IÂ love making Christmas cookies to give during our Christmas baking challenge each year.Â
I love making Peanut Butter Fudge and Marshmallow Fudge and Christmas Crack and White Chocolate Candy Mix (and just about any treat that's easy to package right up.)
And I love figuring out exactly how to pack Christmas Cookies.Â
I love a trip to Hobby Lobby, seeing what types of tins they have in store, then fluffing them up quickly with a little decor.
But do you know what I love most?
When it's time to do the math.Â
I LOVE figuring out exactly how frugally I can pack up some Christmas treats, and still make them look fancy enough to give.
And you know what? For as little as 41¢ you really can pack the happiest little packages to share.
Honestly? This year I wasn't planning on making all that many, then our youngest daughter Reagan (she's a junior this year!) came down and asked what I was making for teacher gifts. It turns out she loves the process of giving these gifts just as much as I love making them.
We used to attach a gift card, but these days her favorite thing has been to give her teachers a PPP menu planning box or home planner (her teachers so far have loved these gifts and I love giving them to new folks!)
So each morning for a week I make up a bunch of goodies and my cute girly heads to school with her batch.
Success.Â
Here's a peek at a little math I did this year. 🙂
- Cheapest container: 41¢
- Ribbon: 25¢
- Gift tag: 10¢
- Total: 76¢ + treats inside (my most frugal treat is Christmas Crack by far ~ especially if you can find BOGO chocolate chips this time of year!)
And here's what I learned . . .
While the tins at $2.50 look amazing, they take a lot of food to fill up. And if you're packing up 10 treats? You're looking at a $25 expense before you buy any food to fill up those bins with.
Yikes.
So if you're on a budget this year but still want to let someone know they're extra special to you, visit your local Hobby Lobby (or Michael's maybe?) and see what you can find.
How to Pack Christmas Cookies:
1 – Decide a day to bake.Â
2 – Choose which recipes to make.
A few of my favorite Christmas Cookies to make include:
- Christmas Crack
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- White Chocolate Snack Mix
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Marshmallow Fudge
3 – Make a grocery list & shop.
Try out our Menu Planning Made Easy Celebration Series ~ we include a set of Christmas treat recipes, including the grocery list too (hint ~ scroll to the very bottom of this post for a secret deal on this set!)
4 – Shop for your packing supplies.
I love the selection at Hobby Lobby and Michael's the most, but check out your local Joann's or Dollar Tree if they're easier to get to! I feel like Hobby Lobby has the best selection at the best price ~ save even more if you shop after Christmas and save for next year.
5 – Clean your kitchen ahead of time (and empty your trash).
6 – Make your treats.
7 – Pack your treats.
Here's how to pack Christmas Cookies easily ~
- Use parchment paper filler to prevent treats from sticking to the box.
- Separate any types of cookies that have strong scents. For example, pack peppermint separately from peanut butter.
- Deliver Christmas Cookies soon after you bake to keep them fresh. Treats like fudge and Christmas Crack last longer than traditional Christmas cookies, so make those if you won't be able to deliver right away
- Add a small $5 or $10 gift card for teachers or coworkers if you'd like.
You can even consider adding even a freezer meal recipe as a gift. Our baked oatmeal would be incredible to take to a new mom or an elderly friend living on their own!
So there you have it! If you want to bless someone you love with a happy little treat, it doesn't have to cost all that much. Make your grocery list, gather your supplies, and start packing. Your friends and family will love these (promise!) and it'll feel oh-so-good making them in your home too.
And just for fun? Here's a little HINT AND SECRET TRICK (as of 12/19/23)Â
If you've read this far, try the code CELEBRATETODAYÂ to get a FREE 5 Ingredients Menu Planning Box when you add a Celebration Menu Planning Box to your cart. Just add both to your cart and use the code CELEBRATETODAY to snag yours
- Add 1 Celebration Menu Box to your cart
- Add 1 5 Ingredients Menu Planning Box to your cart
- Use the code CELEBRATETODAY at checkout to get the 5 Ingredients Menu Planning Box TOTALLY FREE!
ENJOY PPP long time blog readers ~ I'm awfully thankful for you! 🙂
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