The Essential Packaging Store Blog

Essential Packaging Store July Newsletter!

2011-07-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hello again! So excited to share our new July newsletter with you! Not only are there some fab new products but some really terrific ideas to inspire you!

Here's a little taste - this is a really quick, easy and beautiful way to use our lace patterned tape-

The Latest Trend in Wedding Favor & Invites - Yellow & Silver!

2011-06-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
I just wanted to share some photos of a new display the Staff did in the Store recently. This is a very popular color combination that we've seen brides choosing lately, yellow and silver.

The yellow really adds some life to the sometimes dullness of silvers or greys. In the giftbox sample above, we added a tissue flower to the lid - they're simple to make, cost effective and look fabulous!

Here's a cute wrapping idea for a wedding gift - place the items in several different sized boxes and stack them like a wedding cake! Enhance each "layer" with ribbon in the bride's colors. These stacked boxes also make great centerpieces for bridal or baby showers and anniversaries.

Carry the wedding colors into the invitations as well as the favors - here we created an elegant invite using our Envelopments paper and Pocketfolds, with satin ribbon and a diamond ribbon slide.

Take care and we'll see you soon!

Essential Packaging Store May Newsletter!

2011-05-04T13:58:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! The new May newsletter is now up on our website! Click here to take a look.
Here's a sneak peak at one of our new ribbon projects-

Wedding Wednesday - Fresh New Colors!

2011-01-11T21:25:00.000-08:00

Hello again! Hard to believe it's a new year already! Well, one of my resolutions was to get better organized but it looks like I'm already a week behind getting back to my blog...:)oh, well...I guess I'm still a work in progress!

Anyways, I thought I'd start off by showing you a little sneak peak at some of the new colours that we will be featuring for weddings this year. With many new colors making their debuts, we'll start with this fresh combination - coral and tropical green.

All of us at the Store are in LOVE with these fab new colours! They're so fresh and fun, perfect for any spring or summer wedding (or any other celebration for that matter). And such a natural combination with white.

Something we've been doing quite a lot of lately is banding - here we used strips of matching giftwrap, wrapped around the favour box (this is a 4 truffle box), added some coral sheer ribbon (this is a 5/8" wide ribbon) and then topped it all off with some of our sticky blings - YUM!!

And what do love even more than sticky blings? Why bling ribbon slides, of course!! Our white 2 truffle favor box gets extra special treatment with a sheer coral ribbon on top (5/8" wide ribbon), lucite green satin ribbon (5/8" wide as well), and a beautiful heart shaped ribbon slide!

Here is the same combination of ribbons as above but this time we added them to our

2" x 2" x 2" cube box with separate lid. This favour box would look fantastic at the reception to help add some colour to the table decor.

Lastly, this is our larger 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 3" gift box with coral and lucite satin ribbons and sticky pearl blings. This box would make an ideal presentation box for bridal party gifts.

I'll be featuring new colours in the upcoming weeks as our stock rolls in so stay tuned!

Thanks and take care!

Anna

Happy Holidays!!

2010-12-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

We hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas! We certainly did at the Store and now we're glad to be on our holiday break! We'll be back at work on Tuesday, January 4th and I'll resume my blog posts then as well.

Until then, have a safe a happy new year!

Cookie Packaging!

2010-12-02T22:04:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I know I've been a bit tardy with my blog posts but the Store's been hoppin' lately, not sure why though *jingle bells, jingle bells* Anyways, I'm here now! With the holiday baking season upon us, here's a quick and cute cookie packaging idea-

We recently starting carrying these glassine / waxed cookie bags at the Store and they've really been a hit, especially for cookies. But since they are a bit plain, we wanted to bump up the cute factor!

So, we turned to Martha. Not literally of course but I love these new punches from Martha Stewart Crafts that this seemed like a great opportunity to try them out (any excuse, right?) The bags punched quite nicely and it does makes the bags look much fancier.

For the little tags, we used some holiday stamps and a tag shaped punch (all from Stampin' Up).

Then we folded over the top of the bag and tied the gingham ribbon around the whole bag. We also used some 1/8"double faced satin ribbon to tie on the tags.

And there you have it - easy, cute and (I'm pretty sure!) much appreciated gift for your friends, neighbours and co-workers!

I'll be doing more cookie wrapping posts so be sure to check back! Thanks!

Stamped Cookie Boxes!

2010-11-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

The holidays are a great time to give gifts of baking - who wouldn't appreciate a beautiful box of home baked yummies. right? Here's an easy way to spruce up your cookie boxes so they're ready for filling and giving!

For our samples, we used our 4" x 4" x 4" folding gift boxes in natural kraft and red, baker's twine in assorted colours to co-ordinate with our boxes (boxes and twine are available at the Essential Packaging Store), snowflake stamps and ink pad (we used Stampin' Up products but you can use any brand of stamps and ink).

For something a little different, we chose to stamp the inside of the gift box lid. We also lined the gift box with parchment paper to help prevent stains from the butter in the cookies. We then placed our delicious homemade cookies (or they can be store bought, we won't judge!) into the gift box.

For a simple finish to our cookie box, we wrapped the baker's twine around the the box a few times and added a small gift tag to the front.

Here's the natural kraft cookie box - for this one, we chose to stamp the outside as well as the inside lid. Once again, we wrapped the baker's twine around the cookie box and added the gift tag.

This is a really easy way to stylishly present your holiday gifts of baking! These would make great gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers and coaches.

Remember to visit our website for more holiday projects and ideas!

Thanks and we hope to see you again soon!

Tissue Paper Poinsettia Flowers!

2010-11-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! It's time again for another seasonal project and since we all love the versatility of tissue paper, we decided to do a festive variation of our tissue paper flowers - the poinsettia! This super easy project is quick to do and can really dress up your holiday gifts. The size of the flower we made is quite ideal for most boxes but you can easily adjust the size bigger or smaller to suit your needs.

We used red, burgundy and green tissue paper for the poinsettias.

Cut your tissue paper into 7" x 10" pieces; for our sample, we stacked 4 sheets of red (for the flower) and 1 sheet of green (for the leaves).

Accordian fold the pieces of paper, making 1/2" folds; tie the middle of the folded tissue with a length of tinsel cord.

Trim the ends of the folded tissue paper by cutting the ends into points.

Gently pull all the tissue layers apart to form the poinsettia flower.

Now use a small piece of gold tissue paper (about 5" x 5" square) to make the berries for the center of the poinsettia; gently roll them in your hands to form a ball.

We made 3 balls per flower; this also helps to hide the center seam of the flower. Attach the gold balls to the middle of the poisettia using hot glue or double sided tape.

Ta-da... the finished poinsettia flower is ready to top off your gifts! The flower in this sample is attached to the lid so that your recipient can easily remove the lid without damaging the wrapping.

Here are a couple of samples where you can use the tissue poinsettia flowers in your holiday gift wrapping - they're beautiful on just a single box but even more spectacular when placed on a stack of gift boxes. You can also make the poinsettias much smaller so they could go on a small favor or jewellery box.

We hope you've enjoyed our latest project - for more projects, ideas and new products, sign up for our newsletter or visit our website at http://www.essentialpackagingstore.com/

Thanks and we'll see you again soon!

Holiday Table Blings!

2010-11-13T00:19:00.000-08:00

Hi again! Last month I did a Wedding Wednesdays post about table bling. But with the holidays fast approaching, I thought it might be a good idea to think about the bling again! Really, what holiday table couldn't use a little more sparkle, right? The "diamonds" above are the original blings that we got in a couple of months ago. They've been flying out the door, mostly being used for winter weddings.

But now we have more table decor options - maybe ice "crystals" are more your style?

Or maybe you like the "big bling"? These gems are beautiful! They even have a tiny little hole in the point so you can string them up with some tinsel cord or fishing line and hang them in a window or on your tree.

No matter which ones you like (or even if you like all 3!) you can use them to compliment your holiday decor in many ways, not just on the dinner table. Try them in a small glass vase, around a collection of pillar candles or sprinkled along a mantle or shelf.

Thanks for taking some time to see what's new at the Essential Packaging Store! Enjoy!

Snowman Soup Video Tutorial!

2010-11-07T21:31:00.002-08:00

Advent Calendar - the Latest Version!

2010-11-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

Hi again! It's about that time when we need to start thinking about the upcoming holidays - they're not as far away as you think! So, I thought this would be a good time to show you the latest version of last year's advent calendar. And since you need to have the calendar ready to go for December 1st, now is the time!!

This year's version is quite similar with just a few little tweaks. To refresh your memory, here's the link for the instructions on how to put it the advent calendar together. All the supplies we used (the gift boxes, gift wrap, ribbon and double-sided tape) are available at the Essential Packaging Store.

You can chose which way you'd like your boxes to open - I happened to chose (accidentally!) that mine would have the "doors" open down. A customer that was in our Store the other day said she was going to put her boxes on their sides so her doors would open just like an actual door, from left to right - good idea!

The biggest improvement on this year's version is that I used the Sookwang, super sticky, double-sided tape that we now carry in the Store. It's fantastic and it really helps to keep the boxes and paper in place. We have it available in 3 different widths at the Store. You'll love using it... on everything!!

The other change was because of a pet peeve - the advent calendar that I made last year for my little son, Matthew, would sit on the end table in our living room. Every time I walked past it, I could see the back of the of the boxes and it just didn't look that finished (you'll see what I mean if you look at the link above for last year's calendar) So, this year I decided to wrap it so that the gift wrap covered the back - I think it looks a lot better!

Then I added a bit of a fancier bow; cute but still "manly", right? Matthew's seen this newest one and can't wait to start opening it up! Now is the fun part of filling it all up!

Hope you've enjoyed our latest project - you can find many more fun and seasonal projects on the "Projects" page at the Essential Packaging Store website.

See you soon!

We're also at these linky parties-

Passionately Artistic

Snowman Soup To Go Kits!

2010-11-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time of year again...Snowman Soup season! We've been carrying the cellophane cone bags (for packaging up Snowman Soup) for more years than we can remember! And every year, it gets more and more popular; it's such an easy project that small kids can help with and it's a nice gift to receive, especially for teachers and co-workers.

