We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tasha Murchison a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tasha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

For me personally, I have always felt like I didn’t have a creative side. It wasn’t until 2020 when I was putting together a baby shower gift for a girlfriend that I discovered I had a gift but never really considered it a craft: creating gift baskets for friends and family for special occasions. It was then I realized this is something I love to do and that I can turn into a side hustle. So, at that point, I started watching tons of YouTube videos for additional inspiration and to see what other people in the industry were doing. I would also browse Pinterest; I love seeing what others are doing around the world in this same field. I’ve also started paying more attention to the gift items that big-box stores offer from season to season, seeing how I could recreate them and make them my own.

I have learned so much over the past couple of years, but I know there is still much more to learn. I’ve learned things like the best places and times to purchase inventory and what products work best during specific holidays or occasions.

One thing I am definitely learning daily is that you have to be patient with yourself and be consistent. You have to be almost two steps ahead of the holiday season.

Another aspect I am learning is how to turn my craft into an official business. Starting a business was not always my plan, at least not until I got older. But, I am ready now to give it my all and see what the future holds for me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I just want to take the time to say thank you for this opportunity to experience something like this. I am excited to be presented with this chance to reach people who I may not have otherwise been able to reach.

Now, to get back to the question. I am Tasha Murchison. In my everyday life, I am a wife and a mother of two young girls. I have a 7-year-old and a 2-year-old. Both kids keep me busy, but my 7-year-old really keeps me the busiest. She plays flag football, soccer, basketball, and does gymnastics throughout the whole year. Any parent who is a sports parent already knows; it’s a lot of going back and forth between practice and games. My husband and I take turns with the sports. So my family and I are constantly on the go. In addition to making sure the house is still running as smoothly as possible and being a sports mom, I work a full-time job as an HR Specialist with the government. But I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I got into gift baskets by chance. I was always the person who felt like they had to have the perfect gift for any event that I was going to. So, I would do what I love the most and shop around until I found it. Then I found myself always wanting to purchase more than 1 gift and put together a gift basket to give to the person. So, I figured with my love of shopping and always wanting to put together the perfect gift, why not. It still didn’t click for me until 2020 to start creating gift baskets as a side hustle. I think of it as a way to help out my fellow moms and friends. I know and understand the importance of getting the perfect gift for the person you love.

For me, I enjoy creating gift baskets. I have created gift baskets for all kinds of occasions and holidays from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day, kids’ birthday gift baskets to a 90-year-old’s birthday basket. I have created a diaper cake for a baby shower and a school supply cake for back-to-school. I have even had the opportunity to do other creations like decorating a hotel room for an 18-year-old’s birthday and creating personalized party favors for the guests, as well as creating forever flower boxes. Then I even get to put both of my passions together; my love for gift baskets and budgeting. I have helped a few women get their finances in order and help them save by creating budget binders and personalized cash envelopes.

For me, I am most proud of being able to help people with their different needs and being able to do it not only within their budget but also making sure I put the client and the recipients of the items/gift first in my mind. I also know that not everyone has the time to go out shopping and they just need a little help getting the perfect gift for whatever occasion/holiday it is. So, why not be the person who can bring some relief to them by taking that task off their hands. I know the feeling of wanting to get the perfect gift and then the next thing you know, you have run out of time and now you have to get your loved one a gift card. Don’t get me wrong everyone loves gift cards but sometimes you just want to do a little more than a gift card.

One thing I would like potential clients to know is that making sure they are happy with their purchase is a top priority for me. For me, getting to know the client and the recipient is extremely important. This ensures that when we are out purchasing items for the client we are getting the right things. Also, know that we are always changing up the items we offer. We try to come up with new items often. This helps keep our clients coming back. Currently, we are in the process of revamping and becoming a fully established business, and I can’t wait to share that with the world. This will be coming this year. So, be on the lookout for some new and exciting things from Dreamable Baskets!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

So many people face numerous challenges throughout their lives; why should we add the burden of giving a personal gift to that list? At Dreamable Baskets, our mission is to translate the vision of our clients into gifts that the recipient will cherish.

With every gift item we create, we take our time not only to understand what our client is looking for in the gift but also to understand who the recipient is. What are their likes and dislikes? What kind of person are they? What are their favorite food, color, and activities during their free time? All this information helps us when we plan the items that go into their gift basket or determine what kind of special gift to provide them that they can’t simply find by walking into a big-box store.

One day, I aspire to become the premier gifting vendor for the local community and provide gifting services to local businesses.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Have you ever seen a child’s face on Christmas morning as they open their favorite gift? Well, for me, that is the most rewarding part of what I do. Being able to receive feedback from my clients saying their family member or friend loved the gift that I created for them is priceless. I can almost hear and see their face light up like a child opening their favorite Christmas gift. Bringing joy to others, one gift at a time, is the reason why I work so diligently on each item that I create.

Another rewarding aspect for me is helping someone get their budget in order. Hearing stories about how someone was able to get a handle on their finances and transition from struggling to pay bills to being able to save for important things like Christmas, vacations, and emergencies brings me immense joy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Dreamable Baskets
• Facebook: Dreamable Baskets
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Keston De Coteau