How do you make recipe book favors?

[Kelly]

Hi there! I just found this website as I am planning my first cookie exchange!
Anyway, I am wondering how people make the recipe book favors that are mentioned below. I am sure there is an easy way, but I am wondering how you get them bound together, or do you just put them in a binder?
thanks in advance! I am so excited!

[AKC]

We've had cookie exchanges at the hospital where I work. I used to make up recipe books for each participant. It's a lot of work, though, and got to be expensive! We had a Holiday in July Exchange this past summer. I collected my co-workers' recipes and created a website for the exchange:

franklin2cookies.home.att.net

I was even able to use some of Robin's Holiday Graphics!

----AKC

[Machele]

Hi! I'm holding my 2nd exchange on Dec. 5th. I am planing on making recipe books at the party. My plan is to have all the ladies bring printed (on card stock) recipe cards to the party (about 25) I am going to make a 4x5 christmas style "card" cover and a 4x5 plain back. I will put a hole punch in the left corner of them. Before we exchange cookies we will pass around our recipe cards and hole punchers ( I'll have some ladies bring extras) punch a hole in the top left corner of each card. Then we will use wire ribbon to put them together. Back on 1st, then recipe cards, then cover. Then you just tie a not at the top. I like wire ribbon because you don't have to try and make a bow!
I also do this with my Christmas card every year. I have all of last years Christmas cards in a zip lock bag right now. My son and I make it a craft and hole punch all the cards, read the again of course then put the on a ribbon. I keep the card "books" in a basket in our livingroom. Then we can enjoy the cards every year.
~Machele

[Kelly]

Hi Kelly, This is my third exchange. I collect recipes from the girls ahead of time and type each one up on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. I make a pretty cover and then make photocopies of all of it. I punch a hole in the corner and attach a ribbon or fastener to hold it together. I put them all in a big basket with a holiday bow by the door and each girl takes one as she leaves. I put an index page in the front with "Baker" "Choice of Cookie" and even add recipes for what I serve, drinks, appetizers, desserts ...this I put towards the back of the book.

[Kelly]

Thanks so much everyone! I am excited for my first cookie exchange!!
So fun!

[Jeanne130aolcom]

Hi