Gift baskets are not a new idea; in fact they've been around for generations. Companies that put together and provide gift baskets are one of the fastest growing small industries in the past two decades. With so many people assembling and selling gift baskets, you may think that it may be hard to find a gift basket that is truly unique.

Typing the words “gift”, “basket”, and “unique” in any search engine will result in dozens of websites that all claim that they offer gift baskets that are truly one-of-a-kind. But, if the situation that you wish to commemorate is truly unique, they may not have anything that represents what you are looking for. Sometimes, the company will specialize in doing special orders, but in order to tell them what you want, you have to have an idea of what you are looking for and what results you wish to accomplish.

Really, it depends on the situation. What do you want your gift basket to convey? Is it a common occasion that you would like to spice up by giving something that is more original? Or, is it the situation that is a little out of the ordinary that you would like to commemorate? It is important to let the potential gift basket business know exactly what is going on and what you hope to achieve.

Whatever the occasion or the reason you wish to celebrate, there is probably a gift basket company that will specialize in it. If what they offer in their advertising or sample pictures isn't exactly what you are looking for, try to get in touch with them either by phone or e-mail. Let them know of the special circumstance that you want to celebrate and see if they have any ideas of a unique gift baskets that they can offer you. If, after all that, you still cannot find a company locally or on line that seems to fit your specifications, you may want to put together your own gift basket.

Putting together a gift basket does take a little bit of ingenuity and creativity, but even if you don't consider yourself very artistic or creative, you can still put together a very unique gift basket. All it takes is knowing where to look in order to spark your imagination and glean some ideas. Going back to the Internet is always a good option. While no one company may have the perfect choice that you are looking for, paging through different sites may give you some ideas of single items that you would like to include in your unique gift basket.

Another thing to do is to stroll through your usual grocery stores, department stores and corner pharmacies. As you walk up and down the aisles, look at everything in a different light. Shopping in your usual haunts with your special occasion in mind may spark ideas and get your imagination flowing. For example, you may have seen that container of prune juice on the store's shelf dozens of times before, but now it sets exactly the right tone in the gift you are creating.

Don't forget about others shopping outlets such as dollar stores, thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets. Depending on what types of things you are looking for and what message you hope to convey, these may offer some excellent opportunities and shopping choices. If the gift is more lighthearted in nature, it won't matter if the items are new or used.

And finally, if you live near a city that has a lot of tourism, you will have the advantage of having a lot of specialty stores, gift shops, and novelty item stores nearby. These can be wonderful places to look for an item that you won't find at most of the other retail establishments. Even some of your town's local restaurants may have unique and hand crafted items in their lobby that they offer for sale. Also, check your newspaper or the Internet listings of local events and travel to a nearby arts and crafts sale. These gatherings can offer even more unique and one of a kind choices since almost everything they offer will have been handmade and original. Another tip is to go to your closest airport and shop in all of the gift stores that they provide.

Throughout your planning and shopping, don't forget to focus some of your imagination toward the gift basket or container itself. There are no rules that say that a gift basket has to have as its foundation an actual wicker basket. Finding a new and original container can set the mood of your gift better than all of the items put inside of it.

Again, walk through your stores, browse through catalogs and shop online, searching for the perfect foundation. Basically, anything that is large enough and has any sort of a depression in it can act as your container. Some items to consider could be a large pair of shoes, a big spaghetti pot, a child's potty chair, or even a backpack.

Remember not to limit yourself and if after all of that you are still having difficulties in deciding what to do, ask other friends and coworkers if they have any ideas. Sometimes, a group brainstorming session can result in many great ideas that one person would have never thought of on their own.

If, on the other hand, you found that this sort of project came very easily to you, you may have found your niche and you may even want to go into business for yourself. You could specialize in offering truly unique gift basket ideas or you could offer your services to create one-of-a-kind, special order baskets.

No matter how you acquired your unique gift basket, whether you had a friend or local business create it for you or if you created it yourself, the best part of the whole project is being able to surprise someone that you care about with an ultimately unique offering. It is always fun to give something that is truly original and a gift that will be remembered for years.

The word unique has become a very common marketing term. There aren't many things today that actually are unique, but when you use your own imagination and implement your own plan, you really are creating something that is undoubtedly unique.