Containers for holiday cookie gifting

by Katie

Every year at the holidays I buy pounds of butter and sugar and spend a weekend baking a half-dozen different kinds of cookies. And every year, I drag myself to JoAnn and Michaels and Target and the grocery store, looking for cute holiday-ish containers in which to deliver them to friends, neighbors, and colleagues. I've tried them all: printed tins, which are expensive and often kind of hokey looking and seem always to come pre-dented and dinged; tupperware-type containers, which are effective but lack the "stylishly-presented" vibe I'm aiming for; and specialty holiday treat packaging from companies like Martha Stewart that are adorable but also expensive.

This year, I wised up. A few weeks ago, I found an online paper goods retailer and bought a package of these:

For 16 bucks (about the cost of 6 of the Martha boxes), I got a pack of 50 of these Bio-Pak takeout containers. They're made from 100% recycled paper (35% post-consumer) so I don't feel so horribly wasteful about using single-use packaging, and I love the kraft look- easy to customize with gift tags, rubber stamps, baker's twine, stickers, or even washi tape. Fifty boxes is more than I will use in a single holiday season, but I can see myself using these for all kinds of things- hostess gifts, birthday brownies for a co-worker, or just to bring my lunch to work in a pinch. Better than a bunch of hokey tins printed with cheesy-looking santas, that's for sure.

(Images from: http://www.eksuccessbrands.com; webrestaurantstore.com)

Comments

[Sarah Anne]

What a BRILLIANT idea! I love it!

[Elissa]

You like a mind reader. I was actually thinking about making my post next week a plea for reader help about packaging for homemade food gifts. Problem solved! And I love that I don't have to go to a store to get them :)

[Jesabes]

I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. I don't even have anything to give out and I WANT THEM.

[Christy M]

I love those! I just bought a bunch of Christmas-themed Chinese takeout boxes for $1 each at Target. Planning on filling them with cookies for my son's teachers and my coworkers.