There’s nothing better than getting a nicely-packaged homemade gift for a special occasion!
Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, Christmas, your birthday, or some other big event throughout the year, it feels great to be handed a beautiful chocolate truffles gift box filled with some sweet treat, doesn’t it?
It feels pretty great to give gift boxes like that, too!
When you want to bring that kind of joy and happiness to the most important people in your life, you should consider making your own chocolate truffles and presenting them in a homemade chocolate truffle box. When you give away truffles you’ve made yourself, your friends and family can see just how much you really care about them through the amount of effort you put into the present you’re giving them.
Don’t you want to make that message even more clear by giving your gift in the perfect chocolate truffles packaging?
When you make your own box of chocolate truffles from the ground up, the recipient of your special gift is sure to stand up and take notice. He or she will love how much thought you put into your present, and you’ll be remembered as one of the best gift-givers of the year, too!
But what if you don’t know how to make chocolate truffle packaging?
Don’t worry—it’s easy!
In this article, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about how to make a box for chocolate truffles all on your own. You’ll first be introduced to the idea of chocolate truffles, and given a little run-down on what makes a candy really a truffle. From there, you’ll be able to read up on some tips and tricks for how to effectively store truffles to keep them from getting too hard, too melted, or too stale to enjoy.
In the later part of this article, I’ll give you a list of all the materials you’ll need and a step-by-step instruction guide on how to put together the perfect boxes for chocolate truffles no matter what you’re looking to create. In no time, you’ll have an incredible gift box you’ll be ready to show off to everyone you know!
Now, it’s time to get started!
What are Truffles?
Before you can get started making truffle boxes, it’s a good idea to know what truffles really are to begin with!
French truffles are probably the most popular type of truffle worldwide. These delicious chocolate balls are made with a thick, creamy ganache center that is then rolled in a topping such as cocoa powder, confectioner’s sugar, chopped nuts, or some other type of easily spreadable coating.
Swiss truffles are a lot like French truffles, but they are usually made in molds instead. They are also made with heavy whipping cream and feature a ganache center.
American truffles are much different than the other two types of truffle listed here. They can be filled with ganache, but might also be filled with a more liquid center. They may be topped with some type of coating like shredded coconut or chopped nuts, but not always.
In the end, what constitutes a truffle is really up to you, the recipe you follow, and the person you’re giving them to!
Tips for Storing Truffles
Keeping your chocolate truffles stored appropriately is the best way you can preserve them and give them the longest shelf life possible. It’s a good idea to keep this in mind when it comes time to give truffles as gifts! Whether you want to make your truffles ahead of time and keep them stored until the gift-giving holiday rolls around, or you want to write out some index cards to hand out along with your presents, be sure to keep these truffle storage tips in mind.
- Don’t leave your truffles out at room temperature for more than a few hours. If you’ve made fresh truffles or thawed frozen ones, you’ll be able to let them sit out for a while, especially if you plan to serve them at a party. However, after that, they’ll need to go somewhere cool in order to maximize their texture and lifespan.
- Refrigerate truffles for up to one week in an airtight container. Use a plastic container with a snapping lid or, even better, a glass container that can be sealed properly to keep smells and flavors from inside the refrigerator from getting into your truffles. After one week, the truffles will probably be stale.
- If you need to keep your truffles for a longer period of time, put them in the freezer! Frozen chocolate truffles can keep for up to one month when stored properly.
- In order to freeze chocolate truffles, wrap each one in wax paper and put them in airtight containers. Alternately, you can put them in zipper closing freezer bags and be sure to squeeze out all the air before storing.
- When you’re ready to use your frozen truffles, put them in the refrigerator from the freezer for at least 24 hours. From there, let them stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours before opening the container you are keeping them in.
- American (dipped) truffles can be served straight out of the refrigerator, depending on what you’ve filled them with. However, French and Swiss style truffles should always be served at room temperature.
- If you’ll be giving truffles as gifts, be sure to let them thaw out before putting them in their truffle gift box. This way, your recipient will be able to take a bite right away if he or she wants to!
Tips for Giving Truffles as Gifts
So, after you’ve learned about storing truffles, you’re probably ready to learn how to give them as gifts, right? Giving truffles as gifts is pretty simple, especially when you follow the tips listed below.
