When starting a home baking business it is easy to get caught up in super cute cake packaging. I sure did. I saved so many custom package designs that I saw on Pinterest. But then I learned how much that kind of box actually cost. For me to have the cost be low enough per item I would need to order a huge quantity.
In the beginning of a home baking business, you don't want to be paying hundreds to thousands for boxes. Here are some affordable yet amazing options for your home baking business.
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Should I get specialty packaging?
Your packaging is either being paid for by your customers (it is built into the cost) or by you (it is coming out of your profit). When I started to look at more luxury or custom boxes that were coming out at $5+ I had to ask myself:
Do I want to lose $5 per order on cute boxes
Does my customer want to pay $5 for the box
The only time I would recommend having very cute packaging at the beginning of your home-baking business would be if the desserts you are making are given as a gift, then you should make sure your packaging is beautiful.
But in the case of cake, it is usually used as a center point of a celebration outside of the box. The box is only there to keep it safe in transport and in the fridge and then it is thrown out. One occasion that a cake might be given as a gift would be for Mother's Day.
The easiest way to make sure your packaging is cute and on brand is by adding a sticker to your box. It is a great option because even if the packaging changes you can still use the stickers! Vista Print is my favorite place to find stickers and labels for my business.
So again when reviewing what boxes I was going to use I had to decide if customers would be happy with paying $5 for something they are going to quickly throw away.
Where do I buy cake boxes?
Of course, it's Amazon!
Amazon is the perfect place to buy cake boxes. There are many options that come in bulk which keep the cost down. It also allows you to try out multiple types of packaging. When starting out you might not like the first boxes you buy. It is great to be able to switch that up instead of being tied up with hundreds of boxes.
As your home baking business grows you will also start to recognize the most common size of cake ordered which will result in the type of packaging you need.
I started selling mostly 6-inch cakes only. It was 2020 and the celebrations were small. As years went on most of the cakes I sell now are multi-tiered cakes that I deliver and I am able to reuse boxes.
I use these cake boxes all the time. They are extremely affordable which of course I love. I like that the lid is not attached because it allows me to make the box taller when I need to. You can cut strips of cardstock and fold them in half to create a corner and they will allow for the lid to be raised for taller cakes. These boxes come in a pack of 9.
These cake boxes do come out at a higher price point but would be a good option for holiday orders like Mother's Day, where you are making multiple of the same style of cake. They come in multiple sizes and heights.
These boxes have a great price point and come in a pack of 10. They have a window on top that allows your client to view your beautiful work.
This pack comes in sizes 8, 10 & 12-inch boxes. That is perfect for bakers who make multiple sizes of cakes.
I have used these boxes too and they are great! I love that you can change the height to 3 different heights depending on what you need. I only use these for cakes 8+ inches because that is the size that the Wilton boxes would have a gap between the bottom and lid of the box. When the cake is this tall it is much better to use these because a floating box lid can move around and mess up your beautiful decor. These boxes are also much sturdier than Wilton boxes.
Every time someone comes to pick up a cake I have to prompt them on where to grab the box. These boxes eliminate that problem and make the cakes easy to hold and transport. They tall measuring at 14 and 12 inches tall. These are perfect for transporting tiered cakes as well.
I love that they have windows in the front and back to view the cake as well.
All these cake boxes are perfect ones to start with! Let me know if you have another recommendation that you love! I would love to try them out.
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