Festive Packaging Ideas for Food Gifts

By Zoe Denenberg
Photo: Iain Bagwell

Mama always said that a homemade gift is so much more meaningful than anything you could buy at the store—and we agree, especially when it comes to homemade food. We firmly believe that baking is the ultimate act of love (not to mention that it has real psychological benefits), so a homemade loaf of pumpkin bread or box of cookies can be much more meaningful than any store-bought gift. When you’re looking to gift something thoughtful that doesn’t break the bank, homemade treats are a lovely solution. Food gifts are the ideal present to show your gratitude for teachers, holiday hostesses, neighbors, and of course, friends and family. And when it comes to food gifts, the packaging is almost as important as the treats themselves. Dressing those cookies up with ribbons or tissue paper and presenting them in a cute vintage tin, a mason jar, or a burlap bundle will turn your treats from a nice offering to a wow-worthy gift. All it takes is a few simple supplies to make a gift that your friends will be talking about for years to come.

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Here Are Some Adorable Packaging Ideas for Your Holiday Treats

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Mug of Fun

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Mug Cake

If you’re going for style and substance, this mug cake kit hits all the right notes. Include all the ingredients they’ll need to make the cake, conveniently packaged in the mug that they can reuse for all purposes! You can download the free printable tag that includes cooking instructions here.

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Basket Set

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Recipe: Pineapple Craft Cocktail with Lime Sea Salt

Lift the holiday spirits with this craft cocktail set. Sort all of the cocktail ingredients—lime salt, pineapple juice, and tequila—into individual glass bottles and package them up in a basket with festive ribbons.

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Keep the Dish

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Recipe: Sweet Potato-Cranberry Scones with Molasses-Orange Butter

When we bring glass or wooden serving dishes to a potluck, we don’t typically expect to see them again. But you can make a gift out of your holiday treats by giving them in a lovely serving bowl that your hostess can keep—complete with a pretty linen, of course.

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Truffle Sampler

Iain Bagwell
Recipe: Bourbon-Chocolate Truffles

Repurpose those old jewelry boxes as miniature chocolate boxes. They’ll perfectly fit 4 homemade truffles and they’re much more special and personalized than a store-bought sampler! We're filling our boxes with Bourbon-Chocolate Truffles, but feel free to change up the flavors.

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Signature Southern Snacks

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Straws

Recipe: Spicy Cheddar Cheese Straws

Recipe: Proscuitto-and-Manchego Cheese Straws

Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Shortbread Crackers

No Southern party is complete without a dish of cheese straws. Turn your signature recipe into a gift-worthy treat by cutting the various flavors of cheese straws into different shapes and packaging them in a fabric-lined box. Make dividers out of lightweight cardboard and feel free to fill the box with mix-and-match flavors or other snacks.

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Craving Coffee

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Holiday Mocha Coffee Fudge

Place a coffee filter inside a mug to achieve a tissue-paper effect and fill it with your choice of homemade candies. We can’t resist going on-theme with homemade Holiday Mocha Coffee Fudge, but you can also fill your mugs with Pecan Pralines.

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Vintage Cookie Tin

Photo: Jennifer Davick / Styling Buffy Harget

Recipe: Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

Show off those stunning bakes in a sleek silver tin. The look of this wrapping replicates Grandma's hard candies, but the recipient will be surprised to find that they're actually homemade cookies. If you don’t already have these containers around the house, you can find them for low prices at most craft stores.

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Ready-Made Appetizer

Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Pear Preserves

One of our favorite food gift strategies is to include all the ingredients someone will need to host a lovely party without the hassle. This cheese-and-preserves set, packaged together with ribbon, does just that. You can change up the flavors to your taste, but fig and brie is our go-to combination.

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Muffin Madness

Photo: Stephen Devries; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Apple Muffins

Recipe: Caramelized Apple Toffee Muffins

Recipe: Sugar-and-Spice Apple Muffins

Recipe: Apple Crumb Muffins

Line your muffins in a variety of fun-colored wrappers and package them together in an equally festive tin box. If you’re feeling adventurous, try baking more than one muffin flavor and providing a sampler.

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Mini Treats

Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

Decorate glass jars with festive holiday ribbons and accent with red doilies to create the ideal vehicle for miniature treats. You can also fill these jars with a sampling of our mini pies, like Mini Apple Pies or Mini Pumpkin Pies.

