The "New Home" Blessings Basket

The Perfect "Best Wishes on Your New Home" gift. Complete with explanation of the meaning of the gifts and a special poem for the special occasion.

*Click on the pictures for a larger view

The "New Home" Blessings Basket

This is the New Home Blessings Basket:   It is intended for anyone who is moving into a new home (to them, not necessarily a new build) The basket features an assortment of products, each with their own symbolism of good wishes for the new owners.

I have written and provided a short poem of good wishes and a list of items and their explanation of their symbolic place in the baskets.

I also like to  include wine glasses, candle holders and assorted candies to make it look nice, though the only necessary ingredients to the basket are the ones on the list.  A bit of clear tape can help to hold the items in place.

I use crumpled up tissue paper on the bottom of  the basket to support the items, you can use what you wish, I also go to the bakery and buy fresh baked bread to the basket, you could even include a bread mix if you wish.

Wrap with celophane, add a pretty bow, and roll the poem or the symbolism page into a scroll and tie with ribbon, add to the basket and it's ready to go.

So far, I have had a very nice response to this, I hope you like it too.

The Symbols and the blessings:

Rice: That there may always be food in the home
Bread: That there may always be friends and family to share with
Salt: That there always be a little spice in your lives
Sugar: That sweetness touch even your worst of days
Candles: That you may always find your way back home
Wine: That there may always be reason to celebrate.

By Betty Dewille
Quick-and-Easy-Recipes

The Poem

Your "New Home" Blessings Basket

May your home be blessed each day and each year
May your family live safe and happily here.
May joyus events fill each of your days
and help build new memories in many new ways
Please accept these gifts as the symbols of
good wishes for you, your home, and your love.

By Betty Dewille
Quick-and-Easy-Recipes
http://quick-and-easy-recipes.com

I make these baskets for my children and special people in my life when they buy their first home. Of course you could do this for anyone moving into their first appartment, dorm or what ever. The point is, The good wishes that it represents. You could substitute the wine for sparkling cider for someone not yet old enough to drink or someone who just avoids alcohol consumption.
The idea was first given to me by a friend, I couldn't remember all the things that went into the basket so I substituted my own and what little I could remember that she had told me. I tried to tie in the symbolism with what she had said, but have never been able to find the information on something similar to this so I don't know if this was a tradition to her particular family or heritage.  The poem and the symbolisms were written by me, as a way of explaining the basket and topping it off with all the good wishes it represents.
You can further embelish the basket with anything you like that is traditional to your family and just add a note of inclusion or write your own poem for it.
The items that go into the basket are included in the symbolisms part, I also include wine glasses and candle holders and add lose hard candy to cover the bottom, sometimes chocolates or what is readily available.
I do wrap them in celophane and place a pretty bow, but these don't always photograph well, so these pics don't reflect the fancy wrapping. Use the idea, Make it work for you, if you include the poem, please make sure it is properly credited.

Other ideas for additions to the baskets:
Soup Mixes 
Pudding Mixes
Pop corn
Coffee or Tea
Margarita Mix
etc.

Use what works in your family, add a note pertaining to how it applies to you, ie: Pop corn, That there may always be a good chick flick when you most need it.
Margarita Mix. That there always be reason to party etc.
Lastly, you can use this idea for what ever reason suits you best, Newly Divorced and Loving it, Finally in College at 45, New Promotion, etc.
Pick what applies and make it work for you. It's fun! Run with it.