Gift Packaging Supplies + How to Ship Homemade Treats
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Homemade treats deserve pretty packaging! These are the supplies I reach for when I'm wrapping up cookies, candy, and jars of goodies to give. Each link opens a selection of options on Amazon, so you can pick the style and size you like best.
Tins & Boxes
- Cookie tins: for sturdy cookies, bars, and biscotti
- Bakery boxes with a window (6-inch): for truffles, tassies, and small assortments
- Bakery boxes with a window (8-inch): for larger cookie and candy boxes
Jars & Bottles
- Wide-mouth mason jars: for hot cocoa mix, granola, and meringues
- Jelly jars with lids: for jams, marmalade, apple butter, and sauces
- Fresh canning lids: always use new lids when canning
- Glass bottles with tight caps: for homemade vanilla extract and hot honey
Bags, Cups & Wrappers
- Cellophane treat bags: for snack mixes, bark, toffee, and candied pecans
- Candy cups: for fudge, buckeyes, truffles, and pralines
- Mini cupcake liners: to keep treats in place in a box
- Wax paper squares: for wrapping soft caramels
Finishing Touches
- Ribbon
- Baker's twine
- Kraft gift tags
- Mini whisks: to tie onto jars of hot cocoa mix
- Small wooden spoons: to tie onto jams and sauces
How to Ship Homemade Treats
Sending treats to someone far away? A little planning makes sure they arrive fresh and in one piece.
Pick Treats That Travel Well
Sturdy treats that keep at room temperature for a week or more are your best bet. A few favorites:
- Almond Biscotti: the best traveler of all
- Toffee and Peppermint Bark
- Cinnamon Pecans
- Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix and Vanilla Extract
Skip anything that needs the fridge, and save delicate or quick-to-stale treats for friends nearby.
How to Pack
- Cool everything completely so steam doesn't make it soggy.
- Use sturdy, airtight tins, not bags or boxes alone.
- Pack one kind of treat per container, because soft cookies soften crisp ones and strong flavors like peppermint travel.
- Layer cookies and candy between sheets of wax paper or parchment.
- Fill empty space so nothing slides around.
- Wrap glass jars in bubble wrap and tape the lids shut.
- Set everything in a shipping box with about 2 inches of cushioning on every side, then give it a gentle shake. If anything shifts, add more padding.
When to Ship
- Bake within a day or two of shipping.
- Mail Monday through Wednesday so packages don't sit in a warehouse over the weekend.
- Choose 2- or 3-day delivery when you can.
- Ship early in December, since packages slow down the closer it gets to Christmas.
Shipping Supplies
- Shipping boxes
- Bubble wrap
- Insulated mailers and ice packs: for chocolate in warmer weather
Want the full list? My Homemade Holiday Gifts Premium Edition sorts all 47 recipes into ships well, ship with care, and hand-deliver only. It also includes packing tips for each recipe, themed gift box ideas, a make-ahead countdown, and printable gift tags. Get the Premium Edition →
Looking for something to fill them? Find all of my giftable recipes here.