If you’re familiar with TikTok or any social media platform really, you may have come across the term “Boo Basket” once or twice. During this time of year, right as spooky season begins, people make and receive these little baskets full of all things Halloween-related. These baskets can be stuffed with treats, movies, candles, merchandise, candy, and essentially anything you see fit. The ones seen online, however, can be expensive, costing as much as $200 for a homage to Insidious or Beetlejuice. Being a full-time FSU student, I know none of us have the time or money for that, so I’m going to give you a five-step cute yet affordable guide to making your own Boo Basket.
Start by making a list of everything that’s going in the basket. I go based on five categories: a sweet treat, a scented item, a movie, something comfy, and a random trinket (all to be customized for the person receiving the basket, of course). The key to making this affordable is not just what you select, but where you buy it. The best stores for this task are Dollar Tree, Walmart, Walgreens, Five Below, and Target (my personal favorite).
1. a sweet treat
First up is a sweet or savory treat. This is the easiest category since you don’t have to find a treat to fit the theme; it already fits! It can be any snack that you desire, as long as it’s somewhat big or comes with multiple in one pack. Bags of chips or variety packs of chocolate candies will usually do the trick.
Food will usually veer on the cheaper side and should make your basket look fuller. I tend to put more money into which of the five items I know my person will prefer over the others. No matter what it is, I pick one item and spend a little extra on that. For example, if you know this person doesn’t like food as much, you can buy a dollar candy bar and then spend more money on a different item.
2. a scented item
For scented items, I almost always go for a candle or perfume. It’s an easy pick and can range anywhere from $5-$50 if you want it to. Anything remotely fall-scented will do, but if you want to go the extra mile, both Five Below and Target have spooky-themed candles with skeletons and scents to match the season.
3 & 4. a movie and something comfy
As for comfy items and movies, they go hand-in-hand. This could be a multitude of things and when I tell you the sky is the limit, I mean it. I don’t know about anyone else, but when I think of fall, I think of Halloween movies. And what goes better with Halloween movies than blankets, fuzzy socks, or sweaters? Anything required to curl up on the couch and watch a scary movie goes. The actual movie is self-explanatory, but I will say that you can never go wrong with a classic like Halloween or The Nightmare Before Christmas.
5. a random trinket
Last comes the random trinket and when I say random, I mean random. Usually, I’ll get two to three items as fillers because they can be as cheap as a dollar. Some ideas include slime, fake blood, a little Halloween plushie, fake cobwebs, or anything that can fit the theme like a decorative coaster or shirt. There will always be a million options in any dollar section at any store.
Once you have gathered your items, you can acquire a basket that fits everything perfectly for the presentation. Your basket should always be the last thing that you purchase. The motto I go by is “If the gifts can’t fit the basket, then the basket isn’t meant to fit the gifts.” Whether you chose to keep the basket simple or decorate it with stickers and lettering, your Boo Basket is now complete and the festivities can begin. Happy crafting!
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