This year, we've introduced a brand new kit, the Snowman Soup To Go Kit - complete packaging supplies to make 10 Snowman Soup Cone Bags, all in a handy takeout container! Each kit contains: 20 cellophane cone bags (you need to use 2 bags per each completed Snowman Soup cone bag), 5 yards of 5/8" satin ribbon, 4 1/2 yards of tinsel cord and a website link for complete instructions on how to put it together. All you need to add are the ingredients: hot cocoa mix, chocolate chips / crushed candy canes and marshmallows.

The Snowman Soup To Go Kits come with different holiday colored ribbons like red, burgandy, bright green and lime greeen.

Snowman Soup To Go Kits, which are only available at the Essential Packaging Store, retail for $10.95 Canadian (plus applicable taxes and shipping).

Snowman Soup To Go Kits - they're great to have on hand, especially in case of a Snowman Soup emergency!

Of course, winning a free kit would be fabulous, right? Check out our newest contest at the link below-

SNOWMAN SOUP SEARCH AND WIN CONTEST!

And the Winner Is....

2010-11-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

...LULU! Congrats to our follower, LULU, who is our BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY WINNER!!! A huge thanks to all our you who left us wonderful comments and became followers of our blog! LULU, please contact us at the Store to claim your yummy prize!!

The Blog Candy Giveaway Winner Is...

2010-10-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

...sorry, you'll have to wait until Monday morning when we publish the winner's name :) Big thanks to all of you who left us comments and became followers!! See you here on Monday!

Halloween Placemat Craft Project

2010-10-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a super easy Halloween Craft Project for children.

You will need ink pads (in assorted colours), rubber stamps,

scissors, and kraft paper.

The kraft paper rolls are available at Essential Packaging.

The rolls measure 26" x 6 yards and retails for $2.95

Cut a piece of kraft paper about 18" in length.

Stamp images over the entire surface using a variety of stamps

and ink colours.

I helped cut the placemat

using scalloped scissors. The finished placemat measured 15" x 20".

Tip: Use a placemat you already have as a template to trace

the size so it's easier to cut.

Print your child's name on a piece of cardstock or

paper and glue it to the placemat.

A fun activity to keep the little ones busy

during your Halloween Party!

Happy Halloween Everybody!!

Snowflake Printed Ribbon!

2010-10-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

Our snowflake printed ribbon has definitely been one of the most popular ones that we carry! So this year we decided to add more colors in this festive pattern - white, light blue, turquoise and black!

These printed ribbons, exclusive to Essential Packaging, are a beautiful foil imprint on luxurious satin ribbon in a 5/8" width. They're ideal for just banding on a box, as in the photo above or...

... for layering with a wider ribbon, like the 1 1/2" satin ribbon in these two photos.

Either way, these beautiful and versatile snowflake ribbons will be the perfect addition to all your holiday wrappings! And just like real snowflakes, these won't be around for long so try some today... before they're all gone!

Wedding Wednesday - Decorative Tape!

2010-10-23T21:37:00.001-07:00

We've been having some fun playing with our new decorative tape -weeeeeee!!!! There isn't much that this tape won't stick to! Use the 2" wide tape to seal up your shipping cartons this holiday season - fun, huh?

Or you could go the elegant route and create gorgeous keepsake boxes for a wedding, anniversary or other special event (remember to enhance your box with some sheer or satin ribbon and, of course, some bling!) Yes, this really is tape that we're using on these boxes!

This damask pattern is our absolute favourite (like we could pick just one, right?!)

You could even use the decorative tape on your favor boxes, to help carry your theme throughout the event's decor.

Polka dots are always fun! Try some dotty tape on your envelope flaps for something different.

Here we used the damask tape again but this time on our pewter coloured Envelopments envelope - very chic! Other patterns are available in the decorative tape.

Drop in and see our in store displays next time your in the neighborhood! Bye for now!

It's Blog Candy Time Again!!

2010-10-19T22:50:00.000-07:00

Yup, time to hand out some more blog candy!! This one's easy and you get to win some fab stuff!!

All you have to do is 1.) become a FOLLOWER of the Essential Packaging Store blog and 2.) leave us a COMMENT and you'll automatically be entered for the random draw... that's it!! It just doesn't get much easier than that!!

Up for grabs is a gorgeous stash of black and white packaging treats (like ribbon, paper, bags and boxes) in this damask gift box. This blog candy has a $50.00 value, which includes a $15.00 gift card to the Essential Packaging Store!

Our blog candy giveaway runs from Wednesday, October 20th - Saturday, October 30th, 2010 at 10:00pm PST, with the winner announced on Monday, November 1st, 2010.

So, hurry and enter, tell your friends and good luck to you all!

Wedding Wednesdays - Damask Boxes!

2010-10-19T00:37:00.000-07:00

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these gorgeous new damask gift boxes! It's pretty hard to not like anything in damask, right? Well, our customers seem to be as enamored with these as we are!
One of our brides decided to use these damask gift boxes as welcome "baskets" for her guests' hotel rooms. What a great idea - the boxes are totally portable so guests can take them home either in a car or on a plane.

The black and white damask pattern lends itself to virtually any coloured ribbon accent - here we chose to use purple, one of the hottest wedding colors right now!

These damask gift boxes are corrugated (like shipping boxes) so they're very sturdy and perfect for any breakables you may want to package.

Just add a little basket shred inside the box to provide some cushioning for your gifts (and it adds a little color, too!)

Assemble your gifts on the basket shred. Here we used an assortment of gourmet foods from the region which would make a really nice gift for any out of town guests.

Just add your ribbon accent to the outside of the damask gift box and you're all set. Your guests will appreciate the elegant hotel welcome basket!

You can view our October Mid-Month newsletter where we featured these new damask gift boxes. Remember to sign up to receive our monthly newsletters filled with great new product features and terrific projects!

Wedding Wednesdays - Custom Printed Invitation for Kristie & Gurp

2010-10-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

This week for our Wedding Wednesdays post, we wanted to share a beautiful Invites A La Carte invitation that we did for a beautiful couple. We had the pleasure of working with Kristie and Gurp and they were so sweet - they made our job a breeze! Kristie and Gurp came in with a really clear idea of what they wanted their invites to look like - elegant and sophisticated in hot pink and black.

For their main invitation, they chose the 5" x 5" Envelopments Pocketfold in black. The invite, printed on white mica, was enhanced with a charcoal mat under it and attached to the open panel of the Pocketfold. We then used single faced satin, in hot pink, to compliment their names that had been printed in the same pink color.

Of course, a little square ribbon slide in the bottom right corner added the "bling" to make the invite really shine!

The corresponding RSVP card was matted with boa (pink) cardstock and placed in the pocket for easy removal. It also had text highlighted in pink to co-ordinate with the invite.

This photo is of the Save The Date cards that were made with the 4" x 5" signature landscape Pocketfolds, also in black.

I really loved the graphics that Kristie and Gurp chose to accent their Save The Date cards - it was a delicate feature that set the tone for the invitations. Once again, we chose to mat with the boa cardstock to co-ordinate with the invites.

The information card, matted the same way as the Save The Date cards, was inserted into the pocket so guests could retain the info for later.

Hope you enjoyed this Invites A La Carte featured invitation.

Thanks to Kristie and Gurp for allowing us to be a part of their special day - all the best to you both!

Clear Cello Cone Bags!

2010-10-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Yes everyone, it's Snowman Soup season!!! It's time again to start making your Snowman Soup gifts for family, friends, co-workers, teachers, or anyone else you think would enjoy a yummy hot chocolate treat. It also makes a great school or group fundraiser!

The 7" x 15" clear cello cone bags used to make Snowman Soup gifts are one of our best selling products - click here for all the pricing and shipping details.

Never made Smowman Soup before? Here are the instructions on how to make this easy and yummy gift. We also did this blog post on how to use cone bags to make Snowman Soup. This is an easy project that even children can help with.

We now have our Snowman Soup video tutorial available (on this blog and on You Tube) so you can really see how easy this project is to make!

Wedding Wednesdays - Table Blings!

2010-10-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

This may be a short blog post for Wedding Wednesdays but it's full of sparkle! The Essential Packaging Store now has these wonderful table blings for your wedding, shower or other special event. Sprinkle them around the guest tables, head table or even around the cake. Customers are buying some for their Christmas decor as well. You just can't have too much bling, can you?

The loose "diamonds" come in a clear box that you can store in when you're event is done. We will have some new bling versions, like ice crystals and jumbo "diamonds", coming in the next couple of weeks.

Tissue Paper Oak Leaves

2010-10-05T00:34:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the fall season! Here's a step by step tutorial on how to make these tissue paper oak leaves. For our sample, we added the tissue leaves to the lid of our round Mod box but you can definitely add these leaves to any type of box including garment, gift or jewellery boxes.

First, trace your oak leaf template (available in our October newsletter) onto your stack of coloured tissue paper; we used 5 sheets at a time in our stack.

Then, cut out the oak leaf shape. In this project, we use 3 different colors of tissue paper to add some variety to our box lid.

Arrange all your cut tissue leaves into color piles; this will make it easier to assemble them in the next step.

Select 1 leaf per colour and arrange them in groups of 3, spreading them out instead of stacking them (you'll cover more area this way).

Make a vertical "pleat" down the middle of the leaf; this will give your leaf some dimension otherwise it will look quite flat when assembled.

Fold up the "stem" and staple the remaing "stem" together; this will make the leaf a bit thicker where you will apply the hot glue (in the following step).

Here are some tissue paper oak leaf groups that are ready for assembling. Try alternating the tissue colors to make them look more random and not so uniform.

Now you're ready to start assembling your box lid. Using a hot glue gun and starting in the center of your lid, start applying the glue to the back of each tissue group, near the base of the stem.

Arrange the first layer of tissue paper leaves, randomly overlapping as you go around the lid of the box.

For this sample we arranged 3 layers of tissue groups; you can do any number of layers depending on your desired fullness. Since this lid is fairly large, we decided to do 3 layers to make it look really full on top.

