Q & A: How I Make Large Amounts of Treat Holders

One of my favorite types of papercrafting projects is a treat holder. I enjoy making treat holders for different holidays and occasions. I try to make a variety of treat containers, including boxes, bags, and pockets, that fit specific types of treats. Most often the treat is candy! 

And, of course, you can't just make one treat holder. I make quite a large number of treat holders for each holiday and occasion and give them to family, friends, customers, and community members. 

I get a lot of questions from my family, friends, and customers about how I make my treat holders. One of the most frequent questions I get is "how do I make so many treat holders all at once?". The answer is organized batching. I make a prototype, break it down into basic components, and make a plan for each step. Let's look at my thought process further.

Make a Treat Holder Prototype

The first step is to design the treat holder itself. Determine what kind of shape you would like the treat holder to be. Use grid paper to make a to-scale drawing or sketch it on a piece of paper. Once you are happy with your design, make a treat holder prototype. The prototype should be the actual size of your treat holder designer.

Tip: Write down your measurements for each part of the treat holder. Keep those measurements handy to refer to when cutting cardstock and designer series paper.

Break Down the Steps to Make the Treat Holder

Next, think about the steps it took to create your treat holder. Did you cut cardstock? Did you score or die cut? Make a list of each step. It is ok to have simple steps, such as place the candy in the box or score at 2". 

Tip: Breaking down the steps makes your preparation and assembly more efficient and less overwhelming.

Prepare One Step at a Time

Once you have your list of steps to prepare and make your treat holder, it is time to cut your materials and gather your supplies. Cut one step at a time. For example, if you have 3 parts to your treat holder, cut all of part 1, then all of part 2, and finally all of part 3. Keep your measurements close by to refer to.

Tip: If the treat holder has both scoring and cutting, I will score all of the pieces and then cut all of the pieces instead of scoring and cutting one piece at a time. 

Assemble One Step at a Time

Clear your workspace or table before beginning the preparation. Be sure to have plenty of room for each step's pieces, punches, die cuts, etc. Complete one step for each of the treat holders. Then move on to the next step and so on.

Tip: Have a landing area ready to hold completed treat holders such as a tray, a large bowl, or a platter to keep the clutter down and to avoid knocking a treat holder on the floor.

Sometimes, I will put on music, a podcast, or the tv. I catch up the latest episodes of my favorite shows while I assemble treat holders.

I hope this post helps you to see how I make large numbers of treat holders. What stamping questions do you have? Email your stamping questions. I would love to help answer your stamping questions in a future blog post!

Thanks for stopping by!

Beth