Where Can I Buy (Small Quantities!) of Bakery Boxes?
Good Questions

Q: I am making some baked goods to give as Christmas gifts to my co-workers and I am trying to find plain bakery boxes to wrap them up in.

Do you know of any good vendors I could get them from? All the places I've found online require you buy a case of 250 boxes. I certainly don't need that many!

Sent by Molly

Editor: Molly, a few suggestions. First of all, go to JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels; craft stores like those usually have a selection of bakery boxes in the cake decorating section. Also, Sur La Table has a selection of bakery boxes (pictured above) but they are usually pink.

Also, try PaperMart. They also sell in bulk, but usually you can get slightly smaller quantities, and sometimes the cost savings of buying a big order is worth it. There's always next year! Or you could find someone to split an order with.

And finally, be sure to also check your local restaurant supply store, like GFS or another large supply retailer.

Readers, do you have suggestions for bakery boxes, or for any other packaging necessities for holiday treats and gifts?

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(Image: Sur La Table)

Comments (28)

I actually just grab an extra 1 or 2 each time I go grocery shopping. I ask if it's okay and they always say Yes.

Party supply stores have them in their cake decorating section.

I have always gotten them at Michael's

Cake decorating stores have a lot! There usually cheaper too.

Container Store! But go soon, if you wait too long then they're always sold out close to Christmas.

Grocery store bakeries usually have them and are willing to sell them for very little. They also sell cake boards which definitely come in handy for transporting/serving.

I'll second the container store.
For gifts they also tend to have a nice collection of round tins... plain versions of the tins that the royal danish butter cookies come in. They're perfect for pies and truffles and gift cookies.

For cookies and candies, I like to use Chinese takeout boxes. They're cheap and cheerful and you can stick your own labels on them printed from your computer or hand drawn or painted on the box! I used to get them at Smart & Final in Los Angeles....try online.

I recommend http://www.divinedisposables.com/

I used them for my wedding to make to go boxes for us since I knew we wouldn't get a chance to eat. Check out the bakery section for the boxes. I didn't get the ribbon. I also got souffle cups and napkins through them.

I bought some really pretty ones last year at Nordstrom--they were in the Martha Stewart section of the cookware department. I'm assuming you could order them online from her website as well? They came in quantities of 10 or so, and they were very prettily designed paper boxes with bright polka dots, big enough to hold a small portion of cupcakes or cookies. They were sold flat, and then you just fold them into the box shape at home.

I haven't looked this year, but I bet a similar item is available again.

Oh, sorry, I just realized you requested plain ones!

But Martha's patterns are nice. :)

bakeitpretty.com has them for a reasonable price, and you can get plain brown, or a few cute festive colors. They have a variety of sizes, shapes, some with or without windows, etc... They are a great resource!

Party stores tend to have them - and if they don't have bakery specific boxes check out the gift boxes section. They will have different sized boxes with the attached lid in that section. I prefer them a lot of the time because or the smaller sizes. It really is the same thing though.

I love the disclaimer, "... but they're usually pink." That IS a plain bakery box here! ;-)

In Los Angeles you can find a large selection at Surfas. I believe they are also available online.

I buy mine at Michaels....but remember to search online for coupons before going. There is always a coupon offer of 40%-50%. As long as I buy items one at a time....I never ever pay full price at that store! (print a few coupons - sometimes the clerk breaks the rules and lets me make several purchases). Also your receipt will have a coupon for 50% off your next purchase and is valid the following week!

Weird! I searched all over the internet yesterday for non-wholesale options! I know where to buy them in person in NYC, but I wanted to send a link to my mom that she could use to buy me some for Christmas (I know, weird gift, but I use them a lot and am always running out, I figured it would be useful).

Anyway, in NYC: Broadway Panhandler and NY Cake and Baking have them.

bakeitpretty.com, or buy a few from your local bakery or grocery store.

How about on Etsy?

10 Natural Kraft Gift Boxes

25 cupcake boxes with holders

4 Multi-Purpose Bakery boxes

20 COLOR TINTED KRAFT TUCK TOP GIFT BOXES

White takeout boxes are also great and you can maybe get some for free/cheap at your local Chinese restaurant.

Smart & Final stores have a section of various disposable containers. I use the take-out soup containers for pints of homemade ice cream.

Michael's and the Container Store.

I'm so glad you mentioned PaperMart - I *love* them & have ordered from them for years. They're super-fast, too! (even if you don't live in CA)

I've ordered online from shopbakersnook.com before. They shipped my orders very quickly and they seem to have a pretty huge variety of boxes.

I just go to the nearest donut shop and give them a buck for a couple boxes.

try www.nashvillewraps.com

turn the plain pink ones inside out and you have a bright inside to a simple, brown box on the outside. spare yarn or even string make the boxes look elegant.

Container Store-and they always have great deals on these items the day after Christmas...that's when I buy my bakery boxes for the following year. Good luck!:)

"If it's Paper" is the retail outlet for Xpedx here in the South and they cary a good selection of cake boxes. Outside of the South the stores go by other names but you can find it all at xpedxstores.com.