Lastly, we added single face satin ribbon around the band of the lid and in a small bow on the box lid. We included a sunflower head, glued to the center of the bow, for some added fall decor.

If you'd like to see this project in person, our sample is now on display at the Store.

Be sure to become a "follower" of our blog and remember to sign up for the Essential Packaging Store newsletter to receive more seasonal projects that you can do each month!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2010-10-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

Breast Cancer has touched so many lives, in one way or another. This horrible disease has even affected us here at the Store but fortunately, we have a survivor amongst us! Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and we're doing our little bit to help the cause.

For the month of October, receive this pink reusable bag with your minimum $25.00 purchase at our Store. Additional bags may be purchased for $2.00 each, with proceeds going directly to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

For more information, please visit the CBCF website.

Cupcake Packaging - Autumn Elegance!

2010-10-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, cupcakes are still the hottest thing around! And yes, we carry A LOT of cupcake packaging! But one thing we do get asked often is how to dress up those plain white boxes. So, we thought we'd show you some wrapping ideas for the fall season.

For this grouping we chose one of our newest ribbons, Wired ReVogue in chocolate brown (of course!); it's so great to work with since it is wired and it comes in a wide variety of colors. We decide to go with the silk sunflower as our accent (available at the Essential Packaging Store or other craft supply stores).

Here is our single cupcake box with the window so you can see the yummy cupcake inside! And yes, they WERE yummy cupcakes! This single cupcake box would make a fantastic fall wedding or baby shower favor.

In this photo, we stacked the single cupcake and four cupcake boxes on top of each other - this is a nice way to present multiple boxes. By making the ribbon decor on the front of the cupcake boxes, you can easily open the boxes without disturbing the presentation.

This is the front of the four cupcake box with inserts. For this ribbon treatment, we added the white polka dot ribbon over top the ReVogue ribbon, which helps to tie in the white of the boxes.

Six yummy cupcakes just waiting to be eaten...I mean, given as a gift...!

The corner to corner ribbon treatment on the six cupcake box is very elegant; it still allows you to see in the box as well.

We'll be featuring more cupcake wrapping ideas in future newsletters and blog posts, so stay tuned!

Tissue Flowers - Yellow and Orange!

2010-09-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

Making tissue flowers is still one of our most searched projects! Whether it's for a birthday, shower, wedding or other special occasion, tissue flowers make a perfect decoration or giftwrapping accent. Easy and inexpensive to make, tissue flowers can be made in virtually in colour and any size.

This photo was taken back in August when we had the tissue flower display in our tree at the front of the Store. We still get customers coming in asking to see the samples! So, here's tutorial on how to make large tissue flowers-

Start with tissue paper sheets that you can cut into a rectangle of any size. We took a full sheet (20" x 30") and cut in half to make a 15" x 20" sheet.

Stack 8 sheets of tissue or more if you would like even fuller flowers. You can make the flowers all one color, alternate 2 co-ordinating colours or make them in a rainbow of colours! We chose to make this flower with the orange and yellow tissue, alternating.

Then accordian fold your tissue paper sheets working from the longest sides. Use a ruler or bone folder to crease the 1" folds.

Cinch your folded tissue paper sheets in the center using a length of tinsel cord to tie. You can also use a 1 yard length of satin ribbon to tie if you wish to hang your blooms from a tree or ceiling.

Now gently pull each piece of tissue paper towards the top center of the bloom to make a full circle tissue flower. And there you have your beautiful tissue flowers!

Don't forget to sign up for the Essential Packaging Store newsletters for more fun projects all year long! This project was featured in our August 2010 newsletter. All the tissue paper and ribbon shown in this project are available at the Essential Packaging Store.

Halloween Treat Bags!

2010-09-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

That spooky day is coming up soon so here's a great project for making your own Halloween treat bags. This is a fun way to dress up plain natural brown or white grocery bags for school and home parties. If you already have rubber stamps, this is a great way to use your collection for another purpose. Be as creative as you wish! This is even a perfect project for the little monsters to help with, as long as they can handle an ink pad!

Don't be afraid to try different things with your Halloween treat bags: in this sample, we used just one simple stamp, drew a dotted line for the spider's web, trimmed the top of the bag with fancy-edged scissors, folded over the top and added a little bow. We liked the simplicity of this treat bag - easy enough for kids or the "creatively-challenged"!!

Ok, just to show you that you don't have to be "Martha" to make a really terrific looking Halloween treat bag, this sample was done by a guy, my dearest and beloved! He came up with the design himself, using stamps from two different sets to create his version of Frankenstein - not bad, eh?

These two samples we did using the repetition of a single stamp - changing the ink color and ribbons, gives the Halloween treat bags a similar and co-ordinating feel.

You don't have to limit yourself to just treat bags, why not try making Halloween treat boxes?! If you're feeling generous with your Halloween baking, decorate a gift box or bakery box to put the goodies in.

Hope this inspires some of you to try your hand at making your own Halloween treat bag and boxes this year!

Don't forget to sign up for the Essential Packaging Store newsletters for more fun projects all year long! Please see our September newsletter for details about this project.

This project has been featured on Today's Creative Blog and The Idea Room !

(all the stamps used in these samples are from Stampin' Up)

And the Winners Are...

2010-09-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

...we've randomly selected our 3 Facebook Giveaway winners!!! Take a look at our Facebook page for the winners. Thanks to all 238 people who entered our draw! Look for more giveaways coming soon!

Facebook Giveaway Winners Announced Monday!

2010-09-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all 238 people who entered our giveaway - we are so thrilled to have you all as friends!! And many, many thanks for all your wonderful comments; know that we appreciate each and every one of them. We will be doing our draw for the 3 winners on Monday morning and will notify them immediately after the draw. Good luck to all!!

Facebook Giveaway Ending Soon!!

2010-09-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that our Facebook giveaway is ending really soon - like TOMORROW! Hurry, you only have until 5:00pm PST tomorrow, Saturday, September 25th, 2010!

So, for a chance to win our fabulous prize pack, all you have to do is go to our Facebook Page , "Like" us and that's it. Then you'll automatically be entered into our draw for 3 - giftwrapping packs worth $30.00 each!

Don't forget to share us with your friends! Good luck everyone! And many thanks to all of you have have "liked" us - we like you, too!

Wedding Wednesdays - Yellow and Silver!

2010-09-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

Yup, Wedding Wednesdays are back...took a little break but I'm back with some great new stuff. For today's post, I thought I'd share a fun color combination that we don't often think of putting together - yellow and silver. We had a bride do this one a couple of months back and we liked it so much that we just had to share it. This sample can be ordered through our Invites A La Carte program (in this or any other colour combination). Here is our sample, as created by our staff member Cheryl-

We used the black 5" x 7" Envelopments Pocketfold so we could include the inserts for the accommodations, directions and reception. The patterned paper is the Envelopments Brocade pattern in white and yellow. All the text is printed on the Envelopments white mica paper.

On the invitation, we used 1 1/2" single face satin in the lemon colour, to extend the yellow found in the patterned paper. For a very dramatic effect, we added our diamond shaped bling accent, centered in the middle of the invite.

The bride and groom's names get some extra attention with a damask graphic, done as a watermark. This graphic is an exact match to the patterned Brocade paper used as the mat for the invitation.

The damask watermark feature is repeated on each of the inserts, with the headings printed overtop. This is a beautiful way to carry your theme (in this case, the damask pattern) throughout your invitation.

We also included a favour sample to co-ordinate with our yellow and silver colour palette. Here we used our 4 truffle size ballotin box and tied it up with the same lemon satin ribbon that was used in the invitation. By purchasing your ribbon in bulk spools at the Essential Packaging Store, you can use the same ribbon for all your wedding needs!

And finally, here is a tin for the wedding photo CDs you would like to give to your guests and family. Again, the same lemon yellow ribbon is used to secure the tin and to provide a nice little anchor for our bejeweled dragonfly accent.

We hope you enjoyed this colour combination - check back for more ideas on Wedding Wednesday posts!

Time to decorate...

2010-09-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

I purchased this wreath the other day but I felt it needed a little something...

Just my luck we had just received 2 new fabulous wired ribbons at the store.

Re-Vogue is the wide green ribbon and the black sheer is called Wired Encore.

They are so yummy.

Looks much better - don't you think?

Is it too early to begin decorating for Halloween?

So...

When your fall or christmas wreath comes out of storage this year

weave some new ribbon through it or simply replace the bow.

We have hundreds of ribbons available by the yard! Come on in and check them out!

New Printed Ribbon!

2010-09-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

We just received the newest additions to our line of printed ribbon and they're fantastic! "Happy Birthday", "Just For You" and "Celebrate" are now available in different satin ribbon colours, all with silver foil print.

These printed ribbons, exclusive to Essential Packaging, are so elegant on their own. They can enhance even a plain box. In the sample above, we tied the "Just For You" ribbon in a double knot on stacked white ballotin boxes - quick, simple and ideal for a man or woman's gift.

My favorite is the new "Celebrate" ribbon in the plum color - gorgeous! This is the hot colour for the upcoming holiday season. Use this ribbon for almost any occasion including weddings.

We're loving this "Happy Birthday" ribbon in Turquoise! Again, this one's perfect for any gender. It looks really sharp when co-ordinated with the lighter Navajo Turquoise colour.

Hope you'll try one of these new ribbons the next time you're in the Store! We also have new holiday printed ribbon colours coming for this year - we'll post photos of them as soon as they get here! Stay tuned...

Wrapped Edible Gifts!

2010-09-16T03:08:00.000-07:00

This fall, when you're visiting family and friends, remember to take along a little gift for your hosts. Since beautifully wrapped edible gifts are always a great idea, we wanted to share a few ideas with you-
We took our mini pumpkin raisin loaves (see below) and wrapped them 3 different ways: in patterned cellophane bags, in a brown giftbox and in patterned cellophane wrap, all tied up with Wraphia ribbon. All 3 ways are quick, easy and make a wonderful presentation.

The cellophane bags are the absolute easiest way to package up your loaves - just put them in and tie them up! It doesn't get much easier than that!

