How Music Makes My Life Better (Gift Basket Tutorial and Free Printable)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #ExpressUrSelfie #CollectiveBias

Music is an important part of my life. It is woven into my day-to-day routines, my relationships, my hobbies, my personality, and my faith. Music can bring me from the depths of sadness and raise me up to the point of joy. Music can transport me to another place and time or it can stop time. Music is a gift and a blessing and my life would not be as colorful without it. That is one reason I am in love with the new Coca-Cola™ bottles that are in stores now. These awesome bottles (and cans) have song lyrics printed on them. The picture below is of me with a Coca-Cola Zero™ with a verse from a song that takes be back to my childhood.

My love for music has grown exponentially in recent years as I have watched my little sister be transformed by it. My sister, who is about to graduate from high school, has autism and has faced incredible odds to make it as far as she has come. Autism touches people in many ways and there was a time when I wasn’t sure what she would be able to accomplish in her life. But this young lady continues to blow all expectations out of the water. She has a beautiful singing voice, and although she can’t read music, can play just about any song on the piano that she wants to play. She is spirited, intelligent, compassionate, and very funny. Music has given her a voice, a passion, and a purpose. I am so incredibly thankful for that.

I made a fun gift basket for my sister in honor of her love for music and her upcoming graduation. I incorporated a few of her favorite things, her school colors, and some inspirational and music-inspired items. I also picked a few Coca-Cola “Share A Coke And A Song” products with lyrics just perfect for the occasion. Building a gift basket is fun but it can be time consuming and expensive. Scroll down for some tips on how to build a gift basket they will love.

Building a Gift Basket They Will Love

• Pick a “basket” (hint: it does not have to be a basket). A basket will do, but you can also use totes, bowls, pitchers, buckets, travel bags or whatever fits the occasion.
• Choose a theme or focus. For this project I used music as a starting point and then added in other things my sister liked. Some fun theme ideas: sports, movies, TV shows, music, gardening, outdoors, color schemes, travel, food, pampering, games, hobbies, and love.
• Show the recipient you know them. Make sure you choose items that show you really know the person. Individualization is the key to a successful gift basket.
• Balance the basket. Incorporate items of varying size and cost. Also, try to include both store bought and homemade items. This makes the basket more interesting and appealing.
• Fill ‘er up. Fill the basket up. If you have a tight budget, you might be surprised at the amazing finds waiting for you in the dollar stores and dollar bins around town. Also, be sure to use tissue paper, craft grass, or other fillers to stabilize the items and fill empty space.

I found a “Share A Coke And A Song” Coca-Cola bottle that was perfect for this graduation basket. I added a simple tag that I got in a dollar bin and in under a minute I had a personalized gift.I found this frame in my sister’s school colors at a local hobby store. I made the printable you see below using a line from my sister’s favorite song, and I printed it out on photo paper. I was very pleased with how this turned out. I cannot wait to see if she likes it, too.

I really love the “Share A Coke And A Song” bottles and cans. There are so many lyrics with differing sentiments. I did a little dance when I saw the can below. Anyone who knows me knows that I say this a lot.

Enter to win the Share a Coke Sweepstakes at cokeplaytowin.com/shareacokesweepstakes for a chance to win tickets to the American Music Awards and more. Also, be sure to look for the fun displays at Safeway, where I bought several “Share a Coke and a Song” cans and bottles. You can also use the Shazam mobile app to scan the lyric on specially marked 20-oz. bottles. How fun is that?

If your life had a soundtrack, what kind of music would it include? Maybe you will find the perfect lyric for your life on a bottle of Coca-Cola. Grab one of these fun bottles or cans, snap a selfie, upload your selfie to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #ShareaCokeSweepstakes. You just might win big!

Enter to win the Share a Coke Sweepstakes at cokeplaytowin.com/shareacokesweepstakes