Put Personal Touches On Holiday Gifts

More than just giving

For me, making or baking is just half the joy of giving.  I like to put my personal touch on gift giving and pack my treats in pretty packages to maximize the wow factor.

Here are a few ways you can uniquely wrap your gift:

• Visit a craft store for Chinese carryout boxes. Wrap cookies in festive tissue and tuck them in the boxes.
• Create a beautiful platter of cookies, wrap in thick cellophane and top with a brightly colored bow. The platter will remind your friend of your gift all year long.
• Look for inexpensive hatboxes at stores or online. They’re a beautiful way to present a gift, and can be used as storage later.
• Stack cookies in canning jars and top with holiday ribbons. The jars offer a sneak peek of what’s inside and are useful after the cookies are gone.
• Use a plain egg carton to hold a batch of truffles. Wrap each in tissue and nestle in the egg carton nooks.

Ship sweets safely

Sending cookies is a great way to share the love during the holidays. But if cookies arrive broken and crumbled, your gift will still taste sweet… but it won’t give the impression you were hoping for when friends open the package.

One way to prevent cookies from crumbling in transit is to cool them completely before packaging. When cool, place two cookies back to back and wrap each pair in parchment. The cookies will support each other’s weight, with less chance of bending or breaking in transit.

Then tuck the cookie bundles in a box or airtight container, and surround them with packing paper inside a bigger box. Make sure you ship to arrive within a day or two so they’ll be fresh.

Do you have any tips for sending sweets to loved ones during the holidays?