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Bridal shower gift question

MandyLand29MandyLand29 member
First Anniversary Name Dropper First Comment
in Registry and Gift Forum
I hope this is a good place for this question. I'm fairly new to the knot and this is my first time posting!

I'm attending the bridal shower of a good friend from high school this weekend. I have purchased the mixing bowl set and a large popcorn bucket (mostly because I thought it was funny- we lived on popcorn in high school) from her registry. The bucket is an odd shape and really quite large so I don't think I'll be wrapping it. I initially thought I would just tie a nice bow around it but it would look kind of empty and sad that way, which brings me to my dilemma.

I considered purchasing some other small things from the registry like serving spoons and spatulas but I would need to buy a lot to actually fill or even half fill this bucket. She registered for all those small things and picked out ones on the pricey side and I don't want to spend a lot more money trying to fill the bucket. So I came up with another idea.

Her sister is hosting and sent recipe cards for us to fill out with the invitations. I thought maybe I could buy some of the dry components of the recipes I'm giving her and fill the bucket with those. I would attach a note to the bucket saying something like "to get you started on those recipes!" Or something along those lines.

I thought it would be cute and practical. I also know they are a bit strapped financially right now and have been having trouble making ends meet so I figure some groceries might be appreciated at this point. (For those wondering, their families are paying for the wedding which is very small-immediate family and really close friends only.)

But I'm not sure if it would be inappropriate to include regular food items as part of the gift. What do you think? If the ingredients aren't a good idea, any suggestions on what else I could put in the bucket without spending too much extra money?

Thanks for the advice!

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Re: Bridal shower gift question

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    csuavecsuave member
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    I don't think there is anything wrong with the food items but I think alternate ideas might work just as well or better.

    Do the mixing bowls fit in the popcorn bucket?  I suggest putting the mixing bowls in the popcorn bowl and then crumpling a ton of tissue paper to cover the mixing bowls/fill up the popcorn bowl.  Then you can put a bow on it.

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    MobKazMobKaz member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    You don't need to fill the entire bucket to make it look pretty.  You could stuff the bottom of the bucket with colored tissue, colored crinkle/Easter grass, or cellophane.  You could add some microwave popcorn, seasoned/flavored salts, and maybe even some inexpensive popcorn bowls or paper bags.  That could look really cute and coordinated.  Depending on your budget, you could add movie money via a gift card to Red Box or something along those lines.

    I have often paired nonperishable food items in with gifts.  I have bought salad bowls and included nonperishable ingredients for a great salad, or ice cream bowls and added toppings and syrups.  I personally wouldn't find it inappropriate at all.
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    MandyLand29MandyLand29 member
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    @csuave I hadn't considered that. They might fit but I'd be reluctant to do that as the mixing bowls came in a sealed box. I wouldn't want to open them just in case she's changed her mind about them or gets duplicates or something.

    @mobkaz I really like the idea of the popcorn, flavored salts and movie money! Thanks!
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    netskyblue2netskyblue2 member
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    It's a popcorn bucket.  Get some popcorn and put inside!  Maybe some of those fancy shake-on flavorings if you want to go all-out.  Agree with @mobkaz with using tissue or something to pad the bucket.
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    kla728kla728 member
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    netskyblue2 said:
    It's a popcorn bucket.  Get some popcorn and put inside!  Maybe some of those fancy shake-on flavorings if you want to go all-out.  Agree with @mobkaz with using tissue or something to pad the bucket.
    Maybe popcorn, some candy & a DVD or gift card to a movie theater?  Might be cheaper than the utensils.  I love the recipe ingredients idea (as long as it sticks to things that really go together) but without knowing what this popcorn bucket looks like, I kind of feel like it might look strange.  
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    erinlin25erinlin25 member
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    your idea is great I think! I also was going to suggest putting some popcorn and flavorings as well along with a dvd for a fun stay at home date night. 

    One of my friends got me one of my big pasta bowls to go with my everyday dishes and then she put some pasta, sauces, italian seasoning and a bottle wine in the bowl and wrapped it cellophane, so it was like a gift basket.  I loved it and when we moved into our house it was the first meal we made :)


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    lyndausvilyndausvi mod
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    I love the idea.      Especially popcorn stuff and movie tickets.


    Back in the day my shower gift was a basket filled with everything you need to make chocolate chip cookies.   I would put in cookie sheet, mixing bowls, spatulas, measuring cups/spoons, chips, flour, vanilla, sugar, brown sugar, pot holders, tea towels cookie jar and even his and her milk glasses.  It was always a hit.  






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
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    RebeccaB88RebeccaB88 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    I was going to suggest what @mobkaz suggested - turn the popcorn bucket into a 'date night in' bucket with popcorn, flavors, maybe a bottle of wine or beer they like, Milk Duds, Redbox rental, TV guide. Pad the bottom and wrap in cello. Cute! I might steal this someday...
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    theartistformerlyknownastheartistformerlyknownas member
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    I almost always do this...buy the strainer pasta pot, fill it with gourmet pasta, seasonings, wine, etc. Buy the pie plate and measuring cups/spoons, include my favorite apple pie recipe, some nice cinnamon, etc. Makes it a little personalized while still fulfilling a registry item.
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    gogracegograce member
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    kla728 said:
    netskyblue2 said:
    It's a popcorn bucket.  Get some popcorn and put inside!  Maybe some of those fancy shake-on flavorings if you want to go all-out.  Agree with @mobkaz with using tissue or something to pad the bucket.
    Maybe popcorn, some candy & a DVD or gift card to a movie theater?  Might be cheaper than the utensils.  I love the recipe ingredients idea (as long as it sticks to things that really go together) but without knowing what this popcorn bucket looks like, I kind of feel like it might look strange.  
    I really love this though. I love making gift baskets like this. I'd fill the bottom like previous posters suggested with celophane or easter grass, get some popcorn, candy, a shaker, and a DVD (or two if you can find some decent ones in the $5 bin at WalMart!). 
    I was in a friend's wedding a year and a half ago and for her shower, I bought these really cute dishes sold seasonally at a local grocery store when they went on sale for $1 a piece (4 plates, 4 bowls, and 4 mugs) and I got a dish drying rack from Walmart. I put it together and used one of those shrink-wrap bags from Hobby Lobby to make it look complete. It was so cute!
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    wandajune6wandajune6 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    It's a sweet idea!

    I've done a movie night basket that's similar to what you're thinking of: a big popcorn bowl, popcorn (microwave or kernals), fancy salts or flavorings, and either a bottle of wine or a DVD to go with it. I've also done pasta nights like @erinlin25.

    I'd wrap it with supplies from Dollar Tree- crinkly stuff to fill it out and the big clear bags they sell for wrapping baskets. It will make it look much more pulled together, especially with a bit of ribbon!

    If you include recipes, I'd recommend including all of the ingredients for at least one of the recipes. For instance, I adore popcorn popped with olive oil and a little bit of truffle salt. You can get a small bottle of olive oil for a few bucks and truffle salt sounds much more expensive than it is (check Marshall's or TJ Maxx- I got some there for $4). For the more traditional, try a few varieties of fancy microwave popcorn (think Whole Foods) taken out of the box and arranged prettily.

    These all sound like great gifts!
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