I love homemade gifts because it says that someone’s taken their time to create something very special for me. I love giving out homemade gifts for that exact reason. And while I could easily pick up something from the store, I think that making something from scratch is so much more special. If you’ve been following me, you’ll know that I love gifting Gingersnaps and Shortbread at Christmas.
The Problem with Homemade Gifts
Homemade gifts can look … homemade, (read, amateurish) if it’s not presented well. Growing up, the word homemade had a bad rep! Often, it meant something poorly made and slapped together at home. I remember this one dress my grandmother made for me. Unfortunately, the colour wasn’t fixed on this dress. I wore it out in the rain and the dye from the dress stained my little body. It was truly horrifying, maybe that’s why I’ve come to associate homemade with words such as cheap, ugly, and poorly made.
Since I love working with my hands, I really wanted to make gifts to give out at Christmas. But my fear that people would associate my homemade gifts as cheap, unattractive and undesirable made me: 1.) perfect my cookie recipes; 2.) create beautiful packaging. By focusing on these 2 things, I was able to create the Christmas gifts I give out today with pride. My cookies and packaging are simple, yet elegant. The finished product, in my opinion, looks like it was packaged professionally.
Why Do I Go Through So Much Trouble Just for Packaging?
Besides my irrational fear about how my homemade gifts would be perceived, I put in a lot of effort with my packaging for the following reasons: Firstly, everyone eats with their eyes! Have you noticed that something automatically looks magnificently more delicious if it’s presented beautifully. Secondly, special items are always beautifully packaged. So if an item is beautifully package, it’s immediately associated as being special. Finally, beautiful packaging automatically increases the intrinsic value of a gift. Did you know that?
What You Need:
Preprinted cookie tags
2 different coloured card stock
Scissors – regular and scalloped edge
Glue stick
Hole Punch
Ribbon
Cellophane Bags
Cookies
For beautiful gift tag ideas, be sure to check out the genius Minted Strawberry. Her Floral Homemade Mason Jar Labels were the inspiration behind my own gift tags.
I hope you enjoyed my video! Do you think this packaging style is something you’d try? Do tell!
