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DIY Family Movie Night Gift Basket + Free Printable Gift Tags!

DIY Family Movie Night Gift Basket + Free Printable Gift Tags!

A family movie night basket might just be the perfect clutter-free, frugal, and fun gift for a bunch of people on your list this year! And be sure to grab some FREE printable gift tags to go with it to match!

During the months of November and December, we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite homemade gifts! Download our FREE Homemade Gifts Guide to get recipes to 15+ easy-to-make gifts, plus printable gift tags to go with each gift!

A few years ago, my sister-in-law gave our family a unique and fun gift that’s one of those you remember for a long time.

What was it?

A Family Movie Night Gift Basket!

It was the perfect gift because we could all use and enjoy it. It was also consumable (so it didn’t add toy clutter) and it was something we could do together as a family.

A Movie Night Gift Basket it’s a great gift for families, couples, or even individuals on your list who are hard to buy for, or who seem like they already “have everything”.

This is a very versatile gift idea as you can tailor it to the ages, preferences, and dietary restrictions of the recipient. And of course, you can tailor it to your budget — making it as big as you want, or scaling back if finances are a bit tight.

Download your free printable gift tags!

Want to add on Christmas gift tags to gift this to someone this holiday season? Go HERE to download printable gift tags designed for this foaming hand soap!

What to include in a movie night gift basket

Movies: Purchase a DVD you think they would enjoy, give an Amazon gift card to stream a favorite movie, or include Redbox movie codes. You might also include a list of movie recommendations!
Drinks: Provide one drink for each person — soda pop, sports drinks, hot cocoa, Izze’s, or sparkling waters are some ideas.
Popcorn: Microwave popcorn packets, a bag of caramel corn, or other fun homemade popcorn mixes.
Popcorn Boxes: To make it feel even more like a movie theater, we like using popcorn boxes!
Snacks: Movie theater candy boxes, trail mix, chips, pretzels, gum, mints, etc.
Gift Cards (optional): As an extra bonus, you might include gift cards for a local pizza delivery place or to buy ice cream for sundaes or root beer floats.
Fun Extras (optional): If you’re creative you could include fake movie theater ticket stubs and a fun gift tag. You could also get as fancy as you want — including items like cozy socks, plush throw blankets, a scented candle, etc.

How to assemble a movie night gift basket

1. Choose your container.

If you plan to make several gift baskets, start scouring local thrift stores for medium and large baskets with fun handles that could hold your gift items and also be useful for the recipient after the goodies are gone.

You could also use a simple cardboard box and cover it with fun gift wrap or brown craft paper. Diaper boxes work really well for a large gift basket as they have built-in handles, and the biggest Oxiclean boxes also have handles and could work well for a medium-sized movie “basket”.

2. Gather your supplies.

It’s nice to have a variety of snacks — sweet, salty, savory, sour, etc. and drinks for each person in the family. Use your best judgment, but try to include items you know the family enjoys (especially the kids) as this adds an extra-personal touch to the gift. And if you know the family is trying to stay away from too much sugar or has food sensitivities, there are still plenty of fun “treat” options if you do a little hunting!

3. Arrange items nicely in the box or basket.

Use crumpled newspaper, tissue paper, or any other “filling” medium to elevate some items and create an eye-catching presentation — putting bigger/taller items in the back and smaller/shorter items in the front.

4. Showcase the movie.

You can’t have a “Family Movie Night Gift Basket” without a movie! If you’re including an actual DVD, put it right up front so it’s the first thing they notice. Otherwise, put your Amazon/Redbox gift card front and center.

A $5 gift card is often plenty to rent one or two movies on Amazon… so this doesn’t need to cost a lot!

5. Add any extras.

This is totally optional, but you can definitely take your basket to the next level with additional dinner gift cards, comfy socks for the whole family, or even a really nice throw blanket to snuggle up in.

You could also stay low-budget and include handmade ticket stubs, a list of your family’s favorite movies, and a handmade gift tag — just little extra-personal touches.

6. Wrap it up!

To make sure nothing falls out (and to add a lot of charm to this gift) we love the idea of wrapping it in clear cellophane with a giant bow on top.

Of course, there are many other ways to wrap up this gift as well. You could even put the entire gift basket inside another large box and wrap the box to keep the gift a surprise.

DIY Family Movie Night Gift Baskets

This is a great gift idea for those hard-to-buy-for people on your list — and it can be very frugal too!

Author Crystal Paine

Ingredients

Movies DVD, Amazon gift card, Redbox codes, etc.
Drinks soda pop, sports drinks, hot cocoa, Izze’s, or sparkling waters
Popcorn
Popcorn Boxes
Snacks movie theater candy boxes, trail mix, chips, pretzels, gum, mints, etc.
Gift Cards optional — local pizza delivery
Fun Extras optional — movie theater ticket stubs, cozy socks, plush throw blankets, a scented candle, etc.

Instructions

Choose your container.
Gather your supplies.
Arrange items nicely in the box or basket.
Showcase the movie.
Add any extras.
Wrap it up!

What else would you add to a Movie Night Gift Basket?

Looking for more ideas for frugal family fun? Check out these Kid Date Ideas, Creative Ideas for Family Fun at Home, The Ultimate Checklist for Family Movie Night, and Inexpensive Ways to Have Fun at Home!

Get your FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide!

If you’re looking for ways to simplify gift giving this year, we have just the solution for you! Download our brand new FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide! When you sign up, you’ll get:

15+ DIY recipes for unforgettable gift i deas (we’ve included something for everyone on your list!)
Step-by-step instructions for ridiculously easy homemade gifts that anyone can make!
Customizable, ready-to-print gift tags to go with each homemade gift!

This FREE guide was designed to help you have a more peaceful, intentional holiday season. Our hope is that it reduces stress, helps you save more money and spend less on your gift budget, and simplifies things so you can focus on what matters most this season!