13 Gift Basket Ideas for Teens

Fill a gift basket with items your teen will love.
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Gift baskets make awesome gifts for teens for any occasion. While you can buy gift baskets that are already packed and ready to go, your best bet is to make one yourself. Then, you can customize the contents to your teen's personality and interests. 

Gift Basket Themes for Teens

Whether it's a teen's birthday, graduation gift, or a going away gift, think about a theme that fits your teen's interests. Here are some gift basket ideas for teens:

  • Bath and Shower Gift Basket—Fill it with scented soaps, face masks, calming lotions, shampoos, or a candle.
  • Retro Candy Gift Basket—Buy fun candies that will remind your teen of his childhood. Or, look for candy from your childhood and talk to your teen about Pop Rocks and Nerds.
  • Junk Food Gift Basket—While it's important to teach your teen to eat junk food in moderation, some sweet treats on a special occasion are just fine. Create a chocolate gift basket filled with different types of chocolates. Or make it a candy bar themed basket complete with one of every kind of candy bar you can find. 
  • Movie Night Gift Basket—If you still have a DVD player, give your teen a movie or two and fill the basket with the perfect food to eat during the show, like popcorn and candy. 
  • Nail Polish Gift Basket—Nail polish and grooming tools make a great little gift basket. Add a nail file, nail polish remover, and a pumice stone.
  • Sports Gift Basket—Create a basket filled with items from your teen's favorite sport. A baseball, athletic socks, or gifts that will remind him of his favorite pro sports team make a fun gift basket for the sports enthusiast. You might also include a sports magazine or some sports cards. 
  • Gift Card Gift Basket—If you're not sure what to get a teen, a few gift cards in a basket are sure to be a hit. Gift cards to restaurants, gas cards, or a teen's favorite stores could be good options. Place the gift cards in mason jars tied with a ribbon and then put all the jars in a box or basket. 
  • Book Lovers Gift Basket—Whether you decide to get motivational books, magic books, or fictional books, a gift basket with books is a good way to encourage a teen to read. It can also be a good option for teen's who aren't feeling well or a teen who is about to undergo a major transition, like moving away to college
  • Car Gift Basket—If your teen has recently become a car owner, give him items that will help him care for his car. Provide items that will help him wash and wax his care or include safety items such as a can of Fix a Flat or a membership to Triple A. You might also include a gas card. 
  • Kitchen Gift Basket—This is a perfect gift for a teen who will be moving out soon. Use a mixing bowl for the basket and fill with kitchen utensils, like a spatula, large spoon, dish towels, and oven mitts. 
  • Art Supply Gift Basket—If your teen enjoys drawing, colored pencils, paper, or paints might be welcomed. If your teen enjoys other crafts, include craft kits or add a bunch of items like glitter glue and craft sticks and let your teen get creative. 
  • Baking Gift Basket—A teen who loves to bake might enjoy a cookbook, cookie sheet, glass dish, cake pan or other items for the kitchen. For a cookie lover, include the dry ingredients needed to bake homemade cookies with a favorite recipe card or two. 
  • Beach Lovers Gift Basket—Fill a beach bag with items that your teen can bring to the beach this summer. Flip flops, a beach towel, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hat are just a few items that might be a good fit. Throw in a book or magazine too if your teen likes to read while relaxing near the water. 

How to Present a Gift Basket

There are many ways to create a personalized gift basket. And it doesn't always have to be a 'basket.' Use a decorative box, shower caddy, or bucket.  

Get creative with your presentation and your teen will know that you put a lot of thought into a personalized gift basket.

1 Source
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Eat Right. Teach Your Teen about Nutrition Facts and Panels. 2020.

By Amy Morin, LCSW
Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, an international bestselling author of books on mental strength and host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. She delivered one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time.