5 Boo Basket Ideas For Coworkers That Cost Less Than Lunch
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Listen, if you just rolled your eyes at “boo baskets,” I get it. But hear me out.
Walking into work on a random Tuesday morning and finding a Halloween-themed gift basket on your desk? That’s the kind of thing that makes you actually not hate Mondays (or any workday, really). It’s like someone said, “Hey, I acknowledge your existence and also that you deserve candy.”
A boo basket is basically a Halloween gift basket filled with treats and spooky goodies. The tradition started with neighbors leaving them anonymously and passing them forward, but now it’s blown up everywhere, including offices. And honestly, why should trick-or-treaters have all the fun?
Here’s the beautiful part: You can put together a killer boo basket for under $20. I’m talking Dollar Tree, Target dollar section, maybe a quick Walmart run. Split a two-pack of pens between two baskets and boom, you just cut costs in half.
The trick (pun absolutely intended) is balancing fun stuff with practical stuff. Nobody needs another dust-collecting knickknack, but everyone appreciates stuff they’ll actually use.
The Coffee Lover’s Basket
Your coworker who’s basically a coffee IV drip on legs? This one’s for them.
Start with a Halloween mug because those jack-o-lantern mugs are ridiculously cute and cost like $5 at Target. Throw in some pumpkin spice K-Cups or instant coffee packets, because duh. Add a few fun stirrers shaped like ghosts or bats if you’re feeling extra.
Hot cocoa mix packets work too if your coworker’s more of a chocolate person. You know what really elevates this? Those little flavored creamers. Pumpkin spice, caramel apple, whatever. Just grab the mini bottles.
Toss in some biscotti or those chocolate-covered espresso beans and you’ve got yourself a basket that says “I know you run on caffeine and I support that.”
Total cost? Probably $15-20 if you’re smart about it.
The Desk Survival Kit
This is for the coworker who basically lives at their desk and has probably forgotten what their kitchen table looks like.
Think practical with a Halloween twist. Ghost-shaped sticky notes are genius because who doesn’t need sticky notes? Spooky pens with little pumpkins or skeletons on top? Yes. Those skull magnets for their filing cabinet? Absolutely.
Here’s where you get sneaky smart: throw in some stress-relief stuff. A mini stress ball shaped like a pumpkin. Maybe one of those slow-rising squishy toys that looks like a cute ghost. Your coworker can squeeze it during that meeting that should’ve been an email.
Add a mousepad with something funny on it like “As far as I know, I’m delightful” with a skeleton shrugging. I saw one and it’s perfect because it’s useful, funny, and not too over-the-top.
Finish it off with some candy corn or fun-sized chocolate bars. The whole thing should run you about $10-15 if you hit up Dollar Tree first.
The Cozy Comfort Basket
Fall is all about getting cozy, and your coworker deserves to feel like a burrito on their couch after dealing with Karen from accounting all day.
Fuzzy Halloween socks are a must. You can find packs of them everywhere right now for like $5. They’re warm, they’re festive, and they’re something your coworker will use way past Halloween.
Add a small throw blanket if you can swing it budget-wise, or a super soft scarf in orange or black. If that’s too expensive, a cozy beanie works too and usually runs under $10.
Pair this with some tea bags or hot apple cider mix, maybe a fall-scented candle from Dollar Tree (they have surprisingly good ones), and some snacks like caramel popcorn or pumpkin spice cookies.
The whole vibe is “go home, get cozy, and forget work exists.” Budget: $15-25 depending on how big you go with the blanket situation.
The Sweet Tooth Basket
Sometimes simple is best. Some people just want candy, and you know what? That’s totally valid.
Go nuts with the Halloween candy. Reese’s pumpkins, candy corn, those chocolate eyeballs, fun-sized everything. Mix in some gourmet stuff if you want to be fancy about it, like pumpkin spice chocolates or caramel apple suckers.
Here’s the thing though: don’t just dump candy in a bucket and call it a day. Make it look intentional. Add some Halloween-themed tissue paper at the bottom to give it height. Maybe throw in a cute Halloween bowl or candy dish that doubles as the container.
You could also add some Oreos with Halloween designs, pumpkin spice cookies, or those Pillsbury ghost sugar cookies if you want to mix it up. Some people put in packets of hot cocoa bombs too, which is a nice touch.
This is probably the cheapest basket to make at $10-15 since you’re mostly buying candy in bulk.
The Mini Everything Basket
Here’s the secret weapon: when you’re boo-ing multiple coworkers, go mini.
Seriously, nobody says your basket has to be massive. A small bucket or even those Halloween treat bags with handles work perfectly. Fill them with one or two candy bars, a small notebook, maybe some tea bags or a package of hot cocoa, and some Halloween stickers.
The beauty of mini baskets is you can make like 5 of them for $20 total if you shop smart at Dollar Tree. Buy things in bulk packs and split them up. That two-pack of pens? One in each basket. Those multi-packs of sticky notes? Split ’em.
Add some tissue paper shred at the bottom so it looks full even with fewer items. The presentation does like 80% of the work here.
This approach is perfect if you’ve got a bigger team and don’t want anyone feeling left out. Plus, it’s way less pressure on anyone to reciprocate with something huge.
Actually Putting This Thing Together
Real talk: the assembly process is kind of fun once you’ve got all your stuff.
Start with your container. Basket, bucket, box, cute bag, whatever. If it’s see-through, add tissue paper at the bottom for height and to hide any empty space. This is the oldest gift basket trick in the book and it works like magic.
Put your biggest items in the back, medium stuff in the middle, small stuff up front. Layer things so you can actually see everything instead of having it all hidden.
If you bought anything in packaging that looks cheap, take it out. But keep tags on in case your coworker needs to return or exchange something.
Want to go the extra mile? Print out a little “You’ve Been Boo’d” tag. There are tons of free printables online. Attach it with some twine or ribbon.
One more thing: the classic boo basket tradition involves leaving it anonymously and asking them to pass it forward to someone else. But in an office setting, it’s honestly fine to just give everyone their own basket at once. Nobody wants to be the last person waiting to get boo’d while watching everyone else enjoy their treats.
The Bottom Line
Look, you’re not trying to win gift-giver of the year here. You’re just trying to make someone’s workday suck a little less and maybe spread some Halloween spirit.
The sweet spot is $10-20 per basket, which is totally doable if you’re strategic. Hit up Dollar Tree first, check Target’s dollar section, and don’t sleep on Walmart’s Halloween clearance.
Mix practical stuff with treats. Add some tissue paper so it looks intentional. Boom. You’re done.
Your coworkers will walk in, see that basket, and get a little hit of serotonin before they even check their emails. And honestly? In today’s world, that’s worth its weight in fun-sized Snickers bars.
Now go forth and spread some spooky joy. Or at least some chocolate. Chocolate works too.
