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Holiday shopping can be a lot of fun - when you*re buying for the children, for the person who has clearly defined hobbies and love getting gifts relating to the hobby, for the cook, or the golfer. But shopping for the person who already has everything, who can buy anything they want, or who can be especially hard to please, well, that's not fun.

What do you do for that person? You make a gift basket. You don*t buy a gift basket, because those are too generic and the quality might not be high enough for the *he who has everything* person or the items might not be just right for the picky person. Putting your own basket together means you can get exactly what your recipient will like and you can make it unique, creative and personal.

So, where do you start? Begin with a theme. For the picky or hard to shop for, there are a few themes that work.

Movie basket

One of the most popular basket themes is movies. Everyone watches movies, everyone rents or buys them, and it's a nice, relaxing activity. So if your *has everything* person is a hard worker, you can note on the card that this will help them relax. It's more than just movies. You can create a whole evening in one basket.

Start with an interesting container. If you*re on a budget, by all means, use a wicker basket purchased on sale at a craft or home goods store, or * if you can spend a bit more -- purchase one of those large bowls that say *popcorn* on the front. This is an excellent base for a movie basket.

To the basket, or bowl, add some packages of microwave popcorn, perhaps some movie boxes of candy, and a gift card for rentals. If you*re dealing with a true movie aficionado, add a book, like *Movie Lust: Recommended Viewing for Every Mood, Moment and Reason*.

If you want to keep building the movie basket, consider adding some newly released DVDs, or some old, classic favorites. Add a pair of socks, or warm slippers, some packages of hot cocoa, and even a lap blanket. If your recipient imbibes, add a good bottle of brandy (for *extra warmth*) or a bottle of wine.

Build on a theme from a unique book

One unique basket idea that's sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who receives it is taking a book and building a theme basket around it. Be lighthearted. Consider the book *101 Things to Do Before You Die* by Richard Horne.

Some of the suggestions in the book (get arrested, participate in a threesome) aren*t for everyone. Ignore those. Instead, pick some of the more realistic suggestions, like the list of movies and lists of books. Take the *learn another language* suggestion and the suggestion to study the Kama Sutra. Build a basket from there.

Here's how it works. Buy items relating to some of the suggestions in the book (and there are many other books like this, if this one is a bit racy or not in keeping with what you want). So, for *learn another language* you might buy an English-Spanish dictionary, or for the list of movies to see, purchase a few on DVD and put them in the basket. Try to buy as many items as possible that relate to various points in the book. Wrap each item, and attach a number. As the person opens the basket, they refer back to the book (which should be the first item they open and it should be unwrapped) to understand the gift.

This gift is always fun for the recipient and the opening of it is participatory. Everyone wants to see what item comes next.

Think about your recipient

Even the person who has everything might want something you can offer. Don*t, for example, think you can buy high-quality sheets for the *he who has everything* person. They likely can and will buy higher-quality sheets. But if they love taking baths, that's something you can provide right there, a wonderful bath experience via a basket full of bath items. Maybe they love wine and have a large wine cellar. Any bottle of wine you purchase might not be up to their standard, but if you live in a small wine-producing area, you might be able to buy a bottle of wine locally they*ve never tried. Add some special stoppers and new wine glasses, and you just crossed another person off your list with a thoughtful, special basket.

How do you build a basket this way? It's not that hard. Think about your recipient's likes and dislikes. Even the most difficult person has something they love. Do they love to exercise? Build a basket around that, with either new DVDs, or some new exercise equipment like a new, high-quality jump rope, a new outfit to wear and a variety of protein bars.

Maybe your recipient is an older person with little interests outside of keeping in touch with the grandkids. How about a nice photo album, some new note cards, and a roll of stamps? Basket it all up with a roll of new return address labels and a special new frame. They'll be thrilled.