Choosing Packaging

[Nawtees]

For those of you who have gone into business with your chocolates or confections, how did you develop your packaging? What did you take into consideration as you thought about your image?

How did you arrive at the choice of your logo and packaging design? Is it something that you developed yourself?

Will you be changing your packaging for the different holidays or special occasions held throughout the year?

Thanks!

Annette

http://www.chocolatesandthings.blogspot.com/

[Lior]

That is very difficult to answer. You have to go with your instinct. On the other hand it has to be original, I think. Also, something that will catch the consumer's eye or curiosity. Reflect yourself in your logo is good. After you have an idea of what sortof logo you want you go to a graphic designer. She comes up with many variations and working together back and forth, eventually you will find that logo that eventually you should feel was always waiting to be born!! For packaging, once you have your logo you need to think about how you want to display your chocolates. A ballotin type? A lid that you pull off from the top? A drawer? A lid that has a latch??? SHape? Do you want everything rectangular? Circle? Square? All different? Natural looking or colorful? Modern or romantic? It is a search, I think to find yourself and your taste. Much luck-it is a lot of fun.

[tammylc]

I'm still using off-the-shelf packaging. I have a standard font and style that I use for my labels and box tags, but I got a good deal on closeout boxes from Nashville Wraps, and I'm still working through those. I do have a variety of different boxes for different purposes. But since I sell almost exclusively through my email list, it's much less important for my stuff to look the same all the time - it's not like people are looking for it at a store, where "branding" my look would be more critical.

[Darienne]

A ballotin type?

Always the questions. The online dictionary says a ballotin is the officer who has charge of the ballot box. What exactly is a ballotin box?

My confectionary partner and I are not in business , have no licence to sell and thus give away much of what we make. But we do have a logo...the little lop-eared bunny in my posts...I just adore him...and a name "Cheers & Chocolates" and using the computer are able to make lovely sticky labels that we can stick to anything we package. And we have a business card...same method. Not professional at all, but it works for us.

Ruth Kendrick of Chocolot has a very lovely box with a very clever and useful multipurpose sticky strip label. I would post a photo of it with her permission.

[Chocolot]

A ballotin type?

Always the questions. The online dictionary says a ballotin is the officer who has charge of the ballot box. What exactly is a ballotin box?

My confectionary partner and I are not in business , have no licence to sell and thus give away much of what we make. But we do have a logo...the little lop-eared bunny in my posts...I just adore him...and a name "Cheers & Chocolates" and using the computer are able to make lovely sticky labels that we can stick to anything we package. And we have a business card...same method. Not professional at all, but it works for us.

Ruth Kendrick of Chocolot has a very lovely box with a very clever and useful multipurpose sticky strip label. I would post a photo of it with her permission.

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Go for it. I would do it myself, but I have issues with posting photos ( I can't remember how)

[Darienne]

Go for it.  I would do it myself, but I have issues with posting photos ( I can't remember how)

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Aaarrgghh. I have to relearn the process each time I do it. Here it is, complete with lovely and delicious contents (That's a 'yum', not a 'raz')

Omigod, I had to do it 5 times over before I got it right!!! It's because I have pop-ups blocked...I think.

That band goes all around the entire box and has printed on it both contents identification and address information

Edited November 4, 2008 by Darienne (log)

[Darienne]

Got it right the first time!!!

Here is the back of Ruth's Chocolot box, rudely ripped to get at the contents. It is incredibly clever and useful...expands to seal a larger box, overlaps for a smaller box. I like it!!!

NOW!!! What is a ballotin box, please

[carol lang]

you can find a picture of ballotin boxes here

http://www.glerup.com/colordet.cfm?&id=BOX&type=XBA&clr=ALL

Carol

[carol lang]

In the Chocolate Connoisseur by C. Doutre-Roussel she says:

" Neuhaus developed the first chocolates with soft centers (the famous Belgian moulded chocolates) and his wife invented the gift box, or 'ballotin' to sell them in."

[Darienne]

In the Chocolate Connoisseur by C. Doutre-Roussel she says:

" Neuhaus developed the first chocolates with soft centers (the famous Belgian moulded chocolates) and his wife invented the gift box, or 'ballotin' to sell them in."

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Thanks very much for the photo and the information, but exactly HOW does a ballotin box differ from some other box? The photo does not show if the lid is part of the box, or separate, or what?

Thanks

[John DePaula]

In the Chocolate Connoisseur by C. Doutre-Roussel she says:

" Neuhaus developed the first chocolates with soft centers (the famous Belgian moulded chocolates) and his wife invented the gift box, or 'ballotin' to sell them in."

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Thanks very much for the photo and the information, but exactly HOW does a ballotin box differ from some other box? The photo does not show if the lid is part of the box, or separate, or what?

Thanks

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For a ballotin, the lid usually folds over to close the top. It's a soft sided box. You can store them flat until you need one, then fold it up to assemble.

[Lior]

Yes and usually there are two to three layers of chocolates, which is why the box is tall. The layers are often separated by a piece of foil paper or Glassine- in many stores in belgium.

[Lior]

Hi! If you have paint shop pro you can resize the photo so it isn't huge- keep the same width and length percentages... then save it.

Now go to the topof the egullet page to "imagegullet and click on it. Here you may have to open an album-I can't remember. Anyway click "select an operation" andthen either "upload image" or "bulk upload" then click "browse and upload your photo.

I always have two windows open- one for my post and one for the imagegullet. When the pics are uploaded then go bak to "select an operation"

click"view" and your picture/s show up. then you need to click on the oicture you want and at the bottom left of it click" click for actual URL"

A window will open in the top right hand corner- it is already highlighted so click OK which copies it!

Now back on to your post. Click on the IMG rectanangle and "paste" your image URL and then click "OK" that is it! I hope you understood! If not let me know and I will help you gladly!

Edited November 4, 2008 by Lior (log)

[merlicky]

I’m not in business (yet…hopefully) but in regards to logo and packaging design in the chocolates that I give to people…

I created my own logo…

I also rework/add to the logo for different seasons. The holidays for which I’ve given chocolates are Christmas and Valentine’s Day. So I have my standard logo, and one for each of these holidays…

As to the packaging, I use the ballotin style box tied with ribbon and tag with the logo (kind of like a present).

[Darienne]

I also rework/add to the logo for different seasons.  The holidays for which I’ve given chocolates are Christmas and Valentine’s Day. 

As to the packaging, I use the ballotin style box tied with ribbon and tag with the logo (kind of like a present).

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Good idea...about the seasonal additions to the logo.

And thanks to a number of eGulleters, I do know what a ballotin box is now .

[Chocolot]

Got it right the first time!!!

Here is the back of Ruth's Chocolot box, rudely ripped to get at the contents.  It is incredibly clever and useful...expands to seal a larger box, overlaps for a smaller box.  I like it!!!

NOW!!!  What is a ballotin box, please

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Thanks Darienne, but I have a different color label and weights for each size. They are similar but different colors. It would be easier and less expensive if you could use the same one for several.

[Desiderio]

I dont have my own packaging yet, way to expensive at this point. So I found alternative ways for my packaging.

I made some tag with my logo ( designed by a friend professional) and I ordered few ribbons with the name of my company. I do change package with the season with boxes that fit best my style ( isnt always easy to do so ).

Another less expensive way to personalize your packaging would be the one of having your logo/name imprinted on a box of your choice, many company offer hot stamp for a reasonable price.

Edited November 5, 2008 by Desiderio (log)

[Kerry Beal]

I like a box you can see into. I had these made locally - a black acetate bottom, clear acetate top and a gold card. My label goes in the right lower corner.

In front you can see boxes I've had made to hold 3 frogs (they also hold 8 pates de fruit as if they were made for it) and another box I made for 3 mice.

[Darienne]

Such glorious presentations! They are all so beautiful and inviting.

[Lior]

Can you post the pictures of the frog and mice? I love the frogs and mice also!! Your things are always so lovely!

[Kerry Beal]

Can you post the pictures of the frog and mice? I love the frogs and mice also!! Your things are always so lovely!

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Don't have any pictures in packages - I'll do them asap and take photo's - give me a couple of days.

[Lior]

excellent!! Thanks!

[Kerry Beal]

Here are some of the frogs and mice in their boxes. Just a simple acetate box with a gold insert for the bottom. Next batch that I get made will have black acetate bottoms like my truffle boxes.

[Lior]

Kerry! They look so lovely in their thier boxes!!! Do you also do the hedgehogs? Great! Thanks!

[Kerry Beal]

Kerry! They look so lovely in their thier boxes!!! Do you also do the hedgehogs? Great! Thanks!

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I do have the hedgehog molds and make them occasionally - but they don't fit in any of my boxes.