For something a little fancier, try using a giftbox. The box we used in this photo is our #73 size (7" long x 4" wide x 3" tall). We then used some autumn coloured Wraphia ribbon to accent the top of the box.

Inside, we lined the giftbox with parchment paper to prevent any greasy butter marks on the box.

We chose this recipe for pumpkin raisin loaf from Canadian Living and from first hand experience, it's terrific! Though tasty as per the recipe, we added some walnuts for extra flavor. We also made our's a s mini loaves instead of regular sized ones.

Three little loaves fit snugly into the giftbox. Remember that all the loaves should be completely cooled before packaging them up.

For our last wrapping idea, we decided to wrap the mini loaf in patterned cellophane wrap. Cut a piece of cellophane wrap about 16" wide and about 18" long. Place the loaf in the middle of your piece of cellophane wrap, along the 16" length; the end of cellophane should be at the bottom of the loaf.

Gently wrap the loaf in the cellophane wrap; the length of cellophane should wrap around your loaf twice.

You should finish wrapping the loaf with the end of the cellophane being on the bottom of the loaf.

Now, you're ready for the ribbon!

We used Wraphia ribbon (available in a wide variety of colours) for tying our loaves; use a complimentary colour of ribbon to your patterned cellophane wrap.

Tie your ribbon on both sides of your loaf, either in a double knot or in a simple shoelace bow such as we did.

And you're all done!
So, next time you need a host gift or a thank-you gift, think about wrapping up something tasty!

Boxes, Boxes, Boxes...Everywhere!

2010-09-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year when we start getting overwhelmed by BOXES EVERYWHERE! Yes, our holiday goodies are starting to roll in and so are all the BOXES that they come in! But inside all those boxes are yummy things like...

...little sparkly purses and shoes...

...jumbo "bling" napkin rings...

...and gorgeous mini chandeliers!

This really is the best time of the year; it's like Christmas everyday!

Drop by regularly to see more photos of all the new things coming in to the Essential Packaging Store for the holidays!

Facebook Giveaway!

2010-09-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well, now that we have our Facebook page up and running, we'd like to a little giveaway!

All you have to do is go to our Facebook Page and "Like" us and that's it. Then you'll automatically be entered into our draw for 3 - giftwrapping prize packs worth $30.00 each! But hurry, this contest ends on Saturday, September 25th, 2010 at 5:00pm PST.

Don't forget to share us with your friends! Good luck everyone!

Contest details available at our September newsletter

Tissue Paper Pumpkins!

2010-09-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

I love these cute tissue paper pumpkins! Every year, I make these easy tissue pumpkins to decorate my home for Fall. Last year, I made smaller versions, filled with jelly beans, as table favours for our Thanksgiving dinner. Follow our steps below to make the small favour sized pumpkins. To make the larger ones for decorating, just increase the size of the tissue paper circles.

To make your tissue paper pumpkins, you will need sheets of orange, yellow or even green tissue paper, colored basket shred or basket filler to match the tissue paper, florist's tape, a pencil, scissors and a round cake pan. Don't forget the yummy treats that will be going inside the pumpkin!

Layer 5 sheets of tissue paper. Place the round cake pan upside down in the center of the tissue paper and using your pencil, trace a circle around the cake pan.

Cut through all the sheets of tissue paper along the pencil line.

Use 2 sheets of tissue paper for each pumpkin; 1 sheet is too thin but 3 or more sheets becomes too thick. Place a small amount of basket shred (or shredded paper) in the center of the tissue circle. Arrange your treats on top of the basket filler; use enough treats and basket shred to make a full, plump pumpkin.

Gently gather the tissue paper up around the candy starting at one end. Make small pleats in the tissue paper as you go around the circle.

Once you have gathered up all the pleated tissue paper, twist the "stem" top to make a point. This will make it easier to do the next step.

Starting at the base of the "stem", twirl the green floral tape, winding it up the top of the "stem". Ensure that the tape is wound tightly along the "stem". You may add a silk or real leaf to your pumpkin, if desired.

Curl the end of the vine around a pen to make a spiral twist, just like a real pumpkin vine.

And that is how you make tissue paper pumpkins! Once you've made one and see how easy they are, you'll be making a wholumpkin patch in no time! Have fun!

Eco Chic - New Paper Ribbon!

2010-09-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

Our new paper ribbon has been flying off the shelves! Made from 100% paper and totally recyclable, this gorgeous patterned ribbon is so easy to work with and looks so chic!

The paper ribbon comes in two different widths - 1 1/2" x 25 yards and in 3 1/2" x 25 yard rolls.
Available in zebra, tiger and damask patterns, this paper ribbon makes a bold statement on any gift wrapping!

Here we used about 1 1/2 yards of the 3 1/2" wide tiger pattern on a small black garment box - wow!

On this double wine box, we chose the elegant black and white damask pattern, tied in a simple double knot bow. This paper ribbon is very strong and durable so it's easy to tie it into bows.

Now for something even "wilder" - we teamed up our tiger patterned paper ribbon with our new leopard frosted bags and leopard patterned tissue paper - perfect for someone who likes things a bit wild!

We also did another version using the zebra paper ribbon, matched up with the new zebra frosted bag and zebra tissue; we even added a little black fuzzy boa bow in the center of the zebra bow. Try adding a punch of colour with solid tissue paper or ribbon in hot pink, purple or lime green.

New Skull & Crossbones Tissue Paper!

2010-08-28T19:59:00.001-07:00

This new skull and crossbones patterned tissue paper is just too cute to be "spooky"! It's also not just for Hallowe'en either; it's perfect for anyone and any occasion.

Here are a couple of examples of how you can use our skull and crossbones tissue - use 1 sheet of tissue paper to band around a giftbox (you may need to use 2 sheets for a larger box); first, we cut the tissue paper in half lengthwise, then folded it to the desired width for our box. We then accented with a green coloured satin ribbon and attached a small sheer ribbon bow to the front of the box.

For a giftbag, use 2 or 3 sheets of tissue paper to make nice "poufs" for the top of the giftbag. Don't forget to accent with some ribbon; purple works well with the black and white scheme.

Hopefully, this has inspired you to use our new skull and crossbones tissue paper for all year-round gift giving...but remember, it still works for Hallowe'en too!

Essential Packaging Store Now On Facebook!

2010-08-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

Yup, we've finally gone and done it...we've officially launched the Essential Packaging Facebook page!! With so many of us on Facebook, we thought this would be a great way to keep you up to date with what's happening at The Essential Packaging Store. We're really excited about having the Essential Packaging Store Facebook page as a way to interact and communicate with our customers.

So, check out our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Surrey-BC/Essential-Packaging-Store/152812251396320?ref=sgm&__a=9&ajaxpipe=1

We invite you to post a comment or share some creative giftwrapping photos on the Essential Packaging Facebook page!

Thank You....Ribbon and Tissue

2010-08-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

today we are profiling one of the stores best sellers...thank you ribbon.

The staff at the Essential Packaging Store think the best way to express your gratitude is with Thank You ribbon, which is why you will find it used throughout the store on our multitude of inspiring display samples. The "Thank You" ribbon comes in a wide assortment of colours in single face satin ribbon which is then hot stamped in silver.

Perfect for any occasion: baby shower, wedding, bridal shower, birthday, anniversary or just because. Use it on thank you cards or favor boxes ...gift boxes or bags. The uses are endless.

...and what a better fit to the thank you ribbon then thank you tissue. The thank you tissue is silver hot stamp thank yous printed on white tissue.

Stop by the store to see how beautiful they are for yourself.....

Have a great day

Cheryl

The Essential Packaging Store Featured in Stimuli Magazine!

2010-08-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, we're super excited to be in today's Stimuli Daily Scoop! Our fantastic new paper ribbon was the feature and we couldn't be more thrilled! This new ribbon, made from 100% paper, is so easy to work with and it looks great on any gift packaging. It's been flying off the shelves!

Check out our feature at the link- www.stimulimag.ca/index.php

Stimuli is an online lifestyle magazine full of information on fashion, home decor, food & wine, health, children, family, careers and basically just living a fabulous life in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia
Take a look, it's a great read!

Gift Wrapping With Cellophane!

2010-07-23T01:07:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather we've been having lately.

At the Store, we've been playing around with some alternative gift wrapping ideas. Many times, customers will purchase a bulk roll of cellophane wrap, thinking of it as just for wrapping up gift baskets. But have you ever thought of cellophane wrap as giftwrap?

Here is a photo of a giftwrapped garment (or clothing) box using cellophane basket wrap for the lid. What a quick and fabulous way to dress up a boring box and to use up some of your patterned cellophane wrap!

Simply cut the cello basket wrap to be larger than the lid of your box. Measure it so that you have enough to fold under and tape to the inside of the lid. Trim off any excess cello wrap and tape securely to the box lid.

Make sure that your corners look nice (remember your hospital corners!). Add a co-ordinating bow to the lid and you're done! The box can also be opened without damaging the beautiful gift wrapping.

Here is another version but this time we've added a sheet of colored tissue paper under the patterned cellophane wrap - this adds some variety to the gift wrapping by making the lid of the box appear to be a different colour than the bottom of the box.

The damask pattern shown here has been one of our most popular patterns because it's so classic and elegant. Remember, changing the tissue paper colour allows you to extend your patterned cello to suit any occasion. For example, change the tissue paper to a light pink or blue colour and it would ideal for a baby gift.

So, the next time you need to wrap up a gift, think of using your patterned cellophane wrap for something a little different!

Christmas In July Sale!

2010-07-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Our annual Christmas In July sale is in full swing! Here are a few photos I took in the Store...

We still have a good assortment of accents and ornaments, in a variety of colors.

Our mulling spices and hot cocoa mixes make great stocking stuffers.

Bulk rolls of giftwrap, in both Christmas and everyday patterns, are now also marked down.

We even have some fabulous deals on ribbon, both holiday and everyday.

There are plenty of packaging options still available! This is a great time to stock up on your holiday packaging or even to give "gifts of wrapping" to friends and family.