- Be sure to choose a truffle recipe that isn’t made from very perishable ingredients. Of course, most recipes include heavy whipping cream and chocolate that can melt, but some other types of truffle recipes might have even more complicated ingredients involved. If you’ll be giving truffles as gifts, it’s a good idea to be sure they’ll last as long as possible before you hand them over!
- With that said, you might want to keep your truffles in the freezer for a few days before you give them away. It’s not always easy to finish your batch of truffles at the last minute and then immediately pack them up and hand them out! Never freeze your truffles directly in their gift boxes. Always follow the storage tips listed in the section above.
- If you’ll be giving very messy truffles, you might want to include a small, decorative napkin or piece of colorful plastic wrap to keep the inside of your truffle box from getting coated in chocolate. Your recipient will probably appreciate this nice gesture!
- When giving away truffles, especially to people you don’t know very well, it’s a good idea to include a recipe card so they know exactly what they’ll be eating, in the case of food allergies. If you aren’t willing to divulge all your recipe secrets, you can always just include an ingredients list instead!
- Try to tailor your truffle flavor to the event. Give peppermint chocolate truffles for Christmas, champagne truffles for New Year’s, raspberry truffles for Valentine’s Day, or orange truffles for Mother’s Day, for example.
Packaging Styles and Box Ideas
Okay, so that sounds all well and good, right? You know how to identify a truffle or a truffle recipe, and you understand how to store truffles before you give them as gifts or how to instruct others to keep them stored until they can be consumed. You even understand how to give a great truffle present to your friends or family. But now that you’re ready to make your own truffle box, how do you know what type to make? There are a lot of different options when it comes to packaging styles and box ideas, so check out this list before you get started!
- Basic boxes. These are simple, small boxes made from folded card stock that can store four to six truffles easily. This is a great way to give away a few truffles without spending a lot of time, effort, or funds on your box.
- Layered boxes. You can add enough room for another set of truffles easily by simply stacking a piece of laminated, decorative card stock between your bottom truffles and your top ones. Using the same box concept, build a two-layer truffle gift with almost no extra effort!
- Sectioned boxes. Cut out small “walls” of extra card stock to separate the individual truffles. This has the added benefit of keeping the truffles from melting together, and it also makes your box look that much more professional.
- Larger boxes. You can technically use the same folding technique outlined below to make a box of just about any size. Just remember that if you’re working with larger boxes, you’ll need to account for extra support to keep your truffles from falling through the bottom or your walls from collapsing. Use extra pieces of card stock to reinforce problem areas.
Step by Step Guide to Making Your Own Truffle Box
Now, it’s finally time to get started on the process of actually making your own truffle box! Before you gather your materials, be sure you have a good, solid work space where you can spread out and get down to business. A kitchen or dining room table is great, but don’t forget to put down some newspaper or other covering if you’re going to be using paint, hot glue, or any other potentially damaging items.
Remember, too, that the way you decorate is entirely up to you! The possibilities are endless, and it’s all up to your choices and the types of items you’d like to attach to your box. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll be making a small box that can hold about four to six truffles. Don’t forget to try out different styles if you’re interested in other versions. Now, let’s get started!
Materials Needed
- Large sheets of card stock, thick weight (optionally, you can use an old gift box to repurpose for this project)
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Scotch tape
- Decorative paper (like scrapbooking paper) of your choice
- White glue or glue stick
- Hot glue and hot glue gun
- Decorations of your choice (for example cabochons, beads, ribbons, costume jewelry, glitter, fake flowers, and much more!)
Directions
1. Cut one sheet of card stock into a square 9 inches by 9 inches, or cut the same size square from the bottom of your existing gift box.
2. Cut another square, this time 9 ½ inches by 9 ½ inches. Set this slightly square aside for now. Be sure not to lose track of which is which.
3. On the wrong side of your first, slightly smaller, square, draw two lines from corner to corner diagonally to form a large X.
4. Fold one corner inward toward the center of the X until the tip of the corner just touches the center. Sharply crease the fold with your fingernail or with the dull edge of scissors.
5. Repeat the process for the other three corners.
6. Keep all corners folded into the center of the piece of card stock. While still folded, fold the piece in half and crease sharply.
7. Unfold the card stock piece and repeat the process in the other direction.
8. Unfold your card stock piece completely and you should see creases in a checkerboard pattern all over the piece. This forms a cutting “grid” to help guide you for the rest of the process.
