Monday, January 25, 2016

After-Christmas buys (and more!) for the Christmas kitchen


During the time while I'm making Christmas kitchen gifts, I will often take inventory as to what I might need for packaging such gifts in the coming year.  Then I can look for them at the after-Christmas sales and stash them away for next Christmas.

This year I realized I didn't have any of these cookie tray bags on hand, so Mr. T went out to Dollar Tree and purchased some.  For most of my cookie trays to neighbors or friends, I will put the cookies on a foam plate and tuck it into a gallon size plastic bag.  The assortment of cookies is so pretty that no embellishment (other than possibly a ribbon and/or a sprig of evergreen) is needed.

But I also give out two special cookie plates each year to folks who enjoy a particular cookie.  For them, I like to find a special plate to include with the cookies as part of the gift.  These cookies -- Eggnog Log Cookies for one person, and Sacher Torte Cookies for the other -- are still pretty, but not colorful, one being cream-colored and the other chocolate.
Eggnog log photo from Taste of Home
So for those, I look for special Christmasy plates that the recipients can use again.

This Gooseberry Patch plate is an example
 And I like to wrap these special cookie plates, laden with cookies, in a special way too.   The cookie bags from Dollar Tree are perfect for this.  They come with coordinating, pre-cut ribbon for closing the bags, and even matching tags.  There are three bags in each package.  Quite a deal!

This year we also found some great after-Christmas deals on packaging for kitchen gifts.  I'll just put in some photos and captions.
These treat bags are very useful for packaging snack mixes and other treats.
These treat boxes will be useful for packaging cookies or candies.
Square boxes like this work great for leaving a gift for the mail or newspaper carrier!
These colorful paper sacks, about the size of a lunch bag, will be so useful for packaging treats within a gift basket.
Tins like these with the see-through lid are a very nice way to package candy or cookies for a special gift.  Nice in a gift basket, too.
What about you?  Do you give kitchen gifts?  What sort of packaging works best for you -- and did you find any great deals on packaging this year?

6 comments:

  1. Sweet stash of packaging! Your baking treats are a blessing! I have done assortments in gold, red, or, green Ziplock boxes. The first Christmas in a new town, I took one to the neighbours and found out they didn't celebrate Christmas, blush, but took the box kindly. I have usually done travel mugs with hot cocoa mixes, apple cider mix, and a small local coffee shop gift card for the garbage man etc..

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  2. Mrs. Smith, thanks for stopping by! I was glad to get your input on the kitchen gifts you have done. I love your idea of a travel mug with mixes and/or a small coffee shop gift card. Wonderful idea for the mailman or paper carrier to enjoy along their route. I never thought of that. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Independent dollar stores here in Canada seem to sell the bags better than the well know chain dollar store. Also the tins with the see through lids I picked up some at Zehrs before Christmas on sale for a our 2.50 as that store seems to clear out their Christmas items before Christmas instead of after

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    2. Glad to have all of you Canadian gals there sharing information concerning the deals at your dollar stores and other stores.

      Marie, I love it when stores reduce their Christmas merchandise prior to the holiday. Then I can get even better deals for packaging those kitchen gifts! Those tins with the see-through lids are especially nice.

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  3. How come we don't have that kind of packaging at our dolloar store? I love them all

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  4. Just the cookie bags at the top came from Dollar Tree, Luludou. But I haven't seen bags like them at any other store. Most of these things came from either Walmart or Ocean State Job Lot. Oh, and of course the Gooseberry Patch plate is directly from Gooseberry Patch. On a great sale a couple of years ago.

    I'll bet, though, that you can find nifty packaging in Canada that we don't have here!

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