Package and Ship:
Final Touch to your Deluxe Sweets and Candy Gifts

How do you package and ship candy is a common question many visitors to this site ask. More specifically how do you package chocolate covered strawberries?

How do you ship chocolate covered apples? How can you send chocolate covered coffee beans? How can you send sugar cookies through mail? And so on?

You can be very creative or keep it simple. There is an endless assortment of colors and designs of gift boxes and bags. You can deliver your candy gifts yourself in person or you could send them through the mail, even if it is warm outside.

If you decide to both package and ship your homemade candy gifts it could get expensive, but the creativity of making everything yourself is the most meaningful gift you could give. And besides, it would be expensive shipping candy and desserts through the mail regardless, whether you buy them from a store or ship homemade ones.

Learn about the supplies to package and ship homemade candy gifts such as gift boxes, gift bags, ribbons, cellophane bags, candy cups, candy trays and more.

How do you package and ship candy gifts through the mail?

These are general steps to package and ship any candy gifts, but there are some variations for certain types of gifts. If you plan on making many candy gifts in the future you may consider acquiring many supplies so you have them on hand.

  1. Choose candy gift. Then you must choose the packaging supplies starting with the gift box or gift bag.

    • The size of the box or bag will determine the size of the desserts you make. You can even do both, a gift bag inside a gift box. Decide if you will choose packaging with designs or keep it plain. Keep the personality and likes of the recipient in mind when picking them out.
  2. If making chocolate covered strawberries or cherries you will need a candy tray to place inside the box in order to hold them in place, it looks nicer too. Candy trays have cavities in which the candies sit.
  3. Choose a tissue or wax paper in which to surround the candy or desserts. Tissue paper can be decorative with designs or with solid colors or just plain white.
    • For chocolate covered gifts you should use a food grade tissue made of cellophane to prevent them from ruining the inside of the box.
    • You may individually wrap your candy gifts with cellophane bags.
  4. Place candy in box.
  5. Seal the box. For a prettier presentation use a decorative sticker. Otherwise, simply tape the box shut to secure it.
  6. You may wish to decorate the box even more with ribbons, drawings or more stickers.
  7. Place small card in envelope on top of the gift box. Don't forget to choose a creative gift message to bring a smile or laugh.
  8. Now this box will go in the shipping box. This to can be decorative. Whether decorative or plain the box must have enough space between itself and the gift box to allow for padding.
  9. Create padding around the gift box or bag. Shred newspaper, regular paper or tissue paper on bottom of shipping box. Place gift box inside.
  10. Now fill the remaining space with padding.
  11. For items that may melt, it is recommended to send them next day air. Anything else should be 2nd or 3rd business day shipping (USPS is more economical).

***Truck trailors are not air conditioned and often times neither are the hubs where items may change routes. So bear this in mind. During hot summer heat it is not recommended to ship perishable goods. If the temperature is going to be warmer than room temperature (but not scorching hot) than use some type of reusable frozen ice packs. Place them on top of gift box and on sides, but place gift box inside sealed plastic or cellophane bag to protect against moisture from the ice packs melting.

TIP: After packaging the candy gifts in the gift box or gift bag you may choose to have someone take over from there. A UPS store do the rest of the packing for you. They will charge you for the supplies, but you will have less work to do. It's up to you. Either way you will pay for the shipping based on distance and weight.

Calculate cost and time of ground shipping via UPS for around the world. Or estimate shipping costs and time for the United States Postal Service (USPS) to compare between the two services for residents here in the US.

Types of Supplies to Package and Ship Your Gifts and Where to Get Them

To package and ship candy gifts you need to acquire many different items. If you plan to package and ship many gifts in the near future you might as well, start collecting them. Craft stores such as Michael's or Joanne's Fabric will have many supplies that you need, as well as the craft section of stores like Wal-Mart. If you have stores like Ross or Tuesday Morning in your area than they too will have many supplies. But the biggest selection is found surfing the web. The information below will guide you and the links will take you to some places I recommend. One of the best places to purchase your supplies to package and ship is NashvilleWraps.com because you can buy a relative small amount, rather than a wholesale order of 1000s of items at a time, and their selection of packaging items is designed specifically to handle candy gifts.

Amazon.com has a great selection too. The site is very good at suggesting other complementary items to package your candy gifts.

Boxes: come in many different shapes, styles, colors, outer textures and designs. Some boxes are open ended, which work much like baskets. While others are closed with lids, which lend to the element of surprise, you must open them to find out what's inside and some have windows. The ones you choose to package and ship your gift will depend on the kind of gift. Some gourmet candy gifts are more elegant than others, while others are meant just to enjoyed for their taste.

