Make It A Basket (or Bag, or Tote) This Year

 
No matter how many "Gift Ideas For Seniors" lists you read, it's still not always easy to find the perfect gift for the older people in our lives. This year, instead of trying to find that one perfect gift, how about a gift basket with several smaller items? It's almost always easier to find several small items that will please, and together they can add up to a lovely and very personal gift for the senior in your life.

It's often easiest to put together a gift basket if you build it around a theme. Does Grandmother still play Bridge with ferocity? Give her a basket with a set of matching cards and score pads, several interesting pencils or pens, a card shuffler, and maybe a set of card holders if her hands are getting stiffer. Add a selection of cheese straws, chocolate covered nuts, or other delicacies she can share with her Bridge group.

For the puzzler a selection of two or three crossword or word finder books, a giant pink eraser, a crossword dictionary, a comfy lap cozy or shoulder wrap, and a bag of favorite cookies make a great collection.

The TV watcher will probably enjoy an armchair organizer, a big button universal remote, a new tape or DVD, and a box of microwave popcorn.

The senior with some dementia might enjoy a bag with a simple jigsaw puzzle, an "oldie" movie, a new lap wrap with an interesting texture, and a "fidget" or two.

Use your imagination and you should be able to put together a selection to please just about anyone on your list. You can use our list of gift ideas for inspiration, but don't let your imagination stop there.

"Wrap" your gifts in a basket that can be used later for holding magazines or other chair-side "stuff." Or find an inexpensive tote bag to tuck your gifts into. A carpenter's apron has several pockets you can fill. Spend a few minutes at your local craft or dollar store and you'll find lots of possibilities.

Use crinkled tissue paper to fill out the bottom of your "basket," and arrange your gift selections with the heaviest items on the bottom or in back. You can use clear or colored plastic food wrap to contain your finished gift. Finish it off with a big bow, and you'll have a gift that certainly won't be duplicated.