Cookies Gift Boxes - Deck Up A Nice Gift
One request I receive every holiday is for my cookie gift boxes. It started as just a small idea to jazz up the regular old cookie tray during Christmas and now has become a firestorm within my family and their circles of friends. Even my boss has told me that between the actual cookie gift boxes and the cookies themselves, I should quit my job and open a bakery.
Making the cookie gift boxes is actually relatively easy and inexpensive. I simply use paper mache boxes that you can find at just about any larger craft store. They come in a variety shapes and sizes, including oval, square, stars and even what looks like a small shopping bag. I then paint them with cheap craft paint. If I have a fancy ribbon to use for a bow, then I just use one color, such as red, for the box. If I want to get more creative, I use a crackle medium on the lid and paint the box a solid color. To use the crackle medium, you choose two colors; one as your bottom color that will show through the crackles and one as the top color that will be the main color. You then paint the bottom color and let it dry, then paint the crackle medium and let it dry, then paint the top color. The crackles will automatically begin appearing as it dries.
I then embellish the outside of the cookie gift boxes with bows and/or floral accents. On the inside, I lay a layer of raffia and place the cookies on top. I actually found a local store that carries cellophane bags, so I bought quite a few and use those to wrap and separate the cookies by type. Total cost for the physical cookie gift boxes is about four dollars each, but they look like you spent quite a bit more. Of course, this all depends on the types of stores that you have in your area. I am quite lucky in that I have a paper outlet and several craft stores to choose from.
The presentation is so much better than giving cookies on a paper plate with saran wrap on top, and people actually save these cookie gift boxes as decorations for their homes or to use for other gifts in the future. If you are feeling crafty and want to add a little pizzazz to your own cookie gifts, try making your own cookie gift boxes this year!