We also have some non-holiday items on sale - patterned tissue paper, basket trays, ribbon, re-usable bags and so much more! Many of these items are discontinued so hurry in while we still have some stock!

Party favors using cupcake wrappers and cellophane...

2010-06-24T13:20:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone
this is Cheryl and I have hijacked the blog posting for today. If you follow the Essential Packing Store Blog you might remember this post that Anna did in May about cupcake wrappers. She had all sorts of patterns with yummy cupcakes in them. At the Essential Packaging Store the staff like to use products for things other than what they are intended for and that is what my post is about today.

Cupcake Wrappers are not just for cupcakes. Robin....our most extraordinary and talented gift-wrapping artist.....came up with an idea to fill cupcake wrappers with candy or chocolate. She assembled the cupcake wrapper (it comes flat) and put a sheet of cellophane under it, filled the cupcake wrapper with candy then enclosed the cello around the wrapper and tied it with a nice bow. Now you have a party favor (favour) to use for weddings, baby showers, anniversary parties or any special event. They are really cute and you can coordinate it to your decor and tastes.

Check out the two samples she came up with but the possibilities are endless.

Let us know if you have any other ideas for cupcake wrappers.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Cheryl

Cupcake Party Invitations!

2010-06-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

Since we're still a bit cupcake crazy around here, I'm happy to show our latest cupcake item - party invitations!

These super-cute invites are perfect for any occasion including birthdays and showers. The invites are available in packages of 12 and come in a variety of different colour combinations. They look great as is or you can add a little ribbon bow (or bling!) to jazz them up.

The cupcake invitations are in 2 pieces - the cupcake liner bottom and the fill-in part that is the cupcake.

Since the cupcake invites come preprinted, you just need to fill in the information and send them out! Easy as, well, cupcakes!!

Clear Cellophane Cone Bags - Iced Tea Tutorial!

2010-06-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

A great new project we featured in our May newsletter - a fresh take on our cone shaped cellophane bags! These clear cone shaped bags are still one of our most popular items in the Store because they're just so versatile. This super easy project (that even kids can do) is perfect for Dads, Grandparents, teachers' and even as party favours.

All you need for supplies are two cone shaped cellophane bags, iced tea mix, one lemon, tinsel cord and some decorative ribbon.

Fill the first cone shaped cellophane bag with the iced tea mix (approximately 1 cup of mix per bag).

Tie the end of the clear cellophane bag securely with a small length of the tinsel cord. Place the filled cone shaped cellophane bag inside the second bag.

Place the lemon inside the second bag, sitting on top of the filled cone shaped cellophane bag. Tie the clear cellophane bag securely with another length of the tinsel cord just above the lemon.

Just embellish the front of your clear cellophane bag with co-ordinating ribbon and you're done! It's quick, easy and inexpensive to make plus, the kids can help you make them!

Now, we just need some sun to come out so we can actually enjoy some iced tea!!

New Look - U Like?

2010-06-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

Well, after looking at the same layout of our little blog for over a year, I decided to change the look a bit. So, after much careful thought, I decided to change the colour; major change, I know. Not sure if I'm lovin' it yet but it's definitely different.
Thoughts?

Wedding Wednesdays - Just a bit more bling!

2010-06-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

When you work in a place like The Essential Packaging Store, you can't help but go "a bit" overboard when the newest, coolest, latest thing comes in - in my case, it's the bling! Now, I've always liked sparkly baubles (just ask my husband!!!) but I'm really liking these new blings because you can use them on so many different things-

The above is a beautiful example of how to add a little sparkle to your boutonnieres - wrap the stem with a satin ribbon then add a small ribbon slide by gluing it to the top of the stem wrap.

This is our newest piece of bling - it's the bouquet cuff! So gorgeous on a hand held bouquet. For this example, the stems were wrapped in satin ribbon and then the cuff was just slipped on over top of the ribbon.

Our large rectangle ribbon slide works beautifully on a jewellery box (for attendant gifts) or on a keepsake box for the bride. Rich purple has emerged as the "it" colour of the season.

This sweet heart shaped ribbon slide is just perfect on a jewellery or favour box. On this sample, we added a custom printed label with the couple's names and date - an elegant finishing touch!

New Boxes!!

2010-06-07T22:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, just wanted to show off our new PINK and BLACK giftware boxes - they're FAB!!! We've been dying for some new colours in the giftware box line and were we surprised when we got not one but TWO awesome colours!!

The pink is just the right shade of bubblegum pink - perfect for a "princess party" favour box! It's really cute when you add some polka dot ribbon, too. These boxes are ideal for cupcakes; our single cupcake inserts will fit in the larger box (inserts are sold separately).

The black giftware box look sharp with a hot fuschia coloured ribbon - polka dots, still cute on the black boxes! In both photos, the small boxes are 3" x 3" x 3" and the larger ones are 4" x 4" x 4" (other select sizes are available).

Both the black and pink giftware boxes are now available at The Essential Packaging Store. Please contact the Store directly for more information.

It's Our Anniversary!!!

2010-06-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

Yup, it anniversary time again - is it just me or are the years going by faster and faster?! Well, it's now 12 years since we opened the Essential Packaging Store and it seems like yesterday. Though nowadays, the Store is filled to the brim with packaging goodies; when we first opened it was a bit "sparse", shall we say!

Anyways, if you're in the area, do drop by and check out the Store. Click here for more details on our anniversary celebration on this week.

We'd like to extend a big thank-you to all our customers who have supported us over the years.
Also, an extra big thanks to our fabulous staff - you've helped to make the Store the success that it is today! We couldn't have done it without all of you!!

David and Anna

Teacher Gift Ideas!

2010-06-01T22:44:00.001-07:00

It's almost the end of the school year so it's time to think about gifts for your teachers! Here are a few ideas to get you started-

Homemade gifts are always appreciated, especially yummy ones! Try packaging up your tasty gifts in one of our takeaway boxes, with some "Thank-You" ribbon and a special tag for your teacher. You can get complete instructions and a downloadable template for this project by clicking here.

Or, if you're a bit pressed for time, try one of these super cute writing pads, complete with ribbon. Just pop them in a gift bag and you're done! Lots of sweet designs to choose from including the floral pads with pen shown above and the Teacher ones below.

More Cupcake Wrappers!

2010-05-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

We've had an overwhelming response to our cupcake wrappers at the Store! Everyone just loves these cute cupcake accessories!

The two samples above are in the Envelopments pattern, Mehndi, in the new pink and blue colours. These would be ideal for a baby shower!

These next samples are in the hugely popular new Envelopments pattern, Brocade. The black and white version has also been one of the most chosen patterns for wedding invites. By using the same paper for both invites and cupcake wrappers, you can easily co-ordinate the various components of your wedding.

I really like this new pattern, Bloom, as it's just kinda happy and fun! Would be cute for a summer celebration or backyard event.

Hope these photos have inspired you to add cupcakes (and wrappers!) to your next special event!

Wedding Wednesdays - Cupcake Wrappers!

2010-05-25T22:08:00.001-07:00

Yes, cupcakes are still VERY popular, especially when it comes to weddings. So, if you're thinking about having cupcakes at your next special event, think about taking them to the next level with a custom CUPCAKE WRAPPER!

Our custom Cupcake Wrappers are cut from Envelopments cardstock so they can be colour co-ordinated to your wedding or special event. They are packaged flat, ready for you to assemble.

Simply insert the tab into the slot and you're done! The scalloped edge adds a nice touch to the Cupcake wrappers...

... or you can enhance them by using a hole punch to add a small hole to each scallop for a unique look.

With blings still so popular, why not add some to your Cupcake Wrappers, too! This would look wonderful for a bridal shower or even a "princess" party.

For a more elegant look, select a patterned Envelopments cardstock instead of just a solid colour. In this sample we used the Plumes pattern, one of our most popular patterns. This is a great way to coordinate with your invites, menus and placecards.

For more information about custom Cupcake wrappers, please contact the Store for a quote.

Wedding Wednesdays - New Tags & Seals!

2010-05-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

For this week's post, I wanted to show off 2 new seal / tag shapes, from our Invites A La Carte line, for your favour packaging...

... the luggage tag shape and...

... the frame shape.

The new tag shape is fun and versatile, making it a perfect addition to a more casual style favour.

On the other hand, the frame shape has a more elegant tone to it. The frame can be used as a tag / seal on it's own (as shown above) or matted with a square in a co-ordinating colour (as seen below) for a more sophisticated look.

The best part about all of our tags / seals is that they can be made with Envelopments cardstock that co-ordinates with your invite or wedding colours. The choices are endless!

Teacher's Gift Ideas!

2010-05-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

Since it's almost the end of the school year, it's time to think about a little something for the teachers'! We just got these super cute note pads in last week- they would make a perfect little gift for that special teacher.

For more ideas, including our newest take on what to do with a cone bag, click here to see our May Newsletter. Enjoy!

We're Really Lovin'...

2010-05-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

...all the new Envelopments patterned papers!!! YUM, YUM, YUM!!

We, the Store Staff, have been trying(unsuccessfully!) to come to terms with our paper addiction. Then, Envelopments introduces Their amazing new patterns and well, the addiction continue...!! We're all dying to make new samples using these gorgeous new papers.

It looks like Cheryl is the first off the mark with a card that she made for Mother's Day - simply FAB!! She used the new Plumes pattern in purple, which is so elegant and added a touch of bling with a ribbon slide.

Great job, Cheryl!!

Wedding Wednesdays - Bling, bling, bling!

2010-05-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Bling, bling, bling... it's everywhere and on everything, especially when it comes to things wedding! We just can't get enough of that "sparkle" for that special day. And I say, why not? Can you really have too much sparkle? I think not!

So, I've compiled a sampling of ways you can add that little bit o' bling for your wedding...

Add them to your invites - the invitation sets the tone for the upcoming wedding. Guests will see the invite before anything else so give them a little taste of what's to come. A bling on the front or top of your invite, with a luxurious satin ribbon, is definately elegant.

Add them to your attendant gifts or invite presentation boxes- these larger blings look amazing on jewelery and presentation boxes. The wider satin ribbon adds to the dramatic look.

