Thanksgiving Leftover Containers: 16 Cute DIY To Go Ideas That Send Guests Home Smiling for Pennies
Thanksgiving leftover containers solve the question every host faces at the end of the night: how do you send everyone home with a plate without losing your good dishes? Short videos of muffin tin and pie box tricks pull big views every November, and for good reason. A few cheap boxes, jars and paper bags, dressed up with twine, tags and a little stamping, make leftovers feel like a thank you gift. Every idea below costs pennies per guest and uses supplies you can find at a craft or dollar store. Some are ready in minutes, while others make a fun project for the week before. Mix and match them to fit your menu, then set them out with tags and a marker so guests can pack their own..
Thanksgiving Leftover Containers Start With a Simple To Go Kit
Before the first guest arrives, set out a small kit of Thanksgiving leftover containers so nobody has to hunt through your cupboards at ten at night. Mix kraft takeout boxes, small jars with fabric lids and a few pie slice boxes, then add blank tags and a spool of twine. Everything looks like it belongs together, so even a plate of stuffing feels like a gift. Pair the kit with a few of our favorite holiday hosting hacks and cleanup gets much easier at the end of the night..
You will need: kraft takeout boxes, small jars, plaid fabric squares, rubber bands, kraft tags, baker’s twine, a basket or tray
How to make it: 1. Count your guests and add three extra boxes. 2. Cut fabric squares two inches wider than each jar lid. 3. Stack everything on a tray near the kitchen so it is ready when dessert ends.
Mason Jar Soup To Go
If you serve a pot of soup before the big meal, there is always some left. Ladle it into wide mouth jars while it is still warm, leave an inch of space at the top, and close the lid tight. Jars stand upright in a car cup holder or a small box, which beats a wobbly bowl wrapped in foil. A few jars set aside before dinner also make sweet gifts in a jar for the neighbor who helped carry chairs.
You will need: wide mouth jars with lids, a ladle, a canning funnel, kraft tags, twine
How to make it: 1. Let the soup cool for ten minutes. 2. Use a funnel to fill each jar, leaving an inch at the top. 3. Wipe the rim, close the lid and tie on a tag with the date.
Thanksgiving Leftover Containers Made From a Foil Muffin Tin
This is the trick that took over short video feeds last fall. One muffin tin leftover video reached about 120,000 views because it solves a real problem: guests want a taste of everything, not a heap of one dish. A disposable foil tin gives each side its own cup, so cranberry sauce never runs into the mashed potatoes. It fits right in with the ideas in our Thanksgiving table ideas roundup.
You will need: disposable foil muffin tins, a spoon for each side, foil sheets, a permanent marker
How to make it: 1. Spoon a small portion of each side into its own cup. 2. Cover the tin tightly with a sheet of foil and crimp the edges. 3. Write the guest’s name on the foil with a marker.
Clamp Lid Jars for Cranberry Relish
Cranberry relish and beet salad stain everything they touch, so give them their own jars. Clamp lid jars with rubber seals stay shut on a bumpy drive and look lovely on a counter the next morning. Pick small sizes so each guest takes one serving and you are not lending out your biggest jar. When the jars come back, give them a soft finish with our frosted mason jars tutorial and use them again next year.
You will need: small clamp lid jars, a spoon, a damp paper towel, kraft tags, twine
How to make it: 1. Check that each rubber seal sits flat. 2. Spoon in the relish, leaving room below the lid. 3. Wipe the rim with a damp towel, clamp it shut and tie on a name tag.
Thanksgiving Leftover Containers With Hand Stamped Leaves
Plain kraft takeout boxes cost very little in a big pack, and a leaf stamp turns them into Thanksgiving leftover containers that look like they came from a fancy bakery. Stamp them the week before while you watch a movie, using rust and brown ink so they match your fall decor. Mix two or three leaf shapes for a natural look. Kids love this step, and it keeps them busy while you bake. For more ways to dress up plain boxes, see our DIY Christmas gift boxes.
You will need: kraft takeout boxes, leaf rubber stamps, rust and brown ink pads, spare paper for testing
How to make it: 1. Open each box flat if it unfolds. 2. Press the stamp in ink, then stamp three to five leaves per side. 3. Let the ink dry for an hour before folding the boxes back up.
White Bakery Boxes for Sweet Treats
Rolls, cookies, fudge and the breakfast donuts someone brought all fit neatly in a plain white bakery box. These boxes fold flat, cost very little and stack in a car without crushing what is inside. Line each one with parchment so frosting does not stick. If you have pretty tins from last year, our cookie tin crafts show how to give them a second life, but bakery boxes are the easy choice when you do not want anything back.
You will need: white bakery boxes, parchment paper, a sticker, ribbon
How to make it: 1. Fold the box and line it with a square of parchment. 2. Set treats in one layer, not stacked. 3. Close the lid and tie it with ribbon so it stays shut.
Thanksgiving Leftover Containers for Pie Slices
Pie is the leftover everyone wants, so give it the prettiest Thanksgiving leftover containers on the table. Triangle pie slice boxes hold one slice upright, and a wrap of red and white baker’s twine makes each one look like a tiny present. You can buy the boxes in packs or fold your own from white cardstock with a free template. Tie the twine in a simple bow with long tails, a look we love from our jute twine Christmas decor ideas.
You will need: triangle pie slice boxes or white cardstock, baker’s twine, a pie server, parchment squares
How to make it: 1. Fold the box and slide in a parchment square. 2. Lift each slice in with a pie server. 3. Close the lid and wrap twine around twice before tying a bow.
