Everyone loves a picnic. There's always an excuse to enjoy a meal in the great outdoors: a family reunion, spending time with friends at the beach, the corporate summer party, or a romantic rendezvous with your partner. Nothing beats eating great food and having fun in the summer sunshine. And if you're looking for a great summer gift idea, think about making a picnic gift basket.

A picnic gift basket can be a fun gift to give to someone, but it's also very practical. You might even want to make one for yourself!

The first thing you'll need is a large picnic basket, or some type of container with a handle for easy carrying. For lining the basket, use a cheery plastic tablecloth. Add some plastic forks, spoons and knives and some serving utensils in summery colors. You can also include some paper plates and napkins. Aim for a coordinating summer theme when making your selections.

Include some non-perishable, traditional picnic foods. Sweet snacks like marshmallows for roasting along with crunchy foods like potato chips and pickles are ideal. Add some plastic bottles of condiments like barbecue sauce, mustard and catsup, and throw in some salt and pepper shakers and sugar packets. A book of matches is always a practical addition. Wet wipes and a trash bag for clean-up are a great finishing touch.

Here's where you can have a little fun. Buy some candy or plastic bugs and ants, and place them strategically around the basket.

Another good addition is a checklist of things you would typically bring to a picnic. This can include edibles such as burgers and hot dogs, buns, drinks, snacks and side dishes. You can also include on your list some other essentials like lawn chairs, games, and blankets. Create the checklist in a word processing program and decorate with some picnic themed clipart. Print out several copies and tuck them into the gift basket.

There's a lot of stuff you'll want to include in your picnic gift basket, but don't go overboard. If it's too full and weighs too much, it can't be easily taken from the car to the picnic table. One solution is to make up two baskets instead of just one. The first could contain the paper and plastic products, the second could be full of food items.

So if you know someone whose summer plans include lots of picnics, this could be the perfect gift. It's a great way to let them have picnic essentials ready to go anytime, and will keep them from forgetting any of the necessary ingredients of a great summer picnic. It's such a good idea, you'll probably want one yourself. So get packing!