How to Decorate...

[ruby_soho]

...take-out containers for the candy buffet?

They look like this:
http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/1785639/2/istockphoto_1785639_chinese_take_out_container.jpg

and are the small size.  I feel like they may need jazzing up, but nothing too labor intensive since we have to do about a hundred.  We have no monogram but toyed with the idea of stamping daisies (the flower we're using for bouquets and centerpieces), making daisy stickers, having a stamp made with "love is sweet" or our names and the date or something of that nature, or just tying a ribbon around the handle.  

Anybody have any ideas?  Should I just leave well enough alone and keep them plain?  What do you think?

[pharmgirl]

This is a pretty cute idea (scroll down the page):  http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=JC&Screen=GIFTWRAP

[ruby_soho]

i love the look of that, but it wouldn't work (i think) since we're going to have to have the boxes open for people to put their candy in (and so that they stack and don't take up a crazy ton of room).

thanks for the suggestion, though!

[strawberrieshk]

I like to paint, "stickeracize", ribbon, and bedazzle mine up!! They sell already decorated ones at CVS & Target for like .25 to $1... I like to get my inspiration from those..

[TaraTot]

I think stickers would be the easiest way to go.  You could tie a ribbon around the handles and slide it to the side so they can still stack.  Or you could do a tag with a daisy on one side and your names/date on the other side.

Stamping those at an angle would be odd and aren't they kind of slick?  They might smudge...

[*MAR*]

This is what we did, just a bunch of ribbon, and thank you stickers!

[ruby_soho]

mar, those are adorable... could you open 'em up with the ribbon on?

[*MAR*]

NO! Sadly. But, you could just do the ribbon up to the top of the container. We just bought double-sided tape in bulk (Sam's Club), and used that to attach the ribbon. One layer of ribbon, with double-sided tape, just up to the top (so it didn't go over the lid), would be fairly easy.

What are your colours again? Painting a simple, elegant stripe on them, and incorporating a "thank you" sticker, would be pretty quick too. It is a shame they aren't flat first, that would make stamping them really easy, and you could do an effective assembly line in one afternoon. But, mine had a bit of waxy coating on them, that may have lead to smearing (unless you use "Stayz-On", or another perm ink pad.).

Sorry to think "aloud", just brainstorming. 

[ruby_soho]

the colors are red, white, and silver... i don't have many extras so i think i'd like to stay away from anything that could smudge 

[*MAR*]

Darnit, I left all my extra Chinese take-out boxes at DH's aunt's in Michigan, where we used them for our second reception. I just couldn't bear the thought of bringing home more STUFF to our already wedding-explosion style apartment. Otherwise, I could totally do some testing for you.

If limited amounts of testing materials are available, you may consider designing a pretty printable design, with text, and then printing them on your home 'puter, and sticking them on the boxes. Very simple and elegant.

Paper Source has some lovely coloured, oval shaped and differently shaped sticker seals, that would look very pretty on these boxes. You can DEFINITELY use a rubber stamp on these seals, and they won't smudge. Start with a pretty printed monogram and date, and then hand stamp each with a pattern, let dry, and then apply to your boxes.

http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/new/labels_stickers.html

[amigurl55]

Oooh, that ribbon idea is cool.

I bet you could work this so that the box can be open: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat13872&PRODID=xprd73740

[SpottedFrog]

You could stamp on another piece of paper & then stick 'em on, you could even do a couple different stamped papers and random placement. I'd peruse the cards people have posted in the Paper crafts board for good paper-on-paper ideas

[ruby_soho]

good ideas, all!  i was thinking about just doing a tag so that in case anything goes awry, i can just take off the tag from the handle with no damage to the boxes... 

what do ya think?