The holidays are approaching and I always like to do something unique to package up my cookies, but I'm coming up blank this year!

And I thought it would be fun to compile a thread of ideas for everyone to share! So post your ideas here if you don't mind sharing.

I have a few pics at home that I'll add later, but these are some things I've done in the past:

- Empty paint cans from the hardware store, with a printed label and one of those special paint opener tools tied to the handle with ribbon - holds a LOT of cookies!

- Chinese take-out boxes. Put multiple boxes of cookies into a large brown lunch sack and stable a "check" outside with as a to/from tag.

- Had and idea for using cheap insulated lunch bags (from the dollar store). But the colors were too neon for my preference. Still looking though!

we have used a lot of different containers before.

Buckets have been the most popular the last few years. I find them at the dollar store and they usually have special ones decorated for the holidays.

A hat box is fun

baskets are always a great choice and we usually decorate the basket with tissue and cellophane that match the theme.

Last year I ordered boxes from orientaltrading.com. They were so cheap and really worked well. Some had snow men on them and some had Santa Claus. I individually wrapped each cookie and put a personal label on them. They were a big hit.

I saw in a book one time (have yet to try this) where you could make a bowl out of a cookie by covering the outside of a metal bowl with cookie dough then bake it upside down. You can also paint it before you put it into the oven with egg yolks mixed with food coloring. It would be neat to do this the wrap it in plasic wrap

Oh, and their bowl was filled with fruit shaped cookies.

Last year I used a fancy tea cup and saucer with a xmas theme on it for my mom and put shortbread cookies in it (a xmas cookie tradition for our family) . For the kids I bought xmas mugs from the dollar store with the matching plate and made mas sugar cookies and put them in the mug. Around the plate I put choc xmas candies and I added a packet of hot chocolate with a baggie of mini marshmallows and did the whole thing in celephone with a xmas ribbon. They turned out really nice and everyone loved them.

bump

wanted to add the pic I said I was going to earlier...

I remembered I have also used decorative shirt boxes too.

bump - this is a great thread!

Similar to Cookie_Brookie, I also saw a recipe where they covered a loaf pan in cookie dough; but they were in the shape of round cookies overlapping each other to make it solid. An edible bowl or box is a great idea.

I like to use tins from the dollar store or Big Lots that are decorated in Christmas-y fashion. I have also used pretty baskets lined with a Christmas napkin, and placed the cookies in decorated ziplocks. This is a fun thread! Can't wait to see all the wonderful ideas everyone has!

Marilyn

Hi Y'all,

Happy pre-holidays!!

I love the paint cans. Were the cans expensive?

Many years ago, at a mall there was a wrapping booth that had the big cans. You could fill them with whatever you wanted and they could be sealed. I filled my dad's with fishing stuff and attached an old dull can opener to it. He gave up and used the electric.

As far as packaging for food, I pick the years decorating theme,(snowmen, Santa, snowflakes) find fabric and make basket liners for cheap baskets from Wal-mart($1.8. The goodies are wrapped in plastic wrap that matches the color theme and ribbons tied around them. Single men at work love them and usually give the baskets back to be refilled/reused. The women usually get either a small cookbook or decorated receipt cards for the goodies that are in the basket.

Charli

I don't remember the exact cost of the paint cans, but going by my general rule of cheapness (LOL) they couldn't have been much more than $2 each for those large cans. That was maybe 3 years ago.

They also sell small quart-sized paint cans that would work great for smaller gifts. Thos gallon sized took A LOT of cookies to fill.

I forgot to add one other thing I've done in the past -

Cheap Christmas stockings! I wrapped each type of cookie in it's own plastic bag, and piled them all into the stocking, and attached a tag with yarn.

Keep the ideas coming!

Well I have been boring - I usually shop the sales and try and get christmas platters (last year I got nice thick etched glass 14" platters for less than $2.00 after sale and coupons) I also watch at Ross and Marshalls.

Love the other cute packaging ideas - I just like to see the cookies.

I am searching for cute bridal shower favors for my sister and I came across clear paint cans. They are so cool but they were like $6 a piece!!

