*This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn commissions.*
One basket in this Christmas room holds wrapped gifts. The other sits open beside it. That empty basket may be the most useful thing in the picture. It’s ready to catch the ribbon and paper as people open presents, and it already belongs with the warm woven rug and the soft chairs around the tree. If the floor usually disappears under a layer of wrapping, it’s worth giving the room a place to put things before anybody sits down. A couple of baskets, a clear route and the seating you already have are a good start.
This image was created with AI as decorating inspiration. Similar pieces can help you recreate the look.
Give the baskets two different jobs
The basket closer to the chairs holds a few wrapped boxes, stacked so the smallest ones are easy to see. The second is empty and slightly farther forward. The matching weave gives the two a clear relationship even though one of them has nothing inside it. You could use different baskets and get the same effect if they’re close in color or have a similar low profile.
Set the gift basket where someone seated near the tree can reach it without crawling beneath branches. Keep the paper basket closer to the person who’ll do the most passing or tidying. Leave enough floor between the two that neither handle gets trapped against the other basket. If the tree occupies most of an alcove, slide both baskets forward to a stable spot where their rims won’t brush the branches. Leave a visible strip of open floor around the grouping.
Put the largest gift on the bottom and use the rim to hold a few smaller ones upright. Lift one small parcel out to test the arrangement. You should be able to take it without tilting the stack. If you have a long or heavy gift, give it its own place beside the tree. A basket feels calmer when it’s holding only pieces that fit naturally. Keep heavier parcels down low and avoid balancing them over the rim.
Use the empty basket to keep the room usable
A low, open basket is easy to aim for from a chair. You can drop loose wrapping into it as you go and remove it without digging past any remaining gifts. If you want to save ribbon, tuck a small bag inside one end before setting the basket out. It gives loose bows and usable lengths somewhere to go without asking everyone to sort a whole pile of paper afterward. A washable liner can help if the weave catches little bits of tape.
For a bigger group, keep a second bag elsewhere and empty the basket once it fills. There’s no advantage to starting with a bigger container than the room can hold. A shallow basket that slides beside a chair will be used more easily than a tall one people have to walk around. If you don’t have a pair, use a soft handled tote for the paper and a woven basket for the gifts. Put the tote where it’s accessible but allow the wrapped presents to remain the prettier part of the scene.
You can make the two jobs clear without signs. The gifts belong in the basket nearer the tree, and the empty one can face the chairs with the handles turned out. If there are small gifts someone might mistake for loose packaging, set those together in a shallow box inside the gift basket. That leaves space around them and makes them easier to count before they’re handed out.
Pull the seating into the same part of the room
The olive chairs in the background sit within view of the tree, and the edge of the pale sofa in front makes the space feel enclosed without blocking it. A folded red throw carries the color from the parcels up to a seat. There’s very little extra decoration at floor height. That matters because you want people to be able to move, set things down and get back to their chairs.
Turn an existing chair a little toward the tree if it normally faces the television or fireplace. Sit in it and check whether you can see the gifts and the person on the sofa. If the chair is too close to a basket to stand up easily, move the basket first. A small side table for drinks can stay beyond the chairs. That keeps cups away from hands passing boxes across the rug.
A natural rug makes the woven baskets look at home and defines where they’ll sit. Keep the front edge of the rug flat and the main walkway open. If you don’t have a rug in the room, use the edge of the seating group as your guide. Put the baskets on the tree side of the chairs where they don’t end up in the path through the room. One throw in the color of the paper can connect the seating and tree without adding anything else on the floor.
Repeat the tree color in the parcels
The tree lights warm the red baubles and make the garnet paper feel like part of the room. The cream ribbons are broad enough to show against the paper but have a soft finish. If your gifts are wrapped in several patterns, pick a few with a common color for the top of the stack. Put the quieter paper below or turn the parcel so a plain side faces out. The rest of the gifts can still look varied and personal.
Use what you already have on the tree as your color cue. A green ribbon can echo foliage on a tree with mostly pale ornaments. For a tree with reds, one cream bow gives the parcels a little contrast. The empty basket can stay plain. Its weave and its place beside the other one are enough to connect the two.
Select baskets you can carry once they’re full
A low open gift basket
Look for a broad base, handles you can reach and enough room inside for your largest intended parcel. Choose a shape that won’t tip when you lift a gift from one side.
A second lightweight basket or tote
Pick a container you can pick up easily after it holds a pile of paper. A low rim makes it easier to use from the sofa.
A warm throw in the wrapping palette
Fold a favorite throw over one arm or at the end of the sofa. A small patch of red or green is enough to carry the tree color into the seating.
Walk through the room with the baskets in place
Check the gap beside the tree, then reach for a gift from each nearby chair. Make sure people can pass without stepping between the baskets. Turn on the tree lights and see how the paper looks from the far side of the room. Move any parcel leaning into the branches and leave the second basket empty.
Final Styling Tip
Turn the empty basket’s handles toward the seating before you sit down. It will be easier to use throughout the morning and easier to lift away afterward.
