Gift baskets are a perennial favorite for the holidays, both for their aesthetic appeal as well as the variety and abundance of their contents. Most gift-basket recipients get a kick out of peeling back the cellophane wrap to see just what all their good-looking gift basket contains. You'll have no trouble finding pre-prepared gift baskets at this time of year, stocked with a sampling of a retailer's particular products, wrapped and ready to go.

But with a little time and effort, you can create imaginative, fully customized gift baskets for everyone on your list and have just as much fun assembling them as your recipients will have receiving them - guaranteed!

Armchair Athlete: Include a big jar of beer nuts, super-sized bag of Doritos, South Park playing cards, Scarface DVD, life-size wall mural of a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and a 6-pack (splurge and get some of the good stuff though).
Bibliophilia: In a heavy-duty book bag, include a mini book light, bookplates (with the recipient's name already filled in), bookmarks, and of course, books - try literary award winners, new non-fiction releases, or a recommended read.
Brain Basket: Include crossword puzzles, Mensa puzzles, Sudoku, a few nice pens/pencils, 3D brain teasers, a book on IQ testing, packaged tea or coffee (or other caffeine fix), and a copy of The World As I See It by Albert Einstein.
Green Gifter: Include eco-friendly products in a reusable cloth bag, such as hemp lip balm, energy-saving lightbulbs, organic dark chocolate, mini composter and a copy of Tim Flannery's The Weather Makers or Dr. Seuss's The Lorax.
High-Tech Treasure: For those with the budget, treat the techie in your life to a shiny metal basket with a new Motorola MOTOKRZR cell phone, an iPod nano, 4 Gig USB flash drive, handheld GPS and a gift card to Best Buy for whatever's missing.
Starving Student: Include some high-energy drinks, homemade cookies, fully-loaded photocopy card or Kinko's gift card, gourmet noodle/meal kits, a bottle of aspirin and (if you're feeling really generous) a cheque for next month's rent.
Taste of India: Include Indian-style placemats/napkins, a spice-scented candle, small decorative elephant, a henna Mehndi tatto kit, travel book of India, and a colorful picture of one of the Hindu gods or goddesses.
The Cinephile: Include one or more DVDs, a movie review guide, gourmet or classic butter popcorn, Junior mints or licorice, movie gift certificates, and the most recent copy of Premiere or Variety magazine.
Winter Warmer: Include cozy slippers, small fleece throw, a snowflake shaped candle, a copy of New Yorker magazine and the makings of a hot rum toddy (mini rum, hot buttered drink mix, wooden mixer, cinnamon sticks).