How to Wrap Up Homemade Food Gifts

Homemade food gifts for Christmas, birthdays or any other occasion are more welcome now than ever before as people's lives get more hectic than ever. Creative wrappings can not only enhance the food gift, but can become part of the gift. Whatever container you decide to put your food gift in, plastic wrap and aluminum foil can keep it fresh. Baked items can be wrapped first in plastic wrap, then overwrapped in aluminum foil. That bundle can be placed in any container that will fit.

Things You'll Need

• Nice baskets
• Cloth napkins, dish towels or doilies
• Plastic wrap and aluminum foil
• Decorative tins
• Pottery bowl
• Glass pie plate
• Other useful containers, such as a small crock or a cookie jar

Instructions

1. Determine the best container to place your food gift in. Obviously, a pie can be baked in a glass pie plate, which becomes part of the gift. Or, the pie plate can instead be filled with homemade cookies, candies or cheese straws. Then, pull out two pieces of plastic wrap that are each about 20 inches long. Place one piece on the table horizontally and the other vertically. Sit the pie plate in the center of where the two pieces cross. Pull all four ends of the plastic wrap up and tie them together with a pretty ribbon. You can place the entire thing in a gift bag or large box, placing towels around it so it doesn't move if you don't want the recipient to see the gift.

2. Wrap baked breads or rolls carefully in plastic wrap, then place in a nice basket that is lined with a doily, cloth napkin or dish towel. If you don't want the recipient to see the gift ahead of time, place the entire basket in a large gift bag or box.

3. Line a decorative tin with aluminum foil, then place a large piece of plastic wrap on top of the aluminum foil. Fill the tin with cookies, candy, spiced nuts, cheese straws or caramel corn by placing them on top of the plastic wrap. Bring the ends of the large piece of plastic wrap up over top of the food to cover. Place the lid on the tin. Tie a ribbon around the tin.

4. Cover the lids on the jars of homemade jellies or jams with a circle of colorful fabric or paper, then tie a ribbon, piece of twine or length of raffia around the circumference of the lid to secure the circle in place. Place these jars in a pretty basket lined with a dish towel or doily.

5. Use any container for your food gift that you think enhances it and adds to the enjoyment of your gift.