Inside: Best laundry basket gift ideas for teens heading to college.
So your teen is heading off to college… how exciting! This is such a monumental step in their lives. Not only are they becoming adults but they are moving out of your house. This adjustment calls for some gifts of the practical variety.
Suddenly, they are going to be on their own.
They’ll find themself going to reach for the paper towels and realize that they don’t have any. They’ll realize that basic staples like salt actually cost money and don’t just magically reappear when they are empty.
They are gonna need the care package that will send them off feeling slightly more prepared than they actually are, and that is where a laundry basket gift comes in.
What is a Laundry Basket Gift?
A laundry basket gift is essentially a brand new laundry basket that is filled with gifts. Usually of the practical variety.
The idea behind it is to get them as many of the staple needed supplies as you can and fit them in a laundry hamper. That way they get to keep the supplies AND the basket.
You can create these laundry basket gift ideas in basically any theme you want. It should be said though that there are some themes that go with the college theme perfectly. If you have a good idea of what this is but have no idea how to create one for your little college-bound teen then keep reading. In this article, I go over everything you need to know about creating a laundry basket gift. Starting with cute themes for your basket and finishing on how to wrap this sucker.
There are lots in between so you better get started!
Cute Ideas for Laundry Basket Gift
1. Cleaning Basket – This basket is filled with all of the cleaning supplies your college student will eventually need: Sprays, Sponges, Scrub brushes, you take it and it’s in this basket.
2. Decor Basket – For those of you whose children pride themselves on creating a cute space, consider creating a decor basket. You can fill this kind with posters, fairy lights, photos, you name it. Also, make sure to include command strips and tacks.
3. Food Basket – Obviously for this one don’t pick anything perishable. Just pick their favorite shelf foods and lots of ramens. Since ramen has this ongoing reputation as the go-to food for college students.
4.Organization Basket – Living in a dorm means dealing with small shared spaces. In order to not go crazy, your teen is going to need some organizational skills. Fill this basket with every sort of organizer known to man.
5. Extras Basket – This basket may seem silly, but it’s really not. For this one, you fill it up with extras of basically everything. Underwear, batteries, snacks, you name it. Just make sure to base this one on their likes and needs.
6. Comfort Basket – This is a big transition for them, so you want to give them as much comfort as you can. This basket is filled with all the tools that will do that: Cozy blankets, face masks, slippers, food, etc.
What to Include
7. Hangers – When are hangers ever a bad idea?
8. College Pink Caddy – Everyone knows that college dorm life means that at some point you are going to need a shower caddy, this way you are started out with one.
9. Notebooks – School supplies are always a great addition to these baskets because they will always need more and more of them.
10. First Aid Kit – A first aid kit is a great idea for safety.
11. Lap Desk – For those of you whose children are going to need to save space, check out this lap desk.
12. Wall Plug Holder – We never watch their computer be charging when the power flickers and then suddenly it breaks from the surge. We need a surge protector.
13. Small Fan – Fans can be a perfect addition to this. It is so hard to regulate the temperature in a college dorm.
14. Tool Set – Though they won’t be putting together loads of furniture, nothing comes more in handy than a toolset.
15. Plastic Dish Set – Dishes don’t need to be a whole fancy thing quite yet. Let’s start them off with something more college friendly…more durable.
16. Twin XL Sheets – The comedically small beds require some special bedsheets.
17. Towels – You can never have enough towels.
18. Office Supply Organizer – Organization needs are always high, so consider adding this office organizer.
19. Waffle Maker – Dorms have some strict rules on what’s allowed and what is not. But there are ways around this, like with a mini waffle maker!
20. Vanity Mirror – Mirrors are never a bad idea.
21. 7-Piece Bedding Set – This is a bigger item, but you know they are gonna need some bedding sooner or later.
More Ideas for What to Include
If you are still on the hunt for more items to fill your basket, then continue your search here! The rest of this list is filled with some more of the most needed items that your teen will benefit from while they are at college. Most of these are cleaning supplies, but when are they not gonna need to clean a mess? It’s a good idea to include some regardless of the theme you went with.
22. Snack Bundle
24. Kitchen Spray
25. Laundry Pack
26. Cleaning Bundle
27. Cleaning Rags
30. Command Strips
31. Shower Caddy
32. Bedside Caddy
33. Ramen Cooker
Cutest Baskets to Use
Now that you know what theme you want, and what you would like to include, you may want to choose a laundry basket. They are the basis for this whole gift, after all. There are just so many adorable options out there for laundry your basket gift ideas. Pick a different one for every grad you know!
It doesn’t just have to be a simple plastic one (although I did include those too, just in case), there are so many others that will be so cute in any dorm.
34. Simple, Tall, and Foldable
35. Rollable Basket
36. Laundry Basket with Handles
37. Laundry Basket Flex Plastic
39. Double Duty Laundry Hamper
40. Freestanding Foldable Basket
42. Rope Basket
43. Laundry Basket
47. Small Hamper
How to Wrap It
48. Wrap the whole thing in Christmas Paper – You may have to keep it a little loose, but it is still such a cute way to wrap this big present.
49. Tie it with plastic wrap like an easter basket – This is probably one of my favorite ways I’ve seen this wrapped.
50. Individually wrap each item – This is time-consuming but super fun. They get to spend more time unwrapping everything.
51. Put towels on top and let them find everything underneath – This is super simple and super effective.
52. Slap a bow on it – When in doubt, slap a bow on it and call it a day.
There you have it; laundry basket gift ideas to help get your teen prepared for their big day. You can also include some reading materials, like the educational rights of 18-year-olds. As much as we can try and prepare them, the only way they are going to be able to grow is if they just jump out of the next and figure it out for themselves.
Though it’s up to them to learn to fly…you can make it easier with their snacks and laundry detergent.
I am Natalie, the eldest sister of two teens. I hope to bring not only a fresh outer perspective but an internal one as well when writing here.