, or any occasion, this basket is certain to be appreciated.

As an appetizer, include fresh focaccia or you can add a jarred bruschetta, which will last longer in a basket. Focaccia crisps are also great additions; these are small Tuscan-style crackers that will be excellent on their own or with cheese and fresh tomato slices. If you can deliver the basket yourself, do put in fresh foods to make the foods that much tastier. Another idea is to just include a baguette, a small jar of olive oil, and some dipping herbs.

If you have ever eaten in Italy, you know that there is far more to this country’s cuisine than just pasta and pizza! There are so many wonderful tastes that it can be difficult to know where to start. Start at the beginning; pastas are very popular, and they make great, filling, and easy to cook meals.

Get some special gourmet or handmade pasta or try a variation like sun-dried tomato or spinach. Getting fresh ravioli or tortellini adds a nice, robust feel to the basket. You can add a good marinara sauce, or opt for a pesto sauce. You may want to get both as pesto does not always appeal to everyone – especially children.

You could also do pizza as the main course. Start by getting an Italian pizza mix or assembling your own. You can put the ingredients for the dough into a jar, along with recipes for making the dough. Italian pizza tends to differ from America’s pizza in that they are mostly “white.” This means that they don’t have marinara or red sauce. Instead, a light layer of olive oil is put onto the dough, followed by cheese, and toppings. Include a small jar of olive oil as well as the fixings, which can be very simple. For instance, you may add fresh mozzarella (or bagged shredded), tomatoes (or sun-dried tomatoes), and basil. Other toppings include mushroom, brie, pesto, artichoke, parmesan, gorgonzola, and percorino cheeses, and grilled onions.

Time for dessert! Choose biscotti, cannoli, amaretto truffles or cheesecake, tiramisu, chocolate mousse cake, or just simple Italian cookies. You can pick these up at the bakery or just get a mix from the grocery store. If you want to give a homemade treat, biscotti are very easy to make, and it stores exceptionally well, so they can enjoy it after dinner or with their morning coffee.

Your meal is not complete without a wine gift to complement the food. Reds are a good choice, but try to go with the preference of the recipient. If they do not drink, include soda or sparkling water and some espresso to enjoy with dessert.

Italian food is among the most beloved cuisines in the world, and for good reason. Nothing will make you feel more at home than the smell of delicious food cooking.

What is a birthday candy cake? You may never have heard of this trend, but it’s a hot one. People love making and getting birthday candy cakes. And since they’re so easy to make, it’s no wonder why the trend continues to thrive.

A candy cake is simply a tiered “cake” shape that is really all made of candy instead of flour and butter. You build a set of tiers out of Styrofoam or other base material and then have fun getting creative with your candy decorations.

Want to try making a candy birthday cake for your next birthday party? It’s easy. You’ll need a few supplies. Get some Styrofoam. You can buy balls and cut them to have a flat side. Or you can buy squares, rectangles, or other slabs. Craft stores are great for having a range of Styrofoam options. Think of all the times you needed Styrofoam balls for your science project. Today’s kids have so much more of a range of choices in shapes and sizes than ever before. So you should have no trouble finding enough for three tiers.

Build your tiers when you get home. You’ll want to start with a cake plate. It can be a real plate if you are keeping the cake for a family member at home. But if you don’t want to give away your china, use a plastic plate. Paper will be too flimsy. Or go to Goodwill and get a festive cast-off plate and give that away with the cake.

Next, start cutting the Styrofoam to size. You’ll need one big layer the circumference of the bottom of the plate. Make it a wee bit smaller so that the candy won’t overlap the plate when added. Make a tier on top of that and then a final smaller one on top of that. Adhere with hot glue or Elmer’s white glue. When the tiers are dry, move on to the candy.

You’ll need several types of candy. Use whichever candy you like best, but bar candy will stick better to the form. Unevenly shaped hard candies will be harder to use. Although Hershey’s kisses would be awfully cute.

Start by assembling your lowest layer. You’re going to need glue dots for each candy bar or pins. You’re probably safest using glue dots as they won’t damage the candy. You’re going to leave all the candy wrapped, so make sure you don’t use glue that will seep through the wrapper. Pins are fine as long as you don’t stick them through the candy itself.

Work around the cake form placing candy so there is no white space showing. You can fill in with smaller hot balls or sour candies. Just make sure you don’t use any candy that’s not wrapped.

When you’ve made your way around the bottom tier, move up to the next tier. Then do the final third tier. The fun comes in the cake topper. Use something whimsical like a retro ornament or figurine. Or just use a silk flower or another big piece of candy.

If you’re using Hershey Kisses, go around the entire form of the cake using glue dots to secure the flat portions of the Kisses to the form. Just imagine the look on the recipient's face when they receive this edible candy arrangement!

Congratulate and Wish Your Loved Ones Well with a Housewarming Gift Basket

Moving to a new home can be both exciting and challenging. To extend your congratulations and wish loved ones well as they start a new life in a new environment, it is a great idea to send a housewarming gift basket.

The contents do not have to be expensive at all. All that is needed to make the gift special is for you to find items that they will find useful for de-stressing after unpacking their load and arranging their furniture, or for throwing parties with the new neighbors.

Easy to prepare snack goods like cookies, popcorn and chocolates, or even meal items like pasta, bread, cheese and sausages, a collection of DVDs and a bottle of wine are perfect for the celebration, as are tea bags or gourmet coffee packs that may come with a large mug.

To find a selection of  housewarming gift baskets, visit AAGiftsandBaskets.com. The site offers dozens of gift packages to choose from.

Congratulate a New Homeowner with a Housewarming Gift Basket

A great way to extend your congratulations on a friend or family member's new acquisition of a house or apartment is to give a housewarming gift basket.

If your friend and loves to watch movies, you can bet that one of the first things they are going to do is stuff their new living room with a collection of DVDs. And once they've set up their TV, you can suggest a movie marathon with your movie buff gift basket in hand. You'll have saved your friend some of the extra expenses of buying popcorn and drinks by sending a basket of movie munchies or having it delivered to the house and bringing it over yourself.

For more mature recipients, a celebratory basket with wine and wine food can be sent over so that you can have a picnic on their empty floor even before the furniture is properly unpacked.

At AAGiftsAndBaskets.com you can choose from a variety of themed housewarming gift baskets. Aside from movie buff goodies, there are also gift baskets for foodies and basic necessity packages for people who have just moved into a new dwelling place.