(article, Melanie Mesaros)
Plan on sharing some edible treats this holiday season? Martha Stewart, naturally, wants them to look pretty. Her new line of craft projects includes food packaging with all the trimmings. Cookie boxes come in all sorts of shapes and colors, and her clean style also translates into goodie bags, ribbon, and wrapping paper. And Martha Stewart offshoot Blueprint magazine lets you download and print your own wrapping paper. Meanwhile, craftspeople across the country are selling homemade packaging and supplies at Etsy. You can find old-fashioned baker’s twine, letterpress gift tags, or personalized baking stickers to dress up that family recipe for fudge, cookies, or preserves. The U.S. Postal Service has posted its guidelines for sending food packages online, including how to handle perishables. Priority mail is encouraged for anything that might spoil, but Mike Fitch, a mailing-standards specialist for USPS in Portland, Oregon, says that at this time of year, few foods will spoil; freeze that whole Chinook salmon first, though. It’s also a good idea to put the recipient’s name somewhere inside the package. Nothing like holiday confusion.