One of my favorite ways to surprise a friend is by making a basket of random little goodies. This particular basket was headed for the doorstep of one of my favorite families, who happen to be going through a rough time lately. Of course this basket was V-day themed, but you could use the same ideas for another holiday gift, or anytime you know someone who needs a little extra lovin’.

Start with an inexpensive basket or storage box- something that can be used again rather than yet another generic gift bag! (A reusable shopping tote would be another idea!) This canvas number came from TJ Maxx.

Next, you’ll want to gather a few inexpensive items and some foodie treats. This basket was headed for a family, so I included a sticker book (child) and a mug and a box of specialty tea (mother). Total was less than $10!

As for the food, I combined some homemade goodies with store bought treats and a few that I have on hand in the pantry. For this basket, a few Rice Krispie treats, a bag of popcorn, trail mix bags and a few random pieces of candy came from the pantry. My homemade goods were chocolate covered strawberries (always a treat!) in a repurposed candy box-

and a package of cranberry orange scones (my go-to recipe…coming tomorrow!)

When everything is assembled, it’s time to start layering! As with Christmas stockings, I like to throw in individual candies and an orange or another piece of fruit here and there- it seems more full and put together this way!

I also add tissue paper as I go to keep everything in place! Notice the difference between the two pictures!

My last step was to add name tags and a few sporadic hearts to go with the v-day theme. I went environmentally friendly and reused a VS bag- perfect valentines colors!

All that’s left to do at this point is drop the basket on the front porch and run!