Custom Thanksgiving Boxes & Thanksgiving Packaging
Thanksgiving is a deadline business. The season is short, the volume is huge, and if your thanksgiving box arrives in December it is worthless. That is really the whole challenge with thanksgiving packaging, and it is the thing we talk about first with every client at ZEE Packaging.
Plan Backward From The Date
Most brands come to us far too late. Here is the timeline that actually works.
- Artwork approved by early September for a comfortable run
- Standard turnaround needs 20 to 30 business days, so count backward
- Urgent 5 to 8 days exist, but you pay for it and press slots fill up fast
- Retail buyers often want stock on shelf by late October
- Ecommerce brands need thanksgiving packaging in hand before the November rush
Book your press slot early. In October everyone wants a thanksgiving box at once and nobody gets their first choice of date.
What We Print Most For The Season
- Gift and hamper thanksgiving boxes rigid or corrugated, lid and base
- Bakery boxes pie, cookie and dessert, usually with a window
- Mailer thanksgiving boxes ecommerce orders and corporate gifting
- Folding cartons retail food, candle, coffee and small gifts
- Meal kit and catering cartons grease resistant board for hot food
- Corporate hamper thanksgiving packaging divided inserts for multiple items
Sizes We Run In Season
Every thanksgiving box is built to your product, but these come up constantly:
- 9" x 9" x 2.5" for a standard pie
- 12" x 12" x 3" for a large pie or tart
- 10" x 8" x 4" for a small gift thanksgiving box
- 14" x 10" x 5" for a hamper
- 16" x 12" x 6" for a full corporate gift set
- 8" x 6" x 3" for cookies, candles and small thanksgiving packaging
Board For Food And Gift
- Kraft board, the natural look dominates this season
- SBS C1S for full color printed thanksgiving boxes
- Corrugated E flute for shipping and hampers
- Grease resistant board for pies and baked items
- Rigid greyboard 36pt or 48pt for premium gift thanksgiving packaging
Kraft with a single color print sells extremely well at Thanksgiving. It reads warm and handmade, which is exactly the mood, and it costs less than full CMYK coverage.
Season Design Notes
- Autumn palette, burnt orange, deep red, mustard and brown
- Foil in copper and antique gold, it suits the season better than bright silver
- Emboss a leaf or wheat motif for texture
- Window patch on bakery thanksgiving boxes, buyers want to see the pie
- Kraft with white ink, very popular and it looks clean
- Leave space for a handwritten gift tag
- Ribbon, twine and raffia ties
- Kraft gift tags and greeting cards
- Grease proof liners and tissue
- Belly bands and seal stickers
- Dividers for hamper thanksgiving packaging
Greener Choices
- Recycled kraft thanksgiving boxes with no lamination
- FSC certified board, certificate on request
- Soy based inks
- Compostable liners for food contact
- Right sized thanksgiving packaging so you ship less air
How We Work
- 100 unit minimum on any thanksgiving box design
- Free 3D mockup and flat proof
- Free dieline from our inhouse designer
- 5 to 8 business days urgent turnaround
- Free shipping worldwide
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the real cutoff to order?
For standard turnaround, early to mid September. After that you are into express or urgent pricing, and press capacity gets tight through October.
Is kraft food safe for pie?
Plain kraft is not. We use grease resistant board or a food grade liner for anything with butter or oil going straight against the surface.
How much is a Thanksgiving box?
Rough estimate is $0.40 to $1.10 per unit for folding cartons, $0.95 to $2.40 for corrugated mailers and hampers, and $2.30 to $6.00 for rigid at moderate quantities. Windows, foil and ribbon add to it. Shipping is included in our price. This is estimate only, so ask our team for a exact quote.
Can you do a window on a bakery box?
Yes, PET patch or a plain die cut opening. For hot desserts we suggest venting so condensation dont build under the film.
Do you supply ribbon and gift tags as well?
We do. Lots of clients order boxes, tags, twine and stickers in one job so the whole set matches.
Can we reuse the same dieline next year?
Absolutely. We keep your dieline on file, so next season you only change artwork and skip the setup step.
Will the box hold up shipped with a pie inside?
With corrugated and an insert, yes. A single wall folding carton on its own will not survive courier handling with weight in it.
