Do you have a Dollar Tree or 99-Cent Store? There you can find all kinds of things from crystal-looking plastic serving trays to cute baskets, mugs, a large assortment of dishes and glassware, covered candy dishes..... Some plastic baskets you can get 2 or 3/$1. Buy a package of paper doilies to line your container/s with. I would just take care things are food safe and you can see the contents of the package.

Check out Pinterest for some unique ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/draec/creative-food-packaging/

Wrap the balls individually if they are large, or stack 3 or so, in plastic wrap and tie a curly ribbon around them.

This is not a recipe I would make for three reasons: I think a milder cookie like a plain wafer would have fewer artificial ingredients, I don't use corn syrup so honey or Lyle's might be alternative, and no way would my church allow us to use alcohol in something that children might ingest.

No...my church would frown on the rum in there...but the Catholic church and the Episcopal church would not. Not really understanding the bit about children...the amount of rum in those goodies is about that in a dose of cough medicine but I guess a kid might eat more than "every 4 hours as needed". My church's reasoning is being aware of those recovering from alcoholism.

I would buy some of that cellophane that is used to wrap Easter baskets....Dollar Tree has it by the roll. Cut a square and tie each ball in a square of cellophane. Then pile on a plate and sell them one at a time or 3 for a dollar or however you wish.

Thanks for the great ideas and the link, too! I have noticed that a lot of pretty items from the Dollar Tree or 99-Cent Store have a label that they aren't food safe, so it's good to be reminded about that!

Smiles,

Sooz

I've been doing things for charity for a few years now. I started looking around for packaging and started at the dollar type stores and did ok. I'm buying more in bulk now so that keeps the price down.

I've been using ClearBags.com for some packaging. clearbags

I initially bought a few sizes for holiday gifts and now have a good inventory for the charity stuff. I use SKS for other containers. I've yet to find the perfect small boxes at a reasonable price but have a few bookmarked.

When you compare the cost of a simple zip-lock....

Thanks for the input and the links!!!

Thanks, Madonna, for the additional suggestion! As for the rum in the rum balls, I have to tell y'all, in past bake sales, they sell out FAST!!

I was going to suggest cellophane bags. You can get ones w/ gussets and wide enough bottoms that you could set 3 or 4 truffle flat in the bottom.

Thanks talley_sue... actually, as of yesterday, there's been a change of plans. The woman who usually makes the rum balls has mentioned she's going to make them again this year. So as not to step on toes, I won't be making rum balls or midnight rum balls, and that's a-ok with me...there are so many other things to try!

ny other ideas on "whole" items? Also, I know we just had a thread on this, but what have all of you found to be the best / biggest sellers? Our "market" will be mainly stay-at-home moms, and we're having the event the Friday before Thanksgiving - so I was thinking that Thanksgiving desserts that can be frozen may do well. Any suggestions along those lines?

Hi, softech--after the Bake Sale, I always ask the Bake Sale committee "What items sold best?" and the answers change from year to year.

Usually, homemade chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies are always popular, and one of my friends makes biscotti as well as mini loaves of banana bread(and they always sell out fast). Pumpkin bread is a Thanksgiving dessert that freezes quite well--in fact, I've made Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread (recipe from Laurie Bennett) as gifts for family members (and for us, too!) and it's really delicious! The recipe is on Allrecipes.com: Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

My biggest sellers at Farmers Market are (in order): Lemon Bars, Fudgey Brownies with and without walnuts, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, slice of Marble Pound Cake with chocolate drizzle, Carrot Coconut Pineapple Pecan Muffins, slice of Frosted Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Toasted Coconut Macaroon with centered whole almond, baby Banana Bread loaves, White Chocolate Macadamia (or Cashew) Cookies. All of them are gluten free, some are also dairy free, and some are also egg free. It took a long time determining what people wanted - - what they don't want are cupcakes, candy by the piece (they want 4-6) for really cheap, hard biscotti, snickerdoodles, and slices of any flavor of regular cake. But, they also love the unusual offerings that are sugar free - - hummus with little pita chips, spinach quiche squares, dried apples, and cold gazpacho in a cup. Everything has to be easy to eat while walking around. Rarely do people take stuff home for later, unless, in my niche, they are celiac than they buy a whole plate of assorted for the week. The average buyer just wants something for now to eat out of hand.

Nancy

My loaves of fruit breads sell quickly. I usually make some in full sized loaf pans and some in mini loaf pans. The pretzel sticks dipped in melted candy melts then sprinkled with the decorative sprinkles did pretty good as well. I wasn't too sure about them because I'd never made them before or never seen them made up by others. What really blew my mind was the Dark Chocolate Amaretto bundt cake I made. It was placed dead center front on the table as I turned away to get more fruit loaves out of the tote. As I looked back up, a lady was walking away with it and one happy young girl from the youth group that the bake sale was for was holding the cash in her hand. I expected it to last a little more than three or four minutes. My cinnamon rolls failed for some reason and I wound up tossing four pans of them as I took them out of the oven. I didn't get them made for this bake sale, but usually the Peanut Butter Buddies for the puppies usually sell very well.

Madonna

Madonna, the Peanut Butter Buddies I made one year, and I made such cute packaging for them, didn't go over well at all! It was as if no one had a dog!

I'm going to do a search for your Dark Chocolate Amaretto cake recipe...but in case I don't find it, will you please post it again under a separate thread?

Thanks!

Smiles,

Sooz