A Whakatāne teenager has turned her love of gift-giving into a budding small business, launching a venture creating customised gift baskets for special occasions.

Seventeen-year-old Danielle Alvey-Smith has started Blissful Baskets Co. with the help of her mum, Carla Alvey.

Danielle said the idea came naturally after she realised how much she enjoyed putting together thoughtful gifts for friends and family.

“I was struggling a lot to get a job. Being 17 and trying to find your first job can be really hard,” she said.

“I love gift giving – it’s my love language.

“I’d made a few baskets for birthdays and helped mum’s partner with one for Valentine’s Day, and I realised how fun it was. I thought maybe I could start selling them.”

The pair decided to test the idea with Easter-themed baskets as their first offering, launching the concept online to gauge community interest.

Within 24 hours of posting about the business, they had already secured their first paid order.

“That was really exciting,” Danielle said. “We just wanted to see if people would be interested, and the response has been really supportive.”

The baskets come in a range of sizes and themes, and although each one will be different, they match the value of the chosen price range.

Customers can also request certain preferences, including dietary requirements or favourite treats.

“If someone says they prefer white chocolate or they need gluten-free items, we can work with that.”

What sets their gift baskets apart from others is that each one is made to order.

“Everything is fresh. Once someone places an order and it’s confirmed, we go out and buy everything and make the basket for that person,” she said.

“They’re made with love and passion. They’re not just something sitting on a shelf waiting to be sold.”

Each gift basket is made inside a reusable storage container.

“I didn’t want to use those cane baskets, because you can’t really re-use them for anything, and they end up going into landfill, so I decided to use durable storage containers instead,” Danielle said.

The pair also plans to create themed baskets for occasions such as birthdays, baby showers, holidays and corporate gifts, and hope to eventually expand into options for fundraisers and raffles.

Working together has been a good experience so far, Ms Alvey said.

“We actually haven’t clashed. It’s been more fun than anything,” she said.

“We’re pretty good, we’re pretty much best friends,” Danielle said.

She sees the business as a chance to learn new skills and work independently.

“I’ve always had lots of ideas in my head, and I like the thought of doing something of my own instead of working for someone else,” she said.

The long-term goal is to grow the business throughout the year with themed baskets for holidays and special events.

Orders can be made by emailing [email protected] or contacting Blissful Baskets Co. through their Facebook or Instagram pages.