Wilton Half Lb Candy Box
  • Beveled Gift Basket Containers have four sides like a box, but are open on top with openings on the sides for handles. Fill them with basket filler like color shredded tissue or colored or clear cellophane. Add loose candy like jelly beans, foil wrapped chocolates, candy bars, M&Ms, and more. Good size for chocolate covered apples in a cellophane bag tied with a bow, and any other baggie of candy or dessert gifts like cookies, chocolate covered nuts or coffee beans, individual cupcakes.
  • Boxes with Lids can be different sizes like rectangular Hi Wall 2-piece boxes for taller gifts like chocolate dipped apples (in cellophane bags) or chocolate covered pretzel rods (in cellophane bags) or even for a coffee mug with a cellophane baggie of chocolate covered coffee beans or nuts, or flat and squared ones ones better for cut-out sugar cookies, oatmeal raisins or chocolate chip cookies.
  • Presentation Shipping Boxes are designed to look pretty upon receipt in the mail, they come in different sizes, are flat and have cool designs. Great for gifts that would fit them cookies, chocolate covered nut and beans, gourmet gumballs, gummies, sour candy, just not good for bigger gifts.
  • Nested Boxes are several boxes that fit inside eachother for many different sized gifts, from bigger to smaller, there are gourmet squared nested boxes , and rounded nested boxes Since these gift boxes come in all sizes they will work for many different candy gifts, except the most delicate gifts, Just match the candy gift or dessert with the style and design of the box.
  • Boxes with Windows create an elegant, upscale presentation. Some window gift boxes are flat and divided into sections while others are not.
  • Clear Plastic Boxes are very elegant too for the best small gourmet treats, and can be tied up with a bow. check the size of the box, do not leave too much space or the treats will slide around and break.
  • Chinese take-out boxes are unique displays that great for individual wrapped candy or small candy gifts in baggies
  • Gift Tin Boxes are circular, rectangular or squared and more durable than cardboard or paper boxes and the prettiest containers you could use. They are covered and will withstand the shipping process better.

Candy Gift Bags: two of the main types are clear cellophane or paper. These are perfect to package and ship smaller candy gifts, especially for small quantities or for individually packaging.

  • Cellophane bags are great for small bulk candy like gourmet licorice, jelly beans, gumballs, foil covered chocolates or small, hard chocolate covered candy like chocolate covered coffee beans, nuts or small pretzels. Bigger cello bags create a classy, elegant presentation for chocolate covered apples or molded chocolates on sticks. They come with different designs like a gold stripe, with labels, dots and have clear windows but printed colors with designs all around. They are perfect for party favors or if you'd like many different candies you'd like to give that will all go into a box or bigger bag. Cello bags are typically tied off at the tops with a gold or silver tie.

  • Paper Gift bags come in different colors and designs, some lay flat, some have fold-out bottoms, some have have handles others don't. You can purchase some with windows. Great for cookies, hard and gummy candies and any candy that won't melt and bleed through the paper.

Candy Trays, Pads and Cups: help to add elegance to package and ship chocolate candy gifts, like truffles, gourmet chocolates or chocolate covered strawberries and cherries as well as keep the candies snug in place. They usually are sold separate from the boxes. Candy Trays typically are gold in color and come in a variety of sizes and number of cavities where the candy sits. The smaller the candy the higher number of sections in the tray. Black or brown wax paper candy cups line the cavities and a pad sits on top beneath the lid. Make sure to buy the correct size of all items so they fit together.

Ice Packs and Styrofoam Boxes for Shipping are perfect for delivering your candy gifts. Ice packs are small, artificial bags of ice and should be used to package and ship candy gifts during warm days, (but not hot, scorching days), to keep items fresh when shipped throught the mail. If you deliver your gifts personally you should carry the candy or desserts in some type of cooler with ice packs. Ice packs are small and can be reused. For most protection against heat place candy gifts in styrofoam boxes with ice packs. Then place strofoam box in shipping box, this is where UPS can help you choose best size of box and finish the packaging job for you.

Ribbons and Wrapping Paper will add the final touch to package and ship your candy gifts and desserts. Local craft stores like Michael's or Joanne Craft Store will have a good selection, but a better selection of themed gift wrap can be found online. Again NashvilleWraps.com has a very good selection of themed gift wrap.

Empty Gift Tins come in a huge selection online in different shapes like rectangular, squared, circular and some even have windows. Many are red or silver online. Craft stores will have a decent selection too. DunWoodyBooth.com has a great selection of empty gift tins and you do not have to buy a huge, wholesale size of order.



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