I still have a hard time grasping that Christmas is around the corner. Seriously, where did it come from this year?!? Like my Christmas card? Picmonkey.com, a free photo editing site, has just released their Christmas designs! You can even turn someone into a snowman!
This time of year can be extremely stressful, if you are not we organized. If you are a homemade gift giver like me, proper preparation is a must. This post today is to offer some tips I learned when I had my online bakery about packaging and shipping homemade goods. That way, everyone can taste your Holiday goodies in original form...not crumbs!
Tip 1: Baking
You want to make sure that you are shipping something solid and strong. Most cookies, shortbreads, brownies, bars, and fudge are solid enough to be shipped cross country.Cupcakes are not...do not ship cupcakes. Sorry. Pretty much anything cake like will not travel safely, except cake pops which travel fine because of the chocolate coating.
French Macarons are gorgeous, but I can guarantee that after two days of being pushed around by Post Office employees, the only thing left would be a box of sticky rainbow crumbs.
Tip 2: Packaging
Just as you need a sturdy cookie, you need a sturdy box or tin. Tins are great this time of year. The are pretty, cheap and offer the perfect amount of protection for your precious baked good. Williams-Sonoma also sells some pretty boxes that are sturdy and gift ready.
My personal favorite are these boxes. The are f great quality and cheap. I usually buy a bag of 100 from Smart and Final for under $20, and it usually lasts me about 2 years. I wrap a pretty festive bow around the box, tie it with a pretty tag...and presto a beautifully wrapped gift. Make sure that the package is not too big. More room results in more shifting, therefore more crumbs!
Now, no matter what the outside packaging is like you need to make sure that the inner packaging is done correct. Generally, I line the box or tin with parchment paper, wax paper, or tissue paper with enough overhang to come over the final layer of cookies.
Layer the goodies in the boxes with parchment or wax paper in between each layer. If there is extra room at the top, scrunch up wax or parchment paper to fill the empty space. Secure your box or tin so that the lid does not come off or undone.
Tip 3: Shipping
I think that the cheapest shipping option is USPS Priority shipping. While running your errands, make a pit stop by your local post office and pick up some of their free priority boxes.
Once home, assemble your boxes securely with tape. Scrunch up a relatively thick layer of newspaper, packing paper, or tissue paper at the bottom of your box. Place your tin or box in the middle of the cushioned bottom. Scrunch up some more paper all around the baked goods and on the top. You do not want the box of goodies to shift at all whatsoever...so keep on scrunching paper until this is achieved!
For a slightly cheaper price, as well as free tracking, pay and print your label on the USPS website directly. Secure your label with tape, and then just drop it off at the post office. This saves a lot of time by avoiding the lines.
Remember that the last day to ship USPS Priority mail is December 21st for Christmas arrival.
Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to comment or email me!
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