Some of our favorite gifts to give—and receive—are homemade and edible, from cakes to breads to jams to candies. As The Inside Source reader Kathryn Smith recently pointed out, gifts of food are fun to make and heartfelt, and they can be a more economical option than what you might turn up at your local mall.

In our experience, the most challenging part is coming up with packaging ideas to make our just-baked goods look extra special and gift-y, so as not to cheapen our efforts. We assembled a panel of experts, and asked them to weigh in with their tips on how to package a homemade treat so it’s equally appetizing, both inside and out. Have your own ideas to share? Add a comment below.

Marisa Angebranndt, owner of WannaHavaCookie Inc., a bakery specializing in whoopie pies and cookies in New York City, says, “It’s amazing what you can do with a simple white baker’s box and some creativity.” Stock up on tissue paper or cellophane wrap (Angebranndt likes a combination of silver, blue and white for the holidays, and generally favors a gender neutral palette, like her signature orange and brown, year-round) to line the box and cradle your sweets. She recommends decorating the exterior prior to filling the box, using fabric remnants, scraps of wrapping paper, or even the comics section from the newspaper. Use a glue gun to either cover the outside completely or form a wide band around the middle. To top it all off, grosgrain ribbon is her go-to (“It’s more forgiving than satin, which creases and stains much more easily,”), and as a rule of thumb, she says not to buy ribbon that’s more than one quarter the total width of your box. “The package will look better if there’s some white space around the ribbon. It’s a scale issue.”

For Melissa Chmelar, who owns Spoon NYC—a catering business and purveyor of gift baskets filled with everything from pancake mix to blueberry syrup to granola, all from her house line—opts for a charming, vintage-inspired look. Chmelar regularly gathers family at her home in upstate New York to pick local organic fruits, and everyone lends a hand in the kitchen to transform them into sauces and confections. When the cooking is all done, their hard work gets transferred to sturdy, old-fashioned mason jars. Baked items, like the chewy brownies she’s famous for, get bagged in cellophane and piled high into a tower with sheets of wax paper between each layer to keep them from sticking. To finish it all off, Chemlar suggests bundling jams and baked goods in a vintage wicker picnic basket, tucked in with antique silver baby spoons (“the petite size makes them easier to tie to jars than standard teaspoons,” she says) and a tablecloth from the 1950’s.

Sheila Shechtman, founder of Gifted Expressions, a 27 year-old company that’s developed slick gift baskets for clients including Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s, is big on including stylish, utilitarian keepsakes along with any edible present.  Case in point: “We do a red faux alligator magazine caddy filled with sweets,” she says. “Or, if you have a friend who loves a particular brand of tote, buy one to load up with muffins.” Shechtman also recommends designing packaging based on what’s inside: “If you’re making ice box cake, which was really popular in the 50’s, buy a vintage milk glass cake stand to give along with it,” she offers, “or if you find a great serving tray, make the gift about the experience of breakfast in bread, and add homemade jam and biscuits.” Shechtman also likes the idea of focusing on color, filling a brown leather box with fudge, and assuming you’re not proprietary about your recipe, handwriting it on pretty paper and mounting it in a decorative frame can serve as a lovely—and lasting—memento for the recipient.

Our Panel’s Packaging Recommendations, All Available on eBay

Marisa Angebranndt from WannaHavaCookie

1. Tissue Paper (buy it now price, $7 for 100 sheets) 2. Mini Glue Gun (buy it now price, $4.99) 3. Silver and White Stripe Wrapping Paper (buy it now price, $6.99) 4. 20 Yards of Grosgrain Ribbon (buy it now price, $4.46)

Melissa Chmelar from Spoon NYC

1. Set of 8 Blue Ball Canning/Mason Jars (buy it now price, $16) 2. Vintage picnic basket (buy it now price, $19.99) 3. ‘50s Floral Tablecloth  (buy it now price, $19.99) 4. Antique Sterling Silver Baby Spoon (buy it now price, $9.99)

Sheila Shechtman from Gifted Expressions

1. Vintage Fenton Milk Glass Cake Plate (buy it now price, $44.99)  2. Leather Serving/Breakfast Tray (buy it now price, $39.99) 3. Vintage Brass Picture Frame (starting bid, $4.50) 4. Medium LL Bean Boat & Tote (starting bid, $14.95)