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-- Courtney
A: Courtney has a great question. Cookies, brownies, and homemade candies are wonderful gifts from the heart. But what are some fun and pretty ways to wrap your treats? Try some of these ideas when wrapping up your holiday gifts.
Jars
Use mason jars (completely cleaned and dried) to stack homemade cookies in, then decorate the lid with a pretty bow tied from holiday ribbon.
Colorful Wrap
When using cookie tins, try wrapping the cookies in colored plastic wrap and tying with thin colorful ribbon. To wrap, place a rectangle of plastic wrap on the counter, place a short stack of cookies in the center of the plastic wrap, then gather the plastic wrap together above the cookies. Tie with ribbon and blossom out the top of the plastic wrap so that it looks attractive.
Recycle!
Use empty (washed and dried) Pringles cans to stack cookies in. You can decorate these with wrapping paper, contact paper, or paint and ribbons. You could even use aluminum foil and a pretty bow.
Baskets
Baskets make a WONDERFUL presentation for edible gifts. Bundle cookies in colored or clear plastic wrap as indicated above, then arrange in a basket that is lined with tissue paper. Insert extra tissue paper as filler and "fluff" it up to make it pretty. Tie a big shiny bow to the handle of the basket or wrap the entire basket in cellophane then adorn with a bow.
Mugs & Plates
For smaller portions of cookies, wrap in plastic wrap and put inside a coffee mug, add a package of cocoa, a cinnamon stick or candy cane, wrap with cellophane and a bow. For larger portions, you can use a holiday plate wrapped in cellophane, embellished with ribbon.
Suckers
Cookie suckers are always a big hit. When your cookies are ready to go into the oven, press an ice cream or lollipop stick into the dough, then bake. Wrap cookie suckers individually with colored or clear plastic wrap and tie closed with a pretty ribbon.
Cookie Jar
Though a little more extravagant, place cookies inside of a new holiday or everyday cookie jar. Wrap the cookie jar in wrapping paper, add curling ribbon in several colors. This gift will keep giving for many years to come!
You can top off home baked gifts with a fun poem or friendly hand written note. If your gift recipient enjoys baking, include the recipe and a wooden spoon or wire whisk with the gift as a special touch.
About The Author: Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is also the owner of FamilyCorner.com Magazine at http://familycorner.com where you will find recipes, crafts, family activities, parenting advice, home & garden, and plenty more. Be sure to visit the bustling message board community to make some new friends!
By Terri (Guest Post)
12/09/2008
I bought some inexpensive glass jars from the dollar store. I had made lavender shortbread so I filled the glass jar with dried lavender bugs and then sealed with wax paper and tape to keep inside. Filled jars with the lavender cookies, attached recipe I had printed rolled up like scroll (I printed in lavender colour with downloaded pictures of lavender cookies) attached with purple ribbon (could use raffia) and a sprig of dried lavender. It looked AWESOME! You could do just about any recipe and fill lid with choc chip, nuts, marshmallows, cranberries, M&M's etc, etc.
By poppyseeds (Guest Post)
11/03/2008
These are great ideas! And thank you to those who posted about not wanting to eat homemade foods made by someone you don't know well. I don't know how many times I've made cookies for coworkers or friends and never even thought they may be uncomfortable. It's the thought that counts but I will stick to baking for my famliy and close friends from now on. I hate to think of something I spent time making sitting in the trash because someone thinks it's dirty or has germs =(
By Leona. (Guest Post)
12/12/2007
I want to make cookie to mail to Moneta, Va. for Xmas. I live in Pennsylvania. As for mailing them from the the Post Office, how many days should I figure from the time I send them, until the time they are received?
By Leona (Guest Post)
12/05/2007
I want to send homemade cookies to some of my family and friends, but don't know how long between the time they are baked until the time you can safely send them out.
By Barbara in MO (Guest Post)
11/21/2005
My sister and I use decorative cup cake liners to fill the tins and place the cookies or candies inside each one of the liners. I thought of this after receiving a tin of Danish butter cookies with the liners in it. We try to buy liners with the designs for the holiday we are celebrating.
By (Guest Post)
11/20/2005
To add to Wendee's post, I too am a little turned off by baked goods from someone I don't know. I thought it was just me. Thanks for letting me know I am not the only one. Also, another thought, if you do buy containers for your goodies (from anywhere), please wash them first. You never know who has touched these things. Even the plastic containers, (Ziplock, Glad etc.) that are now so convenient to store things in, instructions tell you to wash them first.
By christi (Guest Post)
11/18/2005
I am making some mixes as gifts this year and was like you wondering what to put them in. My hubby and I went to Family dollar the other day to buy a phone and they had these plastic christmas decorated jars with a flip lid on them for a dollar. I love them they are already decorated and the jar can be easily reused after goodies are gone.
By wendee (Guest Post)
08/30/2005
I feel like a real Grinch saying this.... I don't like home made food gifts. I never know if the people making them wash their hands or if their cat roams on the kitchen counters. I won't eat the fudge or cookies I'm given, unless it's from close friends or family whose kitchen habits I feel comfortable with. A vintage Xmas cup and saucer filled with foil wrapped kisses or plant cuttings or even a few tea lights suit me far better and is probably less expensive than baking supplies these days.
By
08/29/2005
Here's my tip for homemade Christmas gift ideas. I do a lot of baking during the holidays and give the goodies as gifts. My tip is to search out yard sales/garage sales now (in summer) for tins to put the goodies in. It sure beats paying top dollar in December!
By Karen in NH
By Lucille Gifford (Guest Post)
11/14/2004
We can make our cookie presentations a little more interesting by mixing in some colorfully wrapped Hershey kisses and a few other Christmas type candies with the cookies and placing them in a plastic Christmas plate. You may find these in many of the dollar stores. Wrap the whole thing in colored plastic wrap, topped off with fancy ribbon.
Lucille
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