Gift Basket Update

We were on vacation in San Diego most of last week, but I got some time over this past weekend to work on my prototype gift baskets.  After my first sneak-peek post on the baskets, Sherrill suggested I add handles—perhaps thread wrapped around floral wire.  Well, I thought it was an excellent suggestion, so I did just that.  I used a larger gauge of floral wire for the 1:12 baskets (obviously).  Then I trimmed them both with a bit of holiday decoration—holly for the red basket and a poinsettia for the green basket.  What do you think?

I also had, I think, good success on making the half-scale mugs.  I used this method:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERQFymWkIZ8  I modified things slightly.  Of coruse, I changed the size of the paper strips (mine were just slightly less than ¼ inch wide).  Also, instead of quilling the bottom, I punched out  a circle of card stock.  I used a U.S. size 5 (3.75 mm, size 9 UK/Canadian) knitting needle for wrapping the cup itself.  I started trying to wrap the paper near the tip of the knitting needle, but had difficulty getting my edges to stay even.  Finally, I realized that I could wrap against the back of the needle, butted up against the needle cap, and this worked so much better! 

For the handles, I made my ring around a bamboo skewer.  It has a flat end, so I could push the ring down against my work table to keep it relatively straight.

I used Elmer's glue, because it dries hard and rigid, and I wanted a sturdy mug!  When it was dry, I coated it with a bit of gesso, sanded it, then painted it with white acrylic paint and sanded again with a piece of brown paper bag.  I wanted a thoroughly non-porous surface before giving it two coats of gloss white spray paint. Here you can see my two mugs flanking a manufactured half-scale mug that I already owned.  (Yes, I was experimenting on it with my nail decals, too. 😊)

And here they are with the 1:12 mugs.

I've now completed my 1:12 gingerbread men.

And filled all the baskets.

The half-scale green basket does have a bottle of brandy, but it's so short it doesn't show from the front.

I had a bunch of half-scale candy canes that appear to just be made of wire, but they look pretty good to me, so I put one in each of the smaller baskets.  The 1:12 candy canes I made from polymer clay, in my never-ending quest to actually get good at working with it!

The 1:12 baskets have a bit of extra space, but the 1:24 baskets are crammed pretty full.  Do you think I am missing anything?  Is there something else you would be expecting in a Christmas gift basket that I don't have?  As a reminder, each basket has a bottle of port or brandy, a book, gourmet hot cocoa mix, a Christmas mug, coffee, gingerbread men, chocolates, and a candy cane.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope you all have a great mini week!