Looking for gift basket ideas for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or new grads? This list curated from Made in Iowa companies has something for everyone! The best news – buying from any of these companies supports small, local businesses!

*Thank you Travel Iowa for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are mine.*

Iowa Made Gift Basket Ideas for Moms, Dads, & Grads

Shopping has become a little more difficult this spring thanks to Covid-19, but it is not impossible with a little forethought and ingenuity. I’m excited to share this list of eighteen Iowa companies that are offering unique items for anyone on your gift-giving list. 

Use this list to put together a themed gift basket filled with beautiful and useful items which you can shop for from the comfort of your own home. There’s something for everyone including nature lovers, coffee, wine and beer lovers, recent grads, and gardeners too! 

If you don’t want to put together a gift basket, have the goodies shipped directly to their recipient and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. The most important advice – shop early to make sure your #madeiniowa gifts arrive in time.

Some types of gift baskets you could make include:

A Beer & Snack Lover’s Basket – 

Shopping for men is always stressful for me, but there really isn’t any reason it should be. The way to a man’s heart is often through food or beer, right? My father-in-law’s favorite chips in the whole world are Iowa-Made in Burlington. Did you know you can order Sterzing’s Potato Chips directly from the source? Add merch from Toppling Goliath, an empty insulated growler from Big Grove Brewery, and some beef sticks from La Quercia and you have the perfect beer lover basket! A gift card to your favorite brewery would also be a lovely addition! 

 

A Wine & Cheese Lover’s Basket 

A bottle of wine from Cedar Ridge is the perfect centerpiece for a wine and cheese basket. I really like the Double Oak Reserve Wine from Cedar Ridge. Order in quantities of six and get free shipping so don’t forget to get a bottle for yourself as well. Also include aged white cheddar cheese from Maytag Dairy Farms and a gorgeous flour sack tea towel (Like this It’s Wine Time Towel) from Doe A Deer!

A Spa Gift Basket – 

Do you know someone in need of a little relaxation right now? Gift a spa themed gift gasket with lovely scented candle from Dirt Road Candle Company, homemade goat’s milk soap or lotion from Simple Life Farms, and a special organic and fair trade treat from Ecos lips.

Class of 2020 Gift Basket

Raygun has amazing t-shirts perfect for the 2020 grad who is sad at missing out on graduation, prom, or the end of school in general. We ordered our daughter Raygun T-shirts for her birthday and they are just perfect. Add a bag of popcorn from Iowa Popcorn Company proudly located in Marion. Their popcorn is even grown in Iowa! How cool is that. I also think the Practice Your Purpose Leather Wristband from Red Piglet would be a great addition to a 2020 Graduate Gift Basket.

Nature Lover Gift Basket Ideas

The person who loves state parks, hiking, or nature will adore the gorgeous prints from Bozz Prints. Add in my favorite DEET free bug spray from Bug Soother (or hand sanitizer! They’re also making hand sanitizer right now), and a funny baseball cap from Raygun.

Pollinator Lover Basket

If a special person in your life loves pollinators, give this concrete lily pad bird bath from Isabel Bloom! Add in a few flower and herb seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, and an I Plant for Pollinators t-shirt from Raygun to make the perfect useful gift basket!

Coffee Lover’s Gift Basket Ideas

Any coffee lover would appreciate a package of delicious coffee from Verena Street Coffee. I love this fair trade organic blend called Barn Dancer. Made in Dubuque, this coffee is really good. A cute mug and towel gift set from Doe A Deer would also be a lovely addition to a coffee lover’s basket. I’d add this towel for a coffee lover-  Brewtiful Mornings Begin with Coffee!

Iowa Companies Mentioned in this Post:

This is only a small list of Iowa companies. Please consider supporting these local businesses as you consider gifts for moms, dads, and grads this year.

1. Isabel Bloom – handcrafted cement sculptures for your home and garden
2. Raygun – maker of sweatshop-free, funny midwest themed tshirts, hats, and more
3. Bozz Prints – beautiful midwest themed prints
4. Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery – Iowa wines and my husband’s favorite Iowa whiskey
5. Bug Soother – my favorite DEET-free bug spray, crafted in Columbus Juntion
6. Seed Savers Exchange – heirloom seeds for your garden
7. Doe A Deer – Cute flour sack towels, mugs, and more, located in Stuart
8. Dirt Road Candle Company – 100% soy, small batch candles scented with essential oils + more, based in Atlantic
9. Verena Street Coffee –  delicious coffee roasted and packaged in Dubuque 
10. Toppling Goliath – Makers of fine beer including my husband’s favorite IPA Pseudo Sue, located in Decorah
11. Red Piglet – t-shirts and hat company encouraging simple living and spreading joy, based in Cedar Falls 
12. Ecolips – organic and fair trade lip & body care, made in Cedar Rapids
13. Sterzing’s Potato Chips – chips and popcorn
14. Iowa Popcorn Company – Maker of flavored popcorn and caramel pretzels using Iowa grown ingredients, based in Marion
15. Simple Life Farms – goat milk soaps, body care, and cheese, made outside Winterset
16. Big Grove Brewery – merchandise from a popular Iowa City Taproom & Solon Brewpub
17. La Querchia – cured meats from sustainably sourced pastured pigs based outside Des Moines
18. Maytag Dairy Farm – award winning Bleu Cheese, Cheddar, and Edam produced in Newton

I hope this post gets your creative juices flowing and inspires you to shop local from the comfort of your own home. There are so many Iowa-owned businesses deserving of your patronage right now. Make sure to check out all of these ideas for the moms, dads, and grads in your life!

Need more Iowa Made Gift Basket Ideas?  Here are two past posts featuring even more Iowa companies with products perfect for any type of gift basket you need!

Shop Local and Online to Support Iowa Farmers & Artisans

Perfect Iowa Gifts