Paper Bread Bags for Leftover Rolls
Bread and rolls go soft and soggy in plastic, so use a long paper bakery bag instead. The paper lets the crust breathe overnight, and guests can warm the rolls in the oven the next day. Fold the top over twice and tuck in a small tag. If you baked extra loaves for the holiday, a paper bag of bread also makes one of the easiest DIY hostess gifts to bring to the next party.
You will need: paper bakery bags, a small clip, kraft tags, a marker
How to make it: 1. Let warm rolls cool so steam does not soften the bag. 2. Slide them in and fold the top over twice. 3. Clip the fold and add a tag with the reheating time.
Upcycled Cereal Box Pie Carrier
An empty cereal box is close to the right width for a nine inch pie when you open one long side. Cover it in kraft paper so no logos show, then tie on a plaid ribbon to keep it shut. The stiff cardboard keeps the crust from cracking when a guest carries a full pie out to the car. Cereal boxes are some of the most useful things in your recycling bin, and our Christmas Eve boxes use the same cover and tie idea.
You will need: an empty cereal box, kraft paper, a glue stick, a craft knife, plaid ribbon
How to make it: 1. Cut open one long side of the box to make a flap. 2. Wrap the box in kraft paper and glue the seams. 3. Slide the pie in, close the flap and tie the ribbon around it.
Wood Slice Tags on Wrapped Bundles
Some leftovers, like a wedge of cheese or a loaf of pumpkin bread, look best wrapped flat in kraft paper. A thin wood slice in place of a paper tag makes the bundle feel special, and guests often keep the slice as an ornament. Add a sprig of greenery and a few berries under the string. You can write each name on the wood with a fine marker, just like the wood tags in our DIY Christmas gift tags roundup.
You will need: kraft paper, parchment, thin wood slices with a drilled opening, twine, greenery sprigs, a fine marker
How to make it: 1. Wrap the food in parchment, then in kraft paper. 2. Tie twine both ways around the bundle. 3. Thread on a wood slice and tuck greenery under the knot.
Thanksgiving Leftover Containers at a Packing Station
Set up a self serve packing station on a side table so guests fill their own Thanksgiving leftover containers while you sit down with coffee. Stack boxes on one side, line up jars, and keep a roll of foil, blank tags, twine and scissors in the middle. A small pumpkin or two makes it feel like part of the decor instead of a chore. Put it near the door, the same way you would set out Thanksgiving place cards so people know where to go.
You will need: a small side table, stacked boxes, jars, a roll of foil, blank tags, twine, scissors, serving spoons
How to make it: 1. Clear a side table near the kitchen. 2. Group boxes, jars and tools from left to right. 3. Set out serving spoons and let guests pack their own plates.
Small Jars for Salads and Sides
Salads, dips and cold sides travel best in small jars with clamp lids. They seal tight, so a creamy salad will not leak onto car seats, and guests can see what is inside without opening the lid. Set the jars on a plaid napkin for a cozy farmhouse look. Plaid is an easy way to tie the fall and winter holidays together, and our plaid Christmas decor ideas show how far one pattern can go.
You will need: small clamp lid jars, a spoon, plaid napkins, kraft tags
How to make it: 1. Spoon each salad into a clean jar. 2. Clamp the lid and wipe the outside. 3. Tie on a tag that says what is inside and the date.
Wooden Crate Caddy for the Drive Home
When one family takes home six boxes, a wooden crate caddy keeps them upright on the drive. A simple caddy is four boards, a bottom panel and a rope handle, or you can paint a store bought crate. Set it by the front door with the boxes already inside so nobody forgets their Thanksgiving leftover containers on the way out. Crates are handy all year, and our milk crate ideas show even more ways to use one.
You will need: a small wooden crate, thick rope, a drill, stain or chalk paint, kraft boxes
How to make it: 1. Stain or paint the crate and let it dry. 2. Drill two openings on the short sides and knot a rope handle through them. 3. Stand the boxes inside so they stay level.
Kraft Handle Bags for Carrying It All
Once the boxes and jars are packed, slip them into a sturdy kraft shopping bag with twisted handles. The flat bottom keeps everything level, and the plain paper looks neat next to stamped boxes. Buy a pack in bulk and keep the extras for gifts in December. You can even reuse paper bags you already have, and our gift bag upcycles show how to refresh them with paint or fabric.
You will need: kraft paper bags with handles, tissue paper, a stamp or sticker, kraft tags
How to make it: 1. Put heavy jars on the bottom and light boxes on top. 2. Tuck tissue paper around the gaps. 3. Tie a name tag to one handle.
Thanksgiving Leftover Containers in Brown Paper Bags With Rosemary
Brown paper lunch bags are the cheapest Thanksgiving leftover containers you can buy, and a rolled top with a wood clothespin makes them charming. Tuck a sprig of fresh rosemary under a loop of twine for a sweet smell when the bag is opened. Use them for dry items like rolls, cookies or cornbread wrapped in parchment. Extra rosemary is also perfect for the DIY simmer pot gifts you can send home with your favorite guests.
You will need: brown paper lunch bags, wood clothespins, fresh rosemary sprigs, baker’s twine, parchment
How to make it: 1. Wrap each item in parchment and drop it in the bag. 2. Roll the top down two or three times. 3. Clip with a clothespin and tuck rosemary under the twine.
Gingham Topped Jars for Breakfast Treats
End the night with a little surprise for the next morning. Fill small jars with granola, candied pecans or crumble topping left from the pie, then cover each lid with a gingham square. Guests can sprinkle it on yogurt and remember your table over breakfast. This is a great use for jars left from your holiday baking, and our Christmas treat jars show more ways to fill and dress them up.
You will need: small jars, gingham fabric squares, rubber bands, twine, a scoop
How to make it: 1. Fill each jar almost to the top. 2. Lay a gingham square over the lid and hold it with a rubber band. 3. Cover the band with twine and a tag.