Add them to your favours- a plain solid coloured favour box can look incredible when dressed up with a bling on an elegant satin or sheer ribbon. Gorgeous!

Add them to your table decor- nothing says glamour like a little bling on your placecard!

Well, I hope this has sparked some ideas on how you can add some bling to your wedding day. We have many other samples at the Store, so if you're in the area, drop by and have a look!

Thanks!
Anna

Wedding Wednesdays - Tulle Wrapping

2010-04-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

Hello again! For this week's post, I thought I'd go with something "old" that's "new" again - tulle netting. Yes, it's has been around for what seems like forever but weddings and tulle just naturally seem to go together. This time, though, we're using tulle to wrap up attendant gifts and out-of-town guests' gifts-

For your out-of-town guests- here we have a plain white gable box that gets dressed up with a colourful dose of tulle. With so many different colours of tulle to choose from, it's easy to co-ordinate with your wedding colours.

Use tulle when you want to keep boxes together for presentation - what guest wouldn't love to receive these boxes, filled with goodies, in their hotel room?

Here's a fun way to give your attendant gifts - after you've covered the box with fun patterned giftwrap, wrap the whole box in white and lime tulle to soften the look.

In this sample, we used one of our Mod boxes, in the Boogie Blue colour, and wrapped the whole box up with the 24" wide white tulle and then added a simple white satin "Cheater Bow".

Well, that's it for this week's Wedding Wednesday post - check back next week when I'll be featuring some recent wedding invites that we've done. See you then!
Anna

My New Favourite Colour...

2010-04-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

...well this week anyway...!! All of us here at the Store seem to change our favourite colour every few weeks it seems. Some new product will come in some fabulous new colour or shade and presto! it's our new favourite!

So, this week I'm really loving the new shade of TURQUOISE!! It's fun and fresh and looks great on gifts for any gender or age-

It's also a nice alternative to the typical pinks and lavenders you see for Mother's Day. Turquoise is a perfect colour to brighten up duller colours like natural kraft-

Turquoise is also showing up in the new Envelopments papers - this gorgeous Damask pattern looks amazing in turquoise and white!!

Even our bridal customers are turning onto turquoise; it's a great accent colour that makes plain white really pop!

Well, that's it for now - until the next "favourite" colour comes along!
Anna

Earth Day Giveaway!!

2010-04-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

Yup, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day is coming up on Thursday, April 22. To celebrate this special day, the Essential Packaging Store is having a fab giveaway-

this fresh "green" reusable tote bag can be yours, with your minimum $30.00 purchase, when you come in to the Store this Thursday, Friday or Saturday only. This tote bag is perfect for groceries (that's what mine gets used for!), books, kids stuff or anything else you can think of!

For more information about Earth Day, please visit www.earthday.net/earthday2010

So, come by the Essential Packaging Store to get your "green" bag this Thursday, Friday or Saturday. See you then!!

(Note: quantities are limited to stock on hand, minimum $30.00 purchase, one per customer per day. Please contact the Store for more details)

Wedding Wednesdays - New Envelopments Favour Boxes!!

2010-04-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't done a Wedding Wednesday post in a while so when I saw the new Envelopments favour boxes I knew I had to do one! These boxes are so beautiful! But they don't have to be just for weddings - you can use them for baby showers, anniversaries or for small special gifts. Here's a sampling of the favour boxes in some new Envelopments patterns-

So elegant - this "tarte" box is a perfect size for 4 small truffles, a couple of yummy cookies or a piece of brownie... yum! I also LOVE this new Damask pattern (nice colour combination, too!)

Can you say, "sweet tooth"? This super cute cube box is called the "Bon-Bon" shape and I personally would love to receive any kind of bon-bons in this box! The swiss dot pattern is classic and elegant and would be suitable for any event or occasion.

Now this is unique - if you want to make a statement with your favours, then this is the one to go with! This "pyramid" shape would be perfect in any colour or pattern; just add a touch of ribbon at the top (like we did) and you're done.

The "take-out" box shape has always been fun but this one is a bit more refined - by removing the handles, Envelopments has made this take-out box ideal for a more sophisticated event.

I really like this "wedge" shaped box because it's actually the right size to fit a slice of cake! Adding a ribbon in the same colour as the box is so chic!

This new favour box is the "clutch" shape. I also liked this one (don't I like them all?!) since it would be well suited to slightly taller items or odd shaped treats. This shape lends itself to ribbon treatments very easily.

Finally, we have the "pillow" shape box. Pillows are always nice for candies and sweets but would also make a nice presentation package for gift cards (think of attendant gifts).

Well, that's it for now! I'll be adding more photos as our new samples roll in so keep checking back! Thanks!

Anna

Yippee, It Worked!!

2010-04-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know how (and I wouldn't understand even if he did explain it!) but my computer guru always manages to fix the problem! A few clicks and we're back in business...

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, the new Envelopments patterns and colours are now here and to say we're just a bit excited would be a gross understatement. Here's a little taste-

This is the new Envelopments patterned swatch deck - can you say "YUMMY"?!?! All the patterns are very current and fresh, ranging from modern to tradional styles. I had to show some of my favourites (it was hard to pick just a few...!!)-

This the Plumes pattern that has been one of our most popular Envelopments patterns, now available in this rich new purple shade and the elegant black/white combination below.

Below is the new Bloom pattern - I really loved the fun green since it could be used for any occasion. The black/white Bloom pattern is so versatile as well; you can match it up with any solid coloured cardstock.

This next one is my absolute favourite - Brocade! This pattern is so trendy right now and this version from Envelopments is perfect!! I'm not usually a big fan of turquoise but I couldn't stop looking at this one - love it!

Our Store Manager, Antonella, really loves the classic simplicity of the Swiss Dots pattern. This pattern would be fabulous matched up with a bold solid - yum!

The Kaleidoscope pattern has also been a favourite among our customers so I was happy to see it available in some fresh new colours, like this bold shade called Tangelo.

Of course, Envelopments didn't disappoint with the truly mouthwatering new shades of solid coloured cardstock!! I'm not sure where I'm going to fit all these new colours and patterns in the Store...!

I love how these 3 colours look so good together - I just need an excuse to make some cards using this combination!

I can't say I'm big on bright pink either but when I saw the new Fashionista colour (great name, too!) I swooned!! Looks amazing with the delicious Jester purple.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this little preview of the new Envelopments colours and patterns - stock should start arriving in the next couple of weeks but we do have the swatch decks at the Store for you to look through if you can't wait!!!

A Small Problem...

2010-04-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

I have a love / hate relationship with technology, more specifically, my computer.

Well, I sat down at my computer and was all set to download all my fabulous new Envelopments photos when a lovely message came up on the screen - "download failed, try again later". How could this happen?!?! After several "try again later" attempts, I still have not been able to download my photos.

So, sadly I have no photos of the yummy new Envelopments favour boxes to show you :(
Hopefully, my resident computer guru will be able to make it happen tomorrow!

Thanks for your patience and we'll see you soon!

Anna

Envelopments - new colours and patterns, oh my!!

2010-04-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

We can't believe it but they're FINALLY here - the new Envelopments colours and patterns!!!!! We've been waiting, for what feels like eternity, to see the new patterns and colours and honestly, it's been worth the wait!! The new Envelopments colours are AMAZING, rich and yummy tones that are on the cutting edge of what's hot right now. And the patterns are TO DIE FOR!!! The fabulous new Brocade pattern is beyond delicious - I'm itching for a reason to buy some for myself...!!

We got the new Envelopments swatch decks in today so if you're dying to see the latest colours and patterns, come on down to the Store and have a look in person. Or, you can click here to see the Envelopments samples online on our updated website. The actual paper stock will be arriving at the Store in the next couple of weeks.

Check back tomorrow when I'll have some photos of the new favour boxes from Envelopments - super exciting!!!

More Carrots Please!!

2010-03-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems like our customers just can't get enough of our carrot cone bags!! We recently did the post about how to make the carrot cone bags but here are 2 more ideas on what to put in them-This version is filled with assorted jelly beans, tied off with some sheer polka dot ribbon and white boa bow in the center. If you don't want to fill the cone bag too much, just cinch it lower down and cut off the excess cello at the top. You can modify this version by changing the colour of the jelly beans to pink or blue (baby shower), red, white and green (Christmas) or multicoloured (birthdays).

I really loved this next idea because it's quick and easy and a nice alternative to candies (not that these are so much better!!) It's CHEEZIES!!! Yup, Cheezies! They're orange and kids love them so that makes them perfect for our cone bags!

I made these for my son Matthew's preschool class today and they were a hit! They looked very "carrot-like" all in a basket.

Hope this has inspired a few more of you to try our cone bags - if you come up with some other ideas, please forward them to us! We love to see what our creative customers do!

Just a reminder that this Friday is Good Friday and the Essential Packaging Store will be closed but we will be open on Saturday and Monday with regular hours.

Have a happy Easter!!!

Easter Cello Treat Bags!

2010-03-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

We often overlook the versatility and usefulness of cello bags because they're "just" cello bags but they really are so much more!

Cello bags are indispensable when it comes to packaging up like cookies, candies, chocolates and even little soaps or candles. They're especially perfect when time is running short and you need something that looks good in a hurry!

Cello bags are available in so many colourful patterns for everyday and seasonal uses. This is our new favourite for Easter - this pink bunny bag can be cinched at the top of its head so the ears stand up. Too cute!

So, with Easter coming up this weekend, stock up on a few cello bags to have on hand for those special (and sometimes unexpected!) times when you need a quick packaging solution!

See you next time!
Anna

Carrot Cone Bags for Easter!

2010-03-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

These carrot cone bags are the ideal Easter project for youngsters (and "oldsters" too!) Use them for holiday decor; just fill them with orange basket shred like we did in this photo. Or you can fill them with orange jelly beans to make them yummy treats for friends and family. Either way, they're fun and easy to make!

Have fun!
Anna

Click here to see the complete carrot cone bag instructions.

Congrats!!

