How to Ship Christmas Cookies

If you're shipping Christmas cookies this holiday season, it helps to keep a few tips in mind to make sure your baked goods reach their destination safely. Air-popped popcorn makes inexpensive, excellent packing material. Plus, it's environmentally sound. The popcorn will also soften the impact of any bumps your package will encounter along its way. 

Taking time to prepare your cookie tins properly will also minimize the risk of having your cookies crack or crumble in their journey. Line the bottom of a cookie tin with a layer of parchment paper topped by a layer of waxed paper. To achieve a perfect circle, use the top of the cookie tin as a pattern or use a Fiskars Rotary Cutter. Line the inside of the cookie tin with a strip of corrugated cardboard cut to fit the dimensions of the inner edge of the tin and the ends taped together at the seam. Carefully place cooled cookies in tin. Cover cookies with a round of parchment paper. If your cookies are particularly fragile or are a wafer-type cookie, place a round of parchment paper in between each layer of cookies.

To embellish the outside of the tin, tape a strip of corrugated cardboard around the outside of the tin. Secure in place with a ribbon. Add any festive touch you prefer—such as an evergreen sprig or a nonbreakable ornament—and attach a label to the tin.

Place a scoop or two of popcorn into the bottom of your shipping box. Set the tin in the box and cover with a layer of popcorn. If you plan to send several tins, set up your packing materials in assembly-line fashion. Make sure the tin and your packing material fit securely in the box. The less opportunities you allow for shifting, the better chances you'll have to ensuring your baked goods won't get damaged during shipping. Seal the package shut with tape. Reinforce corners of the box with tape. Attach a big label to the box. Complete the label with the required information and send off your package.