All of our roses in our backyard have just bloomed! I thought it would be so great to not only put them around the house but use them in gift baskets for our friends, neighbors and even my step-daughters teachers at school! I wanted to share these baskets with you because they all cost less than $10 to make and are super cute, fun and easy!
I headed to the Dollar Store, where I found adorable wicker baskets and candles. I love dollar stores! Next, I stopped by Joann’s Fabrics and picked up 1/2 yard of floral cotton fabric to line the baskets with. I added a simple lace trim to some but the fabric also looked really cool with unfinished edges as well.
Now to fill them with goodies! I baked delicious and healthy Carrot Muffins from scratch, see recipe below from KitchenTreaty.com These muffins are a perfect element of these baskets because not only are they delicious but they are very healthy too!
Next I cut some fresh rosemary and roses from our yard and tied them in bunches with ribbon. We are lucky to have Orange and Lemon trees on our property so I added some fresh fruit. Remember just because you may not have fruit and spices in your yard doesn’t mean your basket will be any less beautiful. You can improvise, whatever you have on hand will work! Last but not least I made a card using card stock from Michael’s Arts & Crafts, a hole punch tied it together with ribbon.
Now for the perfect finishing touch, I found some beautiful candles at HomeGoods for $2 a piece.
Here is the best carrot muffin recipe I have ever made!
Carrot Muffin Recipe:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup rolled oats + a couple extra tablespoons for topping
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup applesauce
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups carrot, grated
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or place cupcake wrappers in a standard-size, 12-cup muffin pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, 1 cup oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk just until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the carrots.
- Divide the mixture between the muffin cups. Cups should be filled just about to the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until muffin tops spring back when poked and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tin. Serve plain with butter and honey, if desired.
The baskets were a huge success! Beautiful and healthy basket and the best part… On a budget that works for everyone!
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