So after cookie-making locally, I decided to go ahead and ship some smaller orders. I am afraid! lol I thought I heard someone on here mention once a packaging tut on YouTube maybe.....? Can anyone point me in the right direction or share some tips if you mail your own cookies. Thank you!!!

This is what i've done in the past and the cookies all arrived intact;

1- Wrap each cookie in cellophane bags (like you would decoratively) and then wrap each one in a bit of bubble wrap.
2- Take a box that will fit all the cookies with a bit of extra room.
3- Line the box with some packing material (newsprint, peanuts, bubble wrap, tissue paper, etc)
4- Lay the cookies into the box soldier style (not one on top of the other, but standing up in rows). If you need more than one layer, make sure to use packing material between them.
5- Lay packing material on top of last layer and then seal the box.
6- Now take a bigger box that the box of cookies will fit into and fill that with packing material. Lay the box of cookies in and seal the second box.

When you give the box a shake, you should not hear the cookies moving around.
HTH

Perfect! Thanks! The "soldier style" is definitely a good tip. I may have tried to pack them stacked otherwise.

Any great places to get boxes? I was thinking of using the pretty white bakery ones I usually wrap cookies in (from the craft store), then packing that in a priority box or something along those lines... each box packed carefully with packing materials of course to prevent shake.

I've shipped cookies to a friend across the country, and they arrive perfect every time. In the Cookie Craft book there are many helpful tips. One tip that I thought was perfect was which boxes to use. Joann's/Michael's sells these rectangular cookie tins, which fit almost perfectly inside the USPS Priority Mail rectangular medium flat rate box.

The flat rate boxes are free, which is a bonus. I order them from USPS.com, and they are shipped to my house free too.
Oh, and I totally agree with all the tips that luv2bake6 gave.

Here's what I do:

1. Open plastic salad bar container and line bottom with slightly fluffed (crushed up) plastic bags. I usually do 2 or 3 layers, depending on the size of the bags.

2. Layer cookies in, fitting them as close together as possible to avoid much movement when shipping.

3. Continue layering cookies in the box with a layer of fluffed plastic bags between each layer. If the cookies are very fragile (like martini glasses), I also put a thin sheet of cardboard under each layer of cookie to help keep it flat. I try not to do more than 4 layers in each box.

4. When you have 3 or 4 layers of cookies, fill in the space in the plastic box with additional plastic bags as cushioning. Try to put enough cushioning in so that the cookies dont have much room for movement, but not too tight that the pressure will break them.

5. Close the box. Place the plastic box filled with cookies in the priority mail box, using additional plastic bags as cushioning around edges and on top and bottom of the plastic box.

6. Seal box and get ready to mail. I write fragile and perishable on outside of the box in several places.

Great ideas, here! I've never shipped a "paid" order, but when my 3 kids were in college (still have one there), I sent many a care package full of Mom's cookies...and I always sent several dozen at a time, so that there would be plenty for sharing!

The best advice I can give is that the cookies must not be able to shift or move around in the package. And there should be plenty of bubble wrap to cushion the cookies. Remember that your package WILL be thrown around by automated sorting machines that can't read "fragile" or "this side up." Assume they will be abused!

My packages always arrived safely with only 1 broken angel wing in all those years!
Good luck!

I agree with all the packing tips, but the only problem is the PRICE of shipping everything!! I made a simple cake to ship to my mom since she lives across the country. It arrived okay, but it cost me $100 just for shipping!! Cookies are obviously different, but it angers me how much it costs to ship and they are never guaranteed really.

Good luck.

Ive shipped sample cakes across the country to brides that were getting married in my state. Ive had a terrible time with USPS getting them there. They look like they were kicked there! One of my brides called it a tornado when she opened it, but said it was a good tornado because it was all cake and they could eat it! lol. But I had them packed really well too. I had them in a cake box with press and seal around them and the frostings and then into a packing box filled with peanuts all around so it wouldnt move! But she sent me pictures and it literally looked like they kicked it there. And this is probably the fourth one this year that Ive had the same problem, and different part of the country.
UPS is more likely to get it there safely but it will cost you a bundle.

Never go with UPS for delivering cakes or cookies. Always go with regular mail. For my cake, I did an overnight shipping which is why it cost so much!
Heard UPS throws their stuff around, so I never go with them for anything.

Thanks for all the tips. I have never shipped anything, but I once read a post in Jessica Harris' blog about shipping a cake in a clear container and I was wondering how other things get shipped. I asked the Post Office clerks if clear containers were accepted, though, and they said no! They were giving someone a hard time for not having her package wrapped in paper.

http://jessicakesblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/successful-experiment.html

If i were just sending individual cookies (like for favors; already nicely wrapped in cello with bows) then i'd just use delivery boxes; actually, i keep all the boxes from shipments of anything i buy.
If i were sending a gift, i'd pack the cookies into a nice bakery box or tin and then put that into the brown shipping boxes.