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Tuesday, February 18th
As the name suggests, Design It Yourself Gift Baskets offers unparalleled control over every aspect of your gift-giving experience. Unlike mass-produced gift baskets offered by their competitors, they craft each basket to order with carefully-curated items. This Houston-based service doesn't warehouse perishable products, meaning you won't need to worry about accidentally gifting expired food items.
Three ways to create a gift
You'll find three distinct ways to send a gift basket. First, there's the signature "Design It Yourself" option, where you're in control - select your theme, container, and every product that goes inside. Choose from popular themes like Gourmet Enthusiast, Coffee Lover, Tastes of Texas, That's Italian, Chocolate Lover, Golf Enthusiast, Spa & Pamper, New Baby, and Wine Connoisseur. (We do wonder at this limited selection of basket themes - no custom Christmas, Mother's Day, or Birthday-themed DIY baskets?) Since you're the designer, prices vary based on your selections, but you'll see the amount calculated throughout the process. If you prefer a guided approach, try Gift Express - simply set your budget and pick a theme, and let the experts handle the product selection. If you're interested in a quick and simple gift basket, browse their Standard Designs collection of pre-assembled baskets.
Dozens of pre-assembled baskets to choose from
Although the Design It Yourself theme options are somewhat limited, the Standard Designs collection offers an impressive variety. We found gift baskets suited for gardeners, college students, tennis players, summer celebrations, and all major holidays. They even offer gifts for lesser-known occasions like Administrative Professional's Day and Sweetest Day - a 1920s Cleveland tradition started by a candy company employee to distribute sweets and small gifts to those in need. This latter sounds like a marketing ploy by candy companies to sell more candy, but hey - if you're looking for unique or obscure gift baskets, Design It Yourself likely has what you're seeking.
Gift baskets for summer hosting
For example, we were intrigued by the Margarita Craze basket ($99.95), which comes packed with snacks like seasoned pretzels, nut mixes, and a liter of Jose Cuervo margarita mix - perfect for summer entertaining. For the green thumbs in your life, the Bless My Bloomers garden tote ($129.95) combines practicality with treats, featuring stainless steel gardening tools, gourmet snacks, and thoughtful additions like a kneeling pad and sunscreen.
Website needs an update
Design It Yourself Gift Baskets' website would benefit from modernization. While some competitors offer sorting and filtering of all their gift baskets in one place by price, popularity, and contents, this site only allows browsing by category. The gift basket products aren't organized in any discernible order - not by price or alphabetically - making browsing feel random and disorganized. At minimum, price-based categories would be helpful, but currently, you must enter a specific search term to use the price filter to find items within your budget. From what we can tell, their gift baskets start at $50 and can be as expensive as $500, though most fall under $200.
Upgrade the basket's greeting card or ribbon
When it comes to personalizing your gift basket, you'll find plenty of thoughtful options. Your basket will be wrapped according to your chosen occasion, and you can include a heartfelt message with no character restrictions. For an extra special touch, upgrade to a handcrafted greeting card ($7-15) featuring whimsical or elegant designs like pop-up Christmas trees, floral patterns, or even pickleball themes. And, here's a feel-good bonus: all card upgrade proceeds support stray and feral cat protection programs. Want to make it even more personal? Add a satin ribbon with your custom 45-character message for just $8.
Get 10-20% off your first order
The last time we reviewed this gift basket company, Design It Yourself had a Specials & Best Sellers tab where you could find all deals in one place. This no longer exists. They also used to offer seasonal discounts (like $30 off when you spend $200), but we found no such discounts this time. That said, they still offer 20% off your first order - twice as much as many of their competitors. While first-time discount amounts may vary throughout the year, you can typically expect at least 10% off your first purchase.
Next Day Air shipping available
Your Design It Yourself gift basket will be shipped via FedEx or UPS, with shipping rates varying based on the size and weight of your basket. You can choose from several delivery options, including Local Courier (next business day), Ground (3 business days or less), 3-Day Express, 2-Day Air, or Next Day Air. For time-sensitive gifts, they recommend upgrading from Ground shipping since those transit times aren't guaranteed. Residential ground deliveries run Monday through Saturday, while commercial deliveries run Monday through Friday. During peak periods around major holidays like Valentine's Day and Christmas, your order may take an extra business day to ship.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed
Design It Yourself Gift Baskets has a fantastic 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you or your gift recipient aren't completely satisfied, you get to choose how they make it right - whether that's a replacement, refund, or credit. However, you'll only have 3 days from receiving your order to report any damaged or defective items. For product substitutions, they'll replace unavailable basket items with similar ones of equal or greater value, but if the actual basket or container you chose isn't available, they'll contact you to discuss alternatives.
Flawless reputation
You'll be pleased to know that Design It Yourself Gift Baskets maintains an impressive "A+" rating with the Better Business Bureau, where they've been accredited since 2005 without any complaints. Their stellar reputation shines through in countless 4- and 5-star reviews, with customers consistently praising their prompt customer service, beautiful arrangements, and seamless customization process. Real estate agents particularly love using their service for client closing gifts, and appreciate the ability to work directly with a company representative who helps accommodate special requests, allergies, and preferences. Even in the rare instances where customers have raised concerns, the company has gone above and beyond to make things right, even investigating product freshness with suppliers and sending replacement gifts for complete satisfaction.
A great choice
Although we're disappointed not to see the same discounts available from our last review, and we think their website needs a revamp, these are minor concerns. Design It Yourself's pricing is comparable to competitors, but you have much more control over the final gift basket product here. The quality of individual products seems superior, and everywhere we looked, we found evidence that this company genuinely cares about customer satisfaction. They won't blame you if something isn't to your liking - they simply make it right. For these reasons, this company wins second place on our list of gift basket retailers.
Gift baskets are a lifesaver for people who want to give thoughtful, customized presents without spending hours shopping, wrapping, and coordinating. Whether you're celebrating a loved one's birthday, sending a thank-you gift to a business associate, or expressing sympathy during a difficult time, a gift basket can convey your message with care and creativity.
These curated packages are convenient and personal, solving the common problem of not knowing what to give or how to give it in a way that feels meaningful. Gift baskets vary widely in style, contents, and price, so you have the flexibility to find one that suits your recipient and your budget.
Some are filled with gourmet foods like artisanal cheeses, chocolates, and wine, perfect for foodies or a romantic celebration. Others focus on themes, such as pampering spa products for a relaxing treat or practical items for new parents. While a few gift basket retailers allow you to create custom baskets, all offer pre-designed options for most occasions.
Not all gift basket companies are created equal, so it's important to be aware of differences in quality, delivery options, and pricing. Some gift basket services specialize in high-end offerings with luxury packaging, while others focus on affordability and practicality. Still others masquerade as high-end, baiting-and-switching customers with dollar store products instead of the gourmet treats they advertise. It can be hard to tell what kind of company you're dealing with on appearances alone, so it's important to look at what their past customers have said about them online.
When shopping for gift baskets online, keep the following considerations in mind to make sure both you and your giftee have a good experience:
To make your gift-giving experience easier, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked the best gift basket companies available online. Whether you're looking for something elegant, practical, or whimsical, we hope this review helps you find a service that meets your needs and makes your gifting experience stress-free and memorable.
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