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Candy Shop

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Potato Candy

When it comes to candy, there are endless packaging possibilities. Present the potato candies like truffles in their own paper liners and pile the citrus mints high in a decorative bowl. Serve it all up on a silver platter. You can’t go wrong with this homemade gift.

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Sweet and Snug

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Peppermint Divinity

Recycle an old tin as a container to hold your homemade divinities. Line the inside with patterned paper to add extra creative flair.

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Jars of Joy

Southern Living

Recipe: Pulled Candy

Wrap your pulled candies in wax paper and store them in a cute burlap-lined mason jar for an easy homemade gift.

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Personal Loaves

Photo: Erin Adams

Recipe: Banana Bread

Use decorative mini loaf containers to create a perfect personal gift. You can buy the wooden crates at the craft store or repurpose old farmers’ market containers. Add high style for low cost by wrapping the loaves with fabric scraps. You can adapt any of our breakfast bread recipes to fit the smaller loaves.

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An Elegant Treat

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Cornbread Madeleines

Use a sliding box to present homemade cornbread madeleines like their French cousin, the macaron. Tie a fabric bow to add extra elegance.

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Rustic Wrapping

Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread

Turn a homemade bread loaf into a gift-worthy treat by bundling it up in a seasonal tea towel. Wrap the whole thing in twine to keep it nice and snug.

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Special Spirits

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Apple Pie-Infused Bourbon

We can guarantee you’ll find myriad uses for this Apple-Pie Infused Bourbon. Not only is it great gift material, but you’ll want to keep a batch for yourself at home to make some signature cocktails. Store the bourbon in a glass bottle or a mason jar.

Download the Infused Bourbon Labels

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All Knotted Up

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Recipe: Benne Seed Soft Pretzel

Accent these unique homemade pretzels with a decorative linen-lined box, and serve with all the cute condiments.

Download the pretzel gift tag

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Sweet Sendoff

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Chewy Ambrosia Biscotti

Recipe: No-Bake Granola Bars

Recipe: Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Recipe: Georgia Style Boiled Peanuts

Recipe: Barbecue Roasted Nuts

A good Southerner doesn't let guests leave empty-handed. Recycled cardboard drink containers make perfect car carriers for the ride home—just stash a cellophane-wrapped snack in each slot. We gave our container a coat of white spray paint, glued on scrap fabric, and affixed a custom "Happy Trails!" label to the front.

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Back to Basics

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Making your own vanilla extract is one way to seriously up your baking game—all you need is a glass bottle, one vanilla bean, and a base of vodka or bourbon. Let it soak for a couple of months before you gift it. Give this thoughtful gift to any baker in your life.

Download the Custom Labels

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Takeout Treats

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

These reimagined takeout boxes are the perfect vehicle to carry candies as a hostess gift. Over the holidays, we're filling our containers with peppermints and candy canes.

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New Year's Resolutions

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: 3 Fresh Spring Vinaigrettes 

If you know your hostess will already be inundated with lots of sweet treats, lighten things up with these homemade salad dressings. They can also serve as sauces or marinades.

Download the Custom Labels

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Teacup Treats

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Recipe: Spritz Cookies

Attending a holiday high tea? Bring your hostess gift of cookies, truffles, or bourbon balls in cute teacups.

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Gift Box Goodies

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Pecan Pralines

Wrap your pecan pralines like a present because, honestly, this is the best gift we’ve received in years. Use tissue paper and a colorful box to complete the effect.

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Poised and Polished

Southern Living

Recipe: Cracker Toffee

Present your treats on a cake stand that the hostess can keep to display all of her holiday bakes.

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Colorful Cones

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Salty-Sweet Nut Brittle

Nut brittle can be enjoyed on-the-go with these handy paper cones.

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Shortbread Sampler

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Recipe: Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies

Recipe: Lemony Sandwich Cookies

Recipe: Sparkling Snowflake Sugar Cookies

If you’re looking to make an impression, this shortbread sampler is sure to wow any lucky recipient this holiday season. Fill a larger box with smaller gift boxes and bake various cookie flavors to fill the slots. It's like your own personal holiday cookie swap.

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