I like to find small hat box type containers or small tins with a christmas or winter motif and then I just bake up a lot of sugar cookies and decorate them to match the container........it's more work this way.....because you end up decorating 5-8 cookies one way and 5-8 others a diff. way and so on......but I find they generally have a lot of the same colors so it's not a TON of more work...but people realize how personalized their cookies are.....especially when the people you give them to know eachother, they get really impressed that you decorated cookies differently for each of them!

One year I decided to try something different and made Santa bags out of red velvet material trimmed in white furry material and a drawstring cord. These ended up very cute...but very time consuming (Martha Stewart I am NOT!) After I ran out of the red velvet, I just used whatever cheap Christmas fabric I could find...but the traditional red velvet was the cutest!

oh, dollar store, here I come! I think that I will do some cookie flyers to get orders from friends offices!

I have the wrapcandy program that does labels for the paint cans and such...!!

Thanks for the thread!

Wow, such great ideas here already! I have sold in the past, the following: plain terra cotta pots, painted white, with the top band and interior painted black. Then I put a "face" on one side of the pot to make it look like a snowman ("coal" eyes, mouth, "carrot" nose). Fill with cookies, holiday breads, chocolate dipped pretzels, etc. Wrap in cellophane, tie with ribbon.

Depending on the size of the pot, you can put tons of stuff or just a bit in it!

You can also decorate for any season: flowers for mother's day, a turkey for Thanksgiving, stars & stripes for July 4th, etc......

I have also used the tins from Big Lots with much success, and they come in so many great designs and sizes. You can be as frugal as you want (Aunt Lola just gets 6 cookies in a tiny tin because she's crochety), or as generous as your bank account will allow .....

aobodessa,

How do you package individual items in the flower posts???

Cindy

This thread is fun. I don't have anything to add because I'm just starting out. These are some great ideas.

But here is a BUMP

ooh need more ideas!

Hi Y'all,

Happy Pre-Holidays!!

I think my favorite gift to the guys was a garbage can, filled with their favorite beverage, chips, popcorn and cookies. I tucked printed tissue paper in the top to hide the contents, added ribbon and a tag, They were ready for Super Bowl Sunday.

No mess after the Party!!

I am enjoying this thread--Great ideas Y'all.

You guys really have some great ideas! I usually do the same 'ole thing and am very happy to have found this thread! Keep the ideas coming!!

Boy, my Christmas goodie packaging has changed quite a bit over the years. When I first started giving away cookies/candies for Christmas, I just used some ice cream pails or put everything on a plastic plate and into a large zip lock bag.

A couple years ago following Christmas, I bought a bunch of decorative plastic containers at Walmart that were on clearance. So for last Christmas I used them for the first time. I put the goodies in ziplock bags and labled them with the lable maker. Then I placed each bag into a container, put the lid underneath the container, wrapped the whole thing in cellophane, and then tied a bunch of colored ribbon at the top. It looked really nice.

I also bought several other things I plan on using for future Christmas baking gifts. I also bought some sets of plastic containers which contains 3 containers; originally the set would sell for $2 but they were on clearance for $0.25 each so I bought a bunch. I think what I might do with them is stack them like a tower (like what you would see in some of the fancy gift stores). I also bought some krinkle paper, decorative bagies (Wilton), and some other things I'll try to incorporate too.

This is a little off topic, but one problem I run into is trying to figure out weither I should make a large varieties of goodies to give people but only give fewer servings of each (2-3 pieces per person) or to do only a few different types of goodies and give more servings of each (4-5 pieces per person). What do you think is better?

Hi Y'all,

Puzzlegut wrote:

What would you like to recieve if you were getting this gift? Lots of variety or lots of the same? Do you have the time, money and ENERGY to make a variety?

Happy Pre-Holidays!!

I put my holiday treats in individual cello bags tied with pretty ribbon and then place the packets in a basket with a square of red cloth (cut edges with pinking sheers) in the bottom of an inexpensive basket. Put the whole basket down into one of those clear cello bags and tie a pretty bow on top. You can coordinate the fabric in the bottom of the basket with the ribbons and bow for different holidays; there are so many pretty choices available at discount stores.

Paint cans filled with cookies! I love it ! Do they stay fresh and it so how long? I would love to start packing these up the second weekend in December, but I need to know they would stay fresh until the 25th.