(I wrote this post last year, but I decided it would be more useful to publish it in early December. Hello from 2011, everybody!)
So this year I wanted to mail packages out to family, but I had a couple of roadblocks. 1: We are poor. 2: I hate going to the post office, and 3: Even if I wanted to go to the post office, I don’t have the car right now. So what to do?
Well, first off, I bought a bunch of these adorable tins from the Dollar Tree for (you guessed it) $1 apiece.
Next, the boys and I made gingerbread cookies, using only our tiniest cookie cutters. We packed them in the tins, layering the cookies with brown paper which I obtained by cutting up lunch bags.
Then I added a Christmas ornament I had previously ordered from Artscow.com. (I’ll tell you what I tell everybody: if you order from them when things are regular price, then the cost + shipping will be ridiculous. If you sign up for their mailing list, though, you’ll get great coupons and discounts from them often, and I think the photo ornaments only cost me about $2 apiece, including shipping.)
Then I took some shipping tape and another brown paper bag and wrapped it up. (That’s the reason I chose the rectangular tins! Easy wrapping!)
Next up: did you know that you can send anything 13 ounces or less First Class Mail, through your mailbox, with stamps? I can pick up stamps when I go through the grocery checkout, so this is very convenient for mailing light packages…like a tin full of tiny cookies and a Christmas ornament.
Seven stamps did the job for these; just over $3 to ship each package. If you have a kitchen scale you can weigh your packages at home and calculate the postage online – just don’t forget to click the First Class Mail option on the last page to get the cheaper shipping option!
So: $1 tins + $2 ornaments + cookies made from supplies on hand + $3 shipping = fun presents for $6 each, delivered. Not bad!
