Sympathy Gift Basket Ideas

Rather than sending flowers or a food tray, try these sympathy gift basket ideas that may be the perfect way to send a message of consolation and caring to those who are bereaved.

There are plenty of selections available online by doing a simple search for Sympathy Baskets. But if you are limited in budget and want to do it yourself, it is easy to choose exactly the right items to include.

A sympathy basket should include a range of items for different types of comfort. Here are the categories:

• Food, of course, is a must-have. Comfort foods range from snack items to dessert foods, and also include teas, hot chocolate and coffee. Fresh fruit is also a good choice. Select foods that need no preparation, and can be shared with guests. There is plenty of leeway in choosing the food items you would like to include. Avoid alcoholic beverages, as the people grieving need to be able to deal with their emotions rather than masking or numbing them.
• Remembrance and inspirational items are nice to include. Go to a bookstore and choose a book of quotations, poetry, inspirational stories, advice on healthy grieving, beautiful artwork, meditations, or prayers appropriate to the family's religion. Choose based on what you think the people would appreciate or need the most. A picture frame might also be a nice touch, to hold a photo of the loved one. Soothing music is also comforting. It may be thoughtful to include some stationary cards and a pen for writing thank you notes to those who have brought food or helped through the planning and post-funeral organization.

Choose a basket that is the right size to hold the items you are including. Set the largest items in the back center of the sympathy basket. Smaller items should be set surrounding and in front of the largest ones. Enclose the whole basket in gift cellophane, a clear gift bag, or colored plastic wrap. Tie it at the top with a twist-tie, and wrap a gift ribbon around it, tied in a bow. Write a personal note of comfort, and attach it with tape to the basket.