9. Choose two corners opposite each other. On each of these corners, cut a slit the depth of two creases on your grid.
10. You should have a total of four slits cut, two on each of opposing sides of the card stock.
11. Fold one uncut corner to the middle of the card stock again, then fold up the sides. Do the same thing on the other side with the opposite uncut corner.
12. By now you should see the walls of the box beginning to form!
13. Fold the cut sides in to help secure the folds you’ve already made. Now, all four sides of your box should be formed, and the bottom of your box is ready to go!
14. Cut 3 inches by 3 inches piece of scrapbooking paper to line the bottom of your box. Set this aside for now.
15. Repeat the folding process with the slightly larger piece of card stock to create your lid. When finished, the lid should fit snugly down over the bottom of the box.
16. Now it’s time to effectively “wrap” your box in scrapbooking paper! Just like you would wrap a present, carefully cover the bottom and top pieces of the box in separate pieces of scrapbooking paper.
17. You can secure the paper on your wrapped box with either Scotch tape, white glue, or glue stick. It is best not to use hot glue for this part since it may melt the paper or cause it to run.
18. Now, all you have left to do is decorate the box the way you want! Use the hot glue gun to attach decorative ribbons, cabochons, beads, and other unique items to your boxes to make each one look beautiful and different.
Final Tips for Creating Your Box
Now that you know the process by which you can create your own beautiful truffle boxes, there are a few more tips you should keep in mind when it comes time to decorate them. By following these tips, you’ll be able to minimize any problems you might encounter and make your box creating experience go a lot more smoothly!
- Never use any type of toxic glue anywhere near where the truffles will be stored. This is potentially hazardous since there’s always a chance the adhesive could contaminate the truffles. You don’t want to give away something that could cause some type of damage to the person you’re giving it to! Be safe and stick to non-toxic glues.
- Consider lining the inside of your truffle box with a piece of wax paper or laminated scrapbooking paper, if possible. Although it can be expensive to laminate paper, this little gesture goes a long way in helping your handmade box to be reusable to the person you give it to. When they can simply wipe down the melted chocolate from inside the box and use it again, they’ll be happier than ever with the gift!
- Try not to weigh down the top of your truffle box too much. Feel free to decorate it a lot, but try to remember to use lightweight materials whenever possible. Card stock isn’t that sturdy, and it might eventually bend under the weight of too many decorations. Your truffles could get damaged, and that’s no good!
- Do not use fragrant items like potpourri to decorate your truffle box. Like spray adhesive or toxic glues, using fragrant items can sometimes contaminate the truffles inside the box. You don’t want to end up giving a decadent dark chocolate truffle that tastes like bathroom potpourri!
- Do not store your truffle boxes in the refrigerator. This can cause the integrity of the entire box to break down since the glue or tape used will become too cold to function properly. The box could unfold or collapse, and the decorations could fall off easily if you keep it in the refrigerator.
- Don’t forget to add a handy index card with plenty of truffle tips for your recipients! Give the special person you’re gifting with truffles a few tips on how to properly store them, how to thaw them from the freezer, and of course, how to make them if you’re interested in sharing!
Conclusion
How does your chocolate truffles box look? Have you created the perfect container for the delectable truffles you’ve either already made or are going to make next? By the time you’ve finished working through this article, you should have an incredible box just ready and waiting for you to deposit your delicious truffles right inside.
You should also know a lot more about what it takes to create chocolate truffle gift boxes and how much effort really goes into putting them together. Now, you know exactly what kinds of materials you need to keep on hand for any time the mood strikes you to whip up a batch of truffles and give them away to someone in the perfect box.
Whether you are looking to make a milk, white, or dark chocolate truffles gift box, or if you’re hoping for something else entirely, you should have plenty of ideas to help you get started, too! Remember to pay attention to the world around you when it comes to picking up items with which to decorate your boxes or looking for color schemes that can work well.
Remember the recipient of your gift, too, when you make gift boxes for chocolate truffles. Of course, it’s always a good idea to think about your friend or family member’s interests, favorite colors, and individual and unique style when creating personalized chocolate truffle boxes. Pretty soon, you’ll have the hang of making the perfect boxes for any occasion!
Now that you know more about how to get started, as well as some good ideas for storing your truffles appropriately, you should be ready to get started. Head to the craft store and gather your materials, and be sure to set aside a couple of hours to really sit down and work on your box. You’re sure to love the end result when you put a little effort into creating beautiful homemade truffle boxes!
