I have changed this post slightly and have withdrawn the offer for my snowman soup inserts for reasons that I will explain in my next post …. but for now I thought I would show you how you could package up snowman soup packs.
On Sunday I went to buy the bits and pieces to make up my soup packets for this Christmas.
I found boxes of 6 sachets of Maltesers hot chocolate in B & M Bargains for 99p, the red packet is perfect for the Christmas theme. I also found boxes of 12 peppermint candy canes for 69p. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any mini marshmallows anywhere, so this year I am going to use mini flumps instead! (99p)
Whenever I use unwrapped sweets I always wear my pink disposable gloves and work in a clean area. Because I want to keep everything as fresh and scrupulously clean as possible when dealing with food stuffs I invested in a vacuum food sealer a couple of years ago (which has been proved to be one of my best buys ever), this means that I can make my soups and other sweetie bags well in advance.
I tend not to use the vacuum part, I just put my cello (card) bag across the sealing wires, where the bag is sealed and and excess plastic cut off.
As I precursor to this post I did some research but cannot the particular model sealer I have, which is an Elitech, however I did find a very similar looking/sounding JML sealer available at Tesco, Asda, Amazon etc. however it’s up to you to research and it’s only a suggestion, I cannot help/advise you further.
A bag sealer isn’t absolutely necessary, especially for a one off project like this, it’s just my personal preference to use one. Marshmallows are an option for the soup and can be easily replaced by all manner of other wrapped items including chocolate snowmen etc.
The cello bag I put the soup inserts etc. in measures 14.5cms x 14.5cms (plus self adhesive flap) and the marshmallow bags measure 12.5cm x 7.5cm
Always check on the sell by/use by date of all items you use.
I can’t advise you on small hand operated battery sealers, I’ve had a couple and have never had any success with them.
The design for the packet insert is almost the same as the one I made in 2010 using digi kit, which sadly now seems to have been retired. The font I used is 2peas Typo.
All I have done is print of the design and then mat and layer it on some PaperCellar snow design card to fit my cello bags, that I found in Home Bargains for a bargain 89p for 50 bags.
In the bags I have put a packet of hot chocolate, a candy cane and a marshmallow Christmas pole. I used to make my own little packets of mini marshmallows to sprinkle on the top of the hot chocolate, but I think using pre-packed marshmallows is more hygienic, leaving the recipient to either dip or break up the marshmallow as they choose. However at the last minute I decided to add a mini gingerbread man from a pack from M & S (99p for 12), which I sealed in a small cello bag with my vacuum sealer and a couple of starlight mints, again left over from other projects …. but all with a couple of months on the sell by/use by dates 
