Pretty Packaging

I want to tag into the 1st ever Pretty Packages Party at The Blackberry Vine so I found a few photos in my archives.  I sure hope she does this often.  I adore the book she was inspired by to do the meme.  I love to package gifts special without buying a $3 gift bag to do it.  Call it cheap...frugal...creative.  A favorite tactic is cello!

Spring '08 I had a blast putting these together for teachers, prayer partners and coaches.  I had found right after Easter some chocolates in clear plastic Easter Egg shaped holders for 50% off.  I took the chocolates out to give 3 per package and they stretched pretty far.  I used crinkled paper to fill the bottom of the carrot shaped bags (orange crinkle would have been even cuter, maybe even with gold crinkle sprinkled in too).  The bags came with green ribbons and a leaf tag that I wrote 24K gold Thanks on from our family. 

 I love a gift within a gift.  I love cello bags!!  I love to see the gift and have your heart flutter.

I've been doing Snowman Soup for years...I'm famous for it with NASA engineers. lol

 

Hubby likes for me to have a little something for every single desk in his branch at work for Christmas so I stock up at the after Christmas sales on Snowman cups if I see them for Snowman Soup.  I had gotten these really pretty ones to give for 2009.  I didn't find any after 2009 season was over.  I've also used burlap snowman sacks from Oriental Traders, Snowman ZipLoc bags if I see them.  It makes a terrific family gift if you make a batch and put it into a big container so they can enjoy thru-out the season.

I'm able to get the cup down into a cello bag without toching the lip of the cup. Snowman Soup: In it goes a pkg of cocoa, a candy cane for stirring and 3 chocolate kisses and a lil jewelry bag of marshmallows, so that they don't dry up.  In this photo I can see that I also added extra chocolate candies and a personal note from our family.  I twist tied them up the best I could.  I also love the cups with the sip lips on top too.  Maybe this year I can use brown paper sacks so that a few cookies will fit into the bag with the cup with soup fix'ns in it. :0)

A simple idea that hit me this Winter for my Mom's In Touch prayer group that I lead for Nate's Ele school.  I wanted to give a simple gift to the school by way of the Teacher's Lounge coffee/tea area.

  

As soon as I saw this bucket of Peppermint Stir Sticks at World Market, I envisioned this penguin gift tag from my stash suspended with a straw and holding a sweet lil candy cane and writing

'Let's Stick Together' on the tag which you can barely see here.  It was a hit.  I could see using 1 of these in Snowman soup with a Snowman Peep to change up the recipe.

Also, want to tag into

3 or more Tuesday at The Gypsy's Corner

xox, DeniseMarie