Y’all. I’m so over the top sometimes that I even make stylish DIY packaging for baked goods I give as gifts to friends and family.
A while ago, I called a neighbor in a panic because one of the dogs got out. He helpfully went to the house and checked the yard to make sure the dog was safe inside.
This is the same one who had serious problems with his house flooding and all I cared about was that same dog. My love for this dog is inappropriate.
I already had bags of homemade cookies in the freezer, so I brought some over to the neighbor as a thank you. When I saw him outside later, he thanked me profusely insisting that, “You should sell those. They’re incredible!”
I don’t deserve this neighbor. They were just chai cookies. I didn’t even ice them.
Love thy neighbor – and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier.
Mae West
But I had those bags in the freezer, all branded up since I’m so ridiculous, for times like these. When someone helps out, you return the favor with sugar. That’s the rule, right?
Well, I went over to a friend’s house to play Mexican Train a while ago. She pulled out these “tea cakes” that someone had given her. They were packaged way better than my homemade cookies. Mine were just in a kid’s lunch bag with a label. Hers were in store-bought packaging with stars on them, and clearly labeled so she can grab them from the freezer anytime.
I was suddenly so ashamed. My free food packaging was inferior to her free food packaging. How embarrassing. I had to up my game. I don’t just want to give people food. I want to give them something that seems more special than it is.
(I did this when my paper goods business was alive, too.)
(I blame my college roommate for this. She once said, “You’re so awkward. I can just imagine your kids one day. All mismatched clothes and not-quite-pulled together. It’s like you don’t have any style at all.”)
(We’re not in touch today.)
How I Made Stylish DIY Packaging for Baked Goods
Over the last several weeks, I’ve been pecking away at my free food packaging design. I didn’t have a “free food giveaway” pan for baking sweet bread in the right size, so naturally I had to get one of those. Then I decided I needed Kraft boxes for my this-bitch-is-crazy design, so I got these from Amazon. They fit bread and/or cookies nicely.
You really have to think these things through, people.
I whittled away at my label design(s), knowing I needed an outside label, a thank-you insert, and a sticker for the inner packaging. Because of course there was going to be inner packaging. That’s what weirdoes do.
(Honestly, you should see my holiday letters. They’re even more ridiculous.)
So today, I packed up some banana bread that had been resting in the freezer for some time (wrapped in plastic wrap then foil, since everyone knows that’s the correct way to freeze quick bread). Then, I had some old white tissue paper that wasn’t being used, so I wrapped the whole thing in that and sealed it with a thank you label I just printed.
I love watching keep-fit videos while munching chocolate chip cookies.
Dolly Parton
(I was actually going to buy labels from Moo even though I have hundreds of blank labels in various shapes and sizes leftover from my business days. See what I mean? Who does that? Weird old women, that’s who.)
I put the food in the box, along with this insert, and sealed it with another label.
But look! Who wouldn’t want to get free food packaged like this? Since I’m not much of a baker, maybe the treats will taste better. And the next time someone does me a favor, I can give more than just some sugar back.
I’ll sugar them an experience!
Just in case there are other nutters like me out there, I designed a few labels that you can download for free here or buy in my sad little Zazzle shop (if you don’t want to buy labels and a printer).