Remember how glad you were when you were given fruit baskets as complementary gifts hotels? I'm sure you almost didn't want to touch it, or even eat its contents. "It's just too beautiful to be eaten" is your excuse why you don't want to eat it. Don't be so awestruck. Fruit baskets are easily styled with the right attitude and a healthy dose of creativity. Why not impress everyone and give them fruit baskets as gifts at the next gift-giving season?

A large factor in designing your own fruit basket is organization. Prepare all materials prior to decorating such as baskets, ribbons, craft materials, and of course, your fruits. In creating your own fruit baskets, remember to choose a basket with a relatively wide brim, sturdy structure and without handles. Nice weave patterns won't hurt. It must be sturdy because fruits aren't lightweight. Wide brim will allow your fruits breathing space. It will also make arranging them easier. Baskets should have no handles because you will need to stretch and taper plastic wrap around your fruits to prevent them from disassembling and moving. Use fruits that aren't mushy or fleshy like apples, pears pineapples, kiwis, grapefruits, melons, and oranges. Keep in mind to avoid using fruits that ripen quickly like bananas if the basket needs to be shipped; otherwise, they are okay. Stickers from the fruits must be removed, it is common sense not to show the recipient where you bought your gift right? Wipe the fruits with a clean cloth because washing them might draw out unwanted juices. Be careful when polishing fruits, you don't want to bruise them.

In decorating fruit baskets, position taller fruits like pineapples or watermelons at the back. This will give the other fruits the support to lean on to. Medium size fruits goes in the middle while the smaller ones will look pretty piled at the front. Contrasting colors is key to an attractive and catchy basket. Stack reds, oranges, yellow fruits alternately with the green, purple, and other dark color fruits. Clumps of berries are good for accents. Fill the gaps with blooms and leaves. Adding wedges of cheese is also an option. Don't make your fruity tower too high because you might have trouble wrapping it.

Shrink wrap your fruits baskets and seal at the bottom. Poke tiny holes with a needle around the baskets to let air in. in doing this avoid damaging the fruits. A poked fruit can release enough juice to ruin your work. Finish off your basket with a bow at the top and a note card. Remind recipients that the fruits are perishable and must be consumed, not looked at. Signing your name is not a bad idea, after all with baskets like these, you'll want to help your recipients direct the compliments to you.