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It’s the same situation every Thanksgiving. We make enough food so that there’s plenty of leftovers, which is great! But I totally forget about one important thing – what are my guests going to put their leftovers in so they can take them home??
So usually food gets piled in various serving dishes that were brought to dinner, or I end up sacrificing my own personal collection of tupperware and storage containers for the greater good. But not this year! :-) This year I’ve thought ahead, and I’ve put together a few different ideas for containers that will make it easy for your guests to transport those delicious Thanksgiving dinner leftovers back home.
Disposable Aluminum Trays
Disposable aluminum trays come in a ton of different sizes, and will be readily available at any kitchen supply store. (Kitchen supply stores are a valuable resource for disposables!) These trays were really affordable at my local kitchen supply store. The smaller ones came in a set of 3 for $0.75, and the larger ones were $0.27 each. Depending on how many guests you have, a few dollars could be enough for everyone to be able to take something home!
Download Leftovers Lid (Large) PDF here
Download Leftovers Lid (Small) PDF here
Depending on how the aluminum trays are packaged, they may or may not come with their own lids, but I decided to make my own! I measured the length and width of each of my two sizes of trays, then put together a quick little Thanksgiving-inspired design on my computer. I printed out the lid designs on thick cardstock paper, then cut them out with scissors. Cute and customized!
Gable Boxes
I love gable boxes, and these I found at a craft store are the perfect size for a slice of pumpkin pie! Not only are they the perfect size, but they eliminate the issue of smearing whipped cream everywhere, which is generally what happens in my experience whenever plastic wrap is involved. ;-)
To label the boxes, I used a page of half-sheet mailing labels that I had sitting around. I measured what size I wanted my labels to be, printed them out, and cut them down to the correct size. Then all you have to do is peel away the backing and adhere the label to the front of the boxes!
Download Pumpkin Pie Box Label here
Paper Bags
And finally, there’s good ol’ paper bags. They’re inexpensive, and it doesn’t take very much effort to make them look really cute. In fact, the paper bags were the easiest and quickest leftover containers I “decorated” because all I had to do was send them through my printer! For a little extra flair, I punched a couple of holes along the fold so I could add a decorative twine bow!
You could even put together the bags ahead of time with a cookie or other treat inside, and have them waiting by the door for your departing guests!
Download Paper Bag design here
So there are a few quick and easy ideas for containers for all those delicious Thanksgiving leftovers. This year, I will be sharing the deliciousness without giving away all my storage containers!
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