Show you Care with a DIY Sympathy Gift Basket

It’s often hard to convey our expressions of condolences when a friend suffers the loss of a loved one. Show you care with this DIY sympathy gift basket for a family who has lost their mom or dad.

 After my sweet Mom’s funeral, I remember standing and admiring the beautiful flower arrangements. One in particular stood out to me.

It was a sympathy gift basket arranged with houseplants. Upon closer look, it had exactly 5 plants – one for each of us “kids”. The idea was that we’d each take one home to remember her by.

I loved that idea and the thoughtfulness of it touched my heart. It inspired this recent DIY sympathy gift basket for a dear family whose father/ husband suddenly passed away.

How to Make a DIY Sympathy Gift Basket with Succulent Plants

Supplies you’ll need for a sympathy gift basket with succulents:

For your shopping convenience, I’ve included affiliate links to Amazon where I could.

• Basket (I could only find them in a set of 6 online – but you can have extra on hand for future use!)
• 3 – 5 inch containers of assorted succulents
• 3- 1 inch pots with small, colorful cactus
• Burlap and Lace Ribbon 2 inches wide (I found mine at a Dollar Store.)
• Grosgrain Ribbon (This polka dot kind would be so nice!)
• Printable Sympathy Card- Find a free set here.

1.Place the largest plant near the back center of the basket.

I chose the largest, leafiest succulent as the centerpiece of the arrangement. I believe this is a “hens and chicks” plant.

2. Carefully place the other 2 succulents in the front corners of the basket.

One of the succulents had variegated stripe leaves and the other dark green, providing interest to the arrangement. I set them in carefully so the leaves wouldn’t catch on each other and snap.

3. Fill in the holes with the small cactus plants.

It was a bit tricky to get the small pots nestled between the larger pots, but lifting the large pots slightly allowed them to slip in nicely.

4.(optional) Add moss or dried moss to fill in the top and cover the pots.

I didn’t have any moss available when I put this sympathy gift basket together, but I think it would provide a nice finishing touch.

5. Tie ribbon around the basket.

I first layered burlap ribbon onto the basket by attaching it at the back with scotch tape. Then, tying gray grosgrain ribbon around the front secured it on nicely.

6. Print off a free printable sympathy gift tag and tie on with jute ribbon.

I put together a set of sympathy and all occasion gift tags that you can find in the free printables library.

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Other gift ideas to express sympathy:

• Give a card with a gift certificate to a spa treatment.
• Fill a gift basket with items for an at home spa, like bath salts, lotion, and nail polish.
• Make a memory jar that can be placed at the funeral to collect memories and thoughts of the loved one from friends and family.
• Deliver food for the family in a disposable pan.  (This lasagna and these brownies are great ideas).
• Just taking time to call or visit to check up on someone who is experiencing grief is also a huge gift. A hug can go a long way…

Other Articles on Grief

• Listen to our podcast on experiencing grief and helping friends who are hurting.
• My husband wrote this post on experiencing grief during the holidays