2010-03-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Big congrats goes out to Alexis, who won our Envelopments Blog Candy! Yippee!!!
Hope you have fun playing with all your new Envelopments paper!

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Blog Candy giveaway - stay tuned for upcoming giveaways!

And The Blog Candy Winner Is...

2010-03-13T23:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who left us a comment and was entered into our Envelopments Blog Candy draw!

We will be doing our draw on Monday morning at The Essential Packaging Store and will post the winner on our blog right after!

So, check back on Monday to see if you're the winner of our fab Envelopments Blog Candy!!

Great For Egg Hunting!!

2010-03-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

Easter's just around the corner, April 4th this year, so it's not too early to start thinking about some easy and fun projects. In our March newsletter, we featured our Bunny Bags craft project. This is a great craft for kids of all ages. And, these bags are ideal for Easter egg hunts!

Just add some ribbon and boa bows to enhance your Bunny Bags - don't forget to colour in a pink nose, too!

You can turn your Bunny Bag into an Easter / Spring gift bag by adding some co-ordinating tissue paper in the top of your bag.

Click here to see our March newsletter with complete instructions and down loadable Bunny Bag template. Have fun!

We'll be showcasing more Easter and Spring ideas in the upcoming weeks so be sure to come by and take a look!

Blog Candy Deadline!

2010-03-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Great to see people stopping by and leaving a comment for the blog candy - it's a fabulous prize so if you haven't left your comment yet, better hurry!!

It's Blog Candy Time!!!

2010-03-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

Yup, it's that time again... I didn't realize that it's been a YEAR since we did our last one, yikes!! Well, we will certainly try to do them a little more often this year.

Anyways, we're going to make this blog candy easy for everyone - just leave us a comment and you'll automatically be entered for the random draw.

Since we're so excited about our expanded Envelopments section on our website, our blog candy is an Envelopments paper gift pack. The gift pack includes patterned and solid coloured cardstock, Pocketfolds, Envelofolds and envelopes in three different colour groupings, as shown in the photos.

So, visit us often as this blog candy offer expires on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 10:00pm PST.
Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Guess What?!?!

2010-03-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

It's almost time for another Blog Candy giveaway!!!!!
Stay tuned for more details coming in the next few days.
Yippeeee!!!!

Go Canada Go!!!

2010-02-11T22:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it's the big day tomorrow - yippee! I've definitely been feeling more patriotic since having been at the torch relay this past Monday. It was so nice to see so many people, young and old, enjoying themselves as we watched to torch come through Surrey.

In keeping with the "red and white" of our country, we thought we'd highlight some of our patriotic packaging ideas we have in the Store-

Our Maple Leaf cello is perfect for wrapping up some gift baskets or boxed gifts for any out of town guests that you may be hosting this month. Don't forget to add some red and white ribbons to enhance your gifts.

We even took some of the Maple Leaf cello and wrapped it over top of our clear cone bags for a patriotic twist to this popular bag. We've had brides often use this idea when they've wanted a little bit of Canadiana in their weddings abroad.

Of course you can dress up any plain red or white packaging with a few well placed Maple Leaf stickers. So, let your true red and white colours shine this month and cheer,

GO CANADA GO!!!!!! GO CANADA GO!!!!!! GO CANADA GO!!!!!! GO CANADA GO!!!!!!

Valentine's Tissue Hearts

2010-02-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

We still get asked a lot about this project that we featured in our February 2009 newsletter. It's such a simple way to make a plain giftbox (or bag) look amazing!

Though this isn't exactly a brand new craft idea (many of you may have done this one in grade school!) we’ve given it a fresh spin by making the tissue hearts on giftbox lids. This project is quite easy, even for small children or the crafting-challenged.

Click here to link to our website where you can follow the steps and even download the heart shape templates.

Have fun!

Wedding Favours - Coloured Paper Bags

2010-02-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

Another segment we did this month in the February newsletter was the Birthday Idea, using our new coloured paper bags (available in pink or blue).

To dress up these bags and make them wedding-worthy favours, we added a touch of elegance with some patterned paper from our Envelopments collection.

We cut a narrow strip of the patterned paper; you can make this strip any width you choose. We embellished the front of the bag with one of our Invites A La Carte square seals, custom printed with the names and date, along with an accent of ribbon in a co-ordinating colour.

Here's a view of the back of the bag - we made the strip of patterned paper just long enough so we could have it go over the top of the bag and down the back a bit. We used the Sook Wang super sticky tape (sold at The Essential Packaging Store) to attach all of the paper to the bag.

Each favour bag looks amazing on it's own but we add them all together, they make quite an impact. Remember, you can use any variation of colours/patterns to make these favour bags truly your own!

Bow Tutorial - Sheer Ribbon

2010-02-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

Hi again! In the February newsletter, we did a segment on "Last Minute Valentine Idea" that included our super easy Cheater Bow. Well, here is the tutorial on how to tie our famous Cheater Bow-

To make this bow, we used about 16" of our 7/8" wide Sheer Asiana ribbon, 10" of the silver tinsel cord and a light pink boa bow.

Form the ribbon into a loop that resembles the Breast Cancer ribbons. Then bring the loop down until it touches the centre where the ribbon crosses itself. Place the tinsel cord vertically down the middle of your bow.

Take the ends of the tinsel cord and tie a loose knot. As you begin to tighten up your tinsel cord knot the centre of your sheer ribbon bow will also begin to gather. Be sure to make a double knot with the tinsel cord to secure the bow. Once you've finished the tinsel cord knot you may need to adjust the sheer ribbon so that the bow lays properly.

Then I trimmed the ends of the bow tails on an angle to give the bow a nice finish.

Lastly, add the boa bow to the centre of the sheer bow. You've made your Cheater Bow (and isn't it lovely?)

Ok, you're not totally done - you have to tie it onto the Valentine cello bags (with the yummy Rice Krispie hearts in them!!)

The hot pink and lavender bows on either side of the middle one are in fact the same Cheater Bow, just in a narrower width of sheer ribbon.

Hope you enjoyed that tutorial and are now ready to make your Rice Krispie Valentine treats!

Take care,
Anna

Check It Out!

2010-02-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

The big day is here - the expanded Invites A La Carte and Envelopments sections of our website are up and running! Check it out and let us know what you think-

www.essentialpackagingstore.com/invitations/

Wednesday's The Big Day!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-02T23:44:00.000-08:00

Yup, after many weeks of hard work, our newly expanded Invites A La Carte and Envelopments sections are DONE! We're so EXCITED! All of the information you've been asking about will be at your finger tips, 24/7! We can hardly wait for tomorrow morning when we'll get to see all the new photos, colours and samples of our Invites A La Carte invitations and the Envelopments line of paper products.

So, if you or someone you know will be needing invites for their wedding or special event, be sure to take a look at the Essential Packaging website tomorrow for all the beautiful details!!!

Out With The Old...

2010-02-02T22:15:00.001-08:00

... and in with the new! We've packed up the remaining Christmas sale stuff and now it's on to Valentine's. I just love the hot pink, black and wild zebra combination.

Of course, you can't go wrong with red! Adding black and white to the mix makes it perfect for male or female gifts.

The Store has a fabulous selection of Valentine coloured basket shred, tissue, ribbons and giftbags, as well as cello bags and cupcake boxes for your yummy gifts. I'll be adding some more Valentine ideas over the next couple of weeks so stay tuned!

Bye for now,
Anna

January Clearance Sale on Now

2010-01-11T13:32:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone.....we hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday and are now back in to the swing of things. We sure are here at the store...and along with that is our annual January Clearance. You will find 25-40 % off selected Christmas (and none Christmas) items until January 30, 2010

Why not stop by the store to see all of the goodies we have on sale and stock up for next Christmas....Yes it is only 12 months away.

come in to take a look
Cheers....Cheryl

Happy Holidays!!

2009-12-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you all a very Happy New Year!!
All of the staff at The Essential Packaging Store would like to thank our fabulous customers who have supported us all year and we look forward to seeing you again in 2010!!

See you soon!!
Anna

Sandie's Staff Pick....Christmas is coming!

2009-12-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming

the goose is getting fat
please put a penny
in the old man's hat

Merry Christmas everyone, it is my turn for the Essential Packaging Store Blog Staff Pick so here it goes...

My pick for this week is Cards by Cheryl.

Cheryl's hand-quilled Christmas cards are perfect for that special person or family in your life . They are blank inside so you can write your own meaningful message to your loved ones.

Cheryl also makes and sells all occasion cards that are quilled or beautifully stamped . She keeps the display full and we always have new cards to choose from. Come see for yourself!!

Holiday Wrapping - Ornaments!

2009-12-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hello!
Just wanted to share a quick and unique idea for giftwrapping ornaments. Our Store Manager, Antonella, came up with a fabulous new way to wrap ornaments - in a CUPCAKE BOX! Yup, she used a plain white cupcake box, with the insert, to make a secure way to wrap up an ornament gift. In her sample, she also added a small amount of basket shred, under the insert, to provide extra cushioning. Don't forget to add a gorgeous bow to the front or top of the box!

What a great way to use a cupcake box - of course, using it for cupcakes is pretty good , too!

Essential Holiday Project - Advent Calendar

2009-12-02T22:58:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!
I know I'm a few days late in posting this advent calendar but as I like to say (often!) "better late than never!!" So, here are two examples of an advent calendar using our white giftware boxes, giftwrap, ribbon and cardstock. The really great thing about making these advent calendars is that you can customize them for anyone - pink for little girls, blue for boys, hockey theme for big boys or even glittery and blingy for big girls! This first version was created by our Office Manager, Shannon, for her 3 year old niece-

Shannon used our 3" x 3" x 3" white giftware boxes, 25 of them in total, assembled them in five rows of 5 boxes and attached them together with tape. She printed the numbers on white cardstock and then matted them onto pink and lime green cardstock.

The pink and lime green satin bows co-ordinated perfectly with the foil giftwrap Shannon used to wrap around the outside of the boxes.

When assembling the giftboxes, make sure that all the box "tops" are facing the front so you can open them! Shannon chose to have her box tops opening down. This giftbox is an ideal size for any little treasures you may want to give.

Here's a view of the back - these are actually the "bottoms" of the giftboxes, placed on their sides.

This is the second advent calendar sample - this is one that I made for my 3 year old son, Matthew, after I was inspired by the one that Shannon made! I went with the red and blue colour theme for him, his favourite colours!

The only thing a bit different from the sample that Shannon made was that I chose to have my "tops" open upward instead of down like hers. It wasn't so much of a choice as it was a boo-boo that I realized after I glued the first boxes together!! It still worked out in the end.

The advent calendar was fun, quick and easy to make - my version probably took about 2 hours max. to complete and that was mostly due to cutting out the numbers and mats. Matthew has really enjoyed opening his up over the last few days - the little Matchbox firetruck from this morning has been the big hit so far!

Take care and see you soon!
Anna

Gift Basket Tutorial - by Antonella

2009-12-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

You are going to love our "basket bags".
What is a basket bag - you ask? Keep reading...

With the holidays fast approaching I thought I would post a

step by step tutorial on how to assemble your gift baskets.

The basket bag way...

Step 1. Assemble your supplies:

You will need the following items:

Basket or Tray
Tissue paper and shred
Basket Bag
Ribbon
Tinsel cord
Ornament or other accent
Scissors and tape
Basket Contents

Crumple a few sheets of tissue paper and place it in your basket.

Sprinkle a handful of shred on top of the tissue paper.

The tissue paper will help keep the contents of the basket from shifting.

Arrange your items into the tray.

Nestle them into the tissue securely so they don't shift when it comes time
to transport your gift.

Now all you have to do is simply place the basket

into the basket bag. Yes, it's that simple.

Tuck the corners of the bag under the basket and tape securely.

Pull the basket bag up so it's snug around the tray and not sagging anywhere.

Tie with tinsel cord. Pull hard - it should be tied tightly.

You should not have any space in between the cinched top of the basket

bag and the tallest item in your basket. If you do the bag will begin to sag.

We prefer to use tinsel cord to tie the bags simply because

it's strong and we know it won't break.

Pre-tie your bows as shown in Anna's bow tutorial.

Tie the bows onto the basket bag using the tinsel cord then tie on your accent.

Trim any extra cord.

That's it - you're all done.

Happy Wrapping!

Holiday Wrapping - Gift Card Holders!

2009-11-28T00:44:00.000-08:00

Hi again...
Gift cards are just so popular, especially for Christmas. We get a lot of customers coming in looking for some different ways to wrap them up, besides a plain envelope! Here are a few fab gift card wrapping ideas that we've come up with for this year-

These presentation boxes are so elegant and quick to wrap - just add some ribbon (and accent) and you're done! The black and white patterned box has a pull out insert for your gift card, whereas the white striped one below has a flip up lid (see first photo at the top).

Pillow boxes are perfect for gift cards; you can even include a little yummy treat in there, too! Don't forget to attach an accent to your ribbon as part of the gift.

Even just a simple ribbon bow can make a pillow box very elegant; ideal for a gentleman's gift.

Our hinged tins are a great gift card wrapping option - durable, reusable and chic!

These gift card envelopes are available in several different colours to match any wrapping scheme. We added a fabric pull bow (so easy!!) and snowflake accent to this one.

Last, but certainly not least, are the new Envelopments Envelofolds - these little envelopes are just the right size to tuck into stockings! They're available in several beautiful pearl cardstock colours.

I hope these photos have provided you with some inspiration to try something new for your gift cards this holiday season. If you can, drop by the Store for even more ideas!

Take care,
Anna

New Stuff - Cupcake Inserts!

2009-11-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
Have you noticed how HUGE the cupcake craze is? If you haven't then you must be hiding under a rock 'cause it's CRAZY! If you're planning on whipping some this holiday season then you may want to check out our newest packaging options for cupcakes-

The Essential Packaging Store now carries a selection of cupcake inserts - pictured above - that can fit into our regular giftware and bakery boxes.

The single cupcake insert fits perfectly into our regular 4" x 4" x 4" giftbox, which is available in white, natural, red, silver or brown.

Just place the insert into the box and viola! your cupcakes have a perfect little presentation box!

Here's a sample of our 12 mini cupcakes insert that fit into our 10" x 10" x 5" cake / bakery box.

The same size bakery box will also accommodate the 6 regular cupcakes insert.

The 12 regular cupcakes insert and 24 mini cupcakes insert both fit into our 10" x 14" x 4" bakery box.
These cupcake inserts and bakery boxes make transportation a breeze and presentation just perfect!

Happy cupcake making!!
Anna

2009-11-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

Hi this is Cathy ...
"I have compiled a list of gift wrapping supplies
to help get us all organized for the Christmas season.
Remember presentation is everything.
A simple box with a bright ribbon makes a great impression.
It's the small thoughtful things we do that create beautiful memories.
Have fun with your holiday gift wrapping.
Come in a visit us real soon!"

List of Holiday Gift Wrapping Materials
Putting together a gift wrapping area can save you
lots of time when working on holiday gifts.
Items marked with an * you can purchase

at the Essential Packaging Store

Tools:

Scissors *
Clear scotch tape * Tape Runner *
Ruler and Tape Measure
Hole Punch *
Gel Pens * (gold, silver, white, black, brown)

Wrappings:
Rolls of Gift Wrap *
Cello Bags *
Tissue Paper *
Gift Bags *

Gift Packaging:
Assorted boxes for large & small gifts *
Jewellery boxes*
Boxes for cookies, cupcakes, pies, truffles *
Parchment paper for lining baked goods*
Gift card envelopes & boxes *
Organza bags *
Cone Bags for snowman soup*

Cards & Tags:

Gift Tags*
Envelopes*
Snowflake Stickers*
Card Stock to Make Cards/Tags*

Ribbon:
Wraphia *
Satin & Sheer Ribbon *
Natural twine *
Curling Ribbon *
Gold & Silver Stretch loops*
Tinsel cord*, Boa Bows*
Satin Stretch Loops *

Decorations:
Embellishments* Christmas ornaments*
Gift Basket Material:
Basket Shred* Gift Basket trays & boxes*
Cello Rolls* clear & patterned for Baskets

Snowman Soup Tutorial!

2009-11-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

Our Snowman Soup in a cone bag debuted a few years' back but it still remains our most asked about and downloaded project!! So, we decided to do a photo step-by-step tutorial to show just how easy (and fun!) it is.

For the ingredients you will need 1 cup of hot chocolate mix (we used the packaged mix but you could use bulk mix if you're doing several cones), 1/4 cup M&M's, mini Kisses or crushed candy canes, 3/4 cup mini marshmallows. You can add a candy cane to be used as a stirring stick.

Fill your first clear 7" x 15" cone bag (available at The Essential Packaging Store) with the hot chocolate mix.

Secure the top of the cone bag with ribbon or a twist tie. Cut off the excess top of the bag, above the twist tie.

Insert this filled cone bag into another clear cone bag. It's best to keep the hot chocolate mix in a separate cone bag so that the mix doesn't go all over the candy and marshmallows - it looks a bit messy!!

Tuck the top of the bag down so you can add the chocolate (or crushed candy canes) on top of the filled cone bag. Layer the mini marshmallows on top of the chocolate.

Using a small length of ribbon (or tinsel cord) tie the top of the cone bag just above the layer of marshmallows.

Finish off you cone bag with a length of fancy ribbon tied into a simple shoelace bow. Attach the candy cane stirring stick to the bow. If you'd like, download and attach our Snowman Soup tag to complete your cone bag. And, you're done!!

These Snowman Soup cone bags are quick and easy to make, plus they make great gifts for teachers, Grandparents, friends and neighbours. For something different, try one of these other ideas below-

try adding some Smarties to the point of your cone bag and filling with caramel corn - yum!

or layer different coloured beans and dried noodles for a bean soup cone bag - makes a fabulous hostess gift!

Hope you've found this Snowman Soup cone bag tutorial helpful - now have fun with this project!!

Take care, Anna

Cheryl's Staff Pick

2009-11-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone

It has been a while but here we are again with another installment of the Essential Packaging Store "Staff Pick" and I have been the lucky one chosen to go first so here it goes....

What is colourful, fun, unique, stands on it's own, goes great as table decor for many occasions, and is now available at The Essential Packaging Store? Why it's a napkin....ThemeNaps that is.

ThemeNaps are made with eco-friendly 100% recycled tissue paper and printed with food grade inks. They were designed to stand up so they make an impact on your table decor. Best of all they come in a variety of designs. We have started with a selection of Christmas patterns but will be adding more patterns as each season approaches. It is by far my favourite "new" item in the store right now. Why not come in see them for yourself.

ThemeNaps.....they're a good thing
Thanks for stopping by
Cheryl

More Christmas Sneak Peaks...

2009-10-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

Well, the elves have been busy at the Store!! Overnight, our Store has been transformed into Christmas Wrapping Heaven! Here are a few more "peaks"-

Red and white is such a timeless combination for Christmas decor. We've stocked up on lots of white reindeer and snowflakes - hopefully we won't run out this year!

There's also a fabulous selection of white, gold and silver wrapping options - so elegant and perfect for any occasion or season. Add gilded butterflies and birds to your packages this holiday.

Or for something a little more "glitzy", go all out with gold accents from tip to toe! Wow!
Come by the Store to experience all the holiday splendor in person!

Our November newsletter will be out next week - there's tonnes of new stuff and some really great wrapping ideas. Click here to see our current newsletter and to sign up for future issues.

Bye for now!
Anna

Christmas Sneak Peaks!

2009-10-19T21:31:00.001-07:00

Yes, those are jingle bells you're hearing! The Christmas season is almost upon us and the staff at the Essential Packaging Store have been BUSY - trees are being trimmed as we speak! Here's a little taste of what's to come...

Blues and silvers are very hot again this year - mix a bit of turquiose with azure blue, add some silver sparkle and snowflakes and you'll be "tree chic"!

Or for something a little bolder, try the hot trend of fuschia, lime green and irridescent - delish!
More sneak peaks to come - check back soon!