Re: packaging - when I gave homemade gifts more often, I found a well-made label made a huge difference in perception. I spent some time on them and had an assortment of sizes so the proportions were right, and often I put some kind of note on the label in addition to the name of the item - ingredients, use suggestions, whatever made sense for the product and size of label and keeping everything readable. It's actually easier than you'd think with all the desktop publishing options today. With a color printer I sometimes added clip art, but if I just had black and white I'd maybe get some nice festive stickers instead and add those for some sparkle and color.
i also found colorful cellophane to be useful - awkward or less attractive packaging can be wrapped up in the cellophane and as long as you are neat about it, it looks nicer and since it is somewhat see through it still hints at the contents, which IMO looks more 'food packaging' than solid paper.
eta: An example I just remembered of using colorful cellophane - I got someone some really good steaks, which of course had to stay cold but I didn't want them to be spotted in the freezer before the day. They were vacuum sealed from the butcher, so I wrapped that in foil (for extra cold protection, plus to hide the contents a bit more) and then made a little parcel out of the whole thing with some green cellophane and some red butcher's twine so it was festively colored. The cellophane handled being in the fridge just fine, where paper would've gone soggy from humidity, and the foil peeking through actually looked pretty. Recipient knew there was something there, but didn't guess what it was. 
Another time I made Christmas puddings for everyone in inexpensive plastic pudding tubs, with lids. They were nice enough tubs for making pudding in, but looked pretty drab on the whole. Plunked the tub in the middle of a square of cellophane, drew it up around the tub and gathered it up and folded it over on top, stuck the folded stuff down with a label, and people actually asked if I'd purchased them somewhere, they looked nice enough to be on display in a shop.
