Has someone been sweet to you? Return the favor by giving them a cookie gift basket. Cookies are a universal favorite, beloved by all ages. The variety of cookies available is endless and you’ll have a lot of fun arranging and decorating this tasty treat.

You don’t have to know a lot about a person to give them cookie gift baskets, so it’s a perfect present to show your appreciation to your hair stylist, a favorite teacher, the mail carrier, or the paper boy or girl. On the other hand, it’s also simple to individualize a cookie basket for a loved one by picking out a favorite treat and wrapping it up in a personal manner. Both ways, you’re likely to bring out a smile.

You want the cookies to be as fresh as possible. If you’re handy in the kitchen, you can bake them yourself. Otherwise, visit a local bakery or gourmet cookie shop. Of course, there’s a huge selection of flavors and varieties to choose from to fill your cookie gift basket, and this will be the hard part. If you’re giving it to a casual acquaintance, your best bet is to choose an assortment. For the cookie lover who you know well, it will be easier to pick out their favorites.

Pick out a pretty cookie tin or basket, then place your cookies in a nice arrangement. You can wrap your basket in colorful cellophane or gift basket bag, and top it off with a nice big bow. You’ll want to add a little handwritten note. Your thoughtfulness will show through in these small details.

When decorating your cookie gift basket, why not choose a theme? A birthday present calls for brightly colored wrapping and some party favors tucked into the basket of cookies. At Christmas time, select red and green packaging and bows in rich fabrics like satin or velvet. For Halloween, make up a basket of pumpkin or ghost shaped cookies and decorate it with orange cellophane and black ribbons.

Likewise, you can pick the flavor of your cookie according to the occasion. Cinnamon and ginger are perfect for Christmas cookies. Pumpkin is a good choice for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Keep in mind that there are those with special dietary needs who can’t eat sugar or products containing wheat or gluten. Some bakeries have cookies to meet these and other needs such as diabetes. You can also look for a recipe that meets the person’s requirements and make up a batch of your own special cookies. Sugar substitutes are available that can replace the real thing in baked products.

A cookie gift basket is a really fun gift idea. There are so many choices of cookies and wrapping, you’ll never have to give the same gift twice. And the lucky person who gets it will have just as much fun snacking on this tasty treat.