This DIY bridal shower basket idea came together so quickly, as if it was meant to be. Inspired by the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, I gathered the symbolic elements Mary Bailey gifted the Martini family as my blessing for a rich life of abundance, flavor and joy for this new bride and couple.
In the movie, Mary hand the Martini family a loaf of bread, a container of salt and a bottle of wine and says,
Bread, that this house may never know hunger, Salt, that life may always have flavor, and Wine, that joy and prosperity reign forever.
What a beautiful sentiment to wish a new bride, newlyweds or new home owners a life of plenty, flavor and joy. This tradition is centuries old and remains a popular custom in many countries to this day.
My twist was adding a cocktail shaker with a Victoria’s Secret black nightgown inside and added “...and a little something to shake things up” at the end.
HERE’s HOW I PUT IT TOGETHER
I purchased a vintage wicker picnic basket at Goodwill and removed the faded liner. I used that liner as a template for a new one I sewed together. I found this beautiful bumblebee fabric at JoAnn Fabrics and it was cheerful and bright – perfect for a picnic. I had extra material, so I added a side pocket to store utensils and two napkins.
I bought her a bottle of her favorite wine at Whole Foods along with my favorite salt. The morning of the shower I purchased a freshly baked loaf of bread from my local Publix bakery.
In a new cocktail shaker, I added the VS nightgown and gift receipt, wrapped it up in the VS tissue paper and tied a black ribbon around the gift.
On the front of the card, I wrote something someone said to me over 30 years ago that stuck with me – marriage is a picnic, ants and all. So true and funny and perfect for a picnic basket gift. Inside the card I wrote the blessing along with my personal well wishes.
This is a wonderful gift idea for any new couple or a new homeowner. It represents the best for a full life and you can never go wrong with a blessing. I hope this idea inspires you to create your own twist on a beautiful gift idea.
