Small Packages & Making Treats For Giving - Comfort & Joy 2021

Brown Paper Packages, tied up with string!  

Some of the ideas shared here are repeats from past blog posts and Facebook posts. With new members to Eileen’s fan club I felt it was worth sharing the ideas once again. Gift giving surely happens during the holidays but the ideas here can be used year round for any and all tiny gifts. 

There are some dies still available that would make perfect containers for giving small gifts. There are a couple that may have been discontinued but by showing what I have used, even from older dies I hope to give the followers to this group the idea to always look at Eileen’s dies in a different way, for that matter all Sizzix dies.  

Create packages using gift wrapping paper to cover the mat board or thin poster board. I used spray adhesive to add the wrapping paper to the base boards. Spray well for good adhesion. 

Most of EIleen's dies are meant to be cut from mat board and for three of them that is what I used. These three containers are made with mat board that is covered with holiday wrapping paper before die-cutting.  NOTE: Always look at the larger boxes or containers with “different” eyes and don’t be afraid to alter them to find various uses. 

IDEAS & TIPS

Each of these were used to give some homemade treats as cute little handmade gifts for neighbors or any holiday visitors. They can hold about a dozen little cookies. 

Fill cellphone bags with spiced nuts, seasoned cracker mix, other homemade candies to be placed into the sweet holiday containers made from the Sizzix dies.

A small gift holder is made using a tiny shopping bag die from an older Eileen Hull release.  Here the design is cut from a thin poster board that is also covered with wrapping paper.  Two sizes are shown here, the original and a slightly larger one. The original size can be used for tiny gifts but by taking the main shape and altering the pieces slightly, it becomes a larger bag.  

The final container is also a older Sizzix die (but not Eileen’s) that has been one that I’ve used over and over for gift giving.  This is also made from layering wrapping paper over thin white poster board before die cutting and constructing.

Use various other dies to create tags or labels for your gift giving.

Others shapes like the Vintage Pickup Truck can make a fun container for tiny gifts or small bags of treats.  

To make interesting little boxes or containers, always “think outside the box”!

INFORMATION ON DIES USED

Eileen Hull dies:

Gift Box #664345

Treasure Box #663634

Loaf Pan #659873

Shopping Bag #658055

Other die was called Box #3 (will try to find the number) 

***As an added bonus to this post on making packages for gift giving, I’ll be including  some recipes for treats to make to fill those packages.***

MINI DOUGHNUT HOT BUTTERED CHEERIOS

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups Cheerios or Cinnamon Cheerios cereal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

In large skillet, melt butter over low heat and stir in vanilla.  Add cereal; cook and stir 5 minutes. Transfer cereal to large bowl. Add sugar and cinnamon; toss well to coat. Package and gift!

PRETZEL TURTLES

Ingredients:

• Rolo Candies - 50
• Mini Pretzels - 50
• Pecan Halves - 50

Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay pretzels in a single layer onto parchment. Top each with a Rolo candy in the center of the pretzel. Place into the preheated oven until the chocolate and caramel soften. (About 4 minutes) Remove from oven and press a pecan halve onto each Rolo candy. Chill in refrigerator until chocolate is set. Package and gift! 

CANDIED PECANS

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. (Important to preheat, so maple syrup caramelizes.) Add pecans, maple syrup, vanilla and salt to pan.  Stir constantly, 2 to 5 minutes, until syrup caramelizes.  Spoon onto parchment paper and spread evenly to separate clumps and allow to cool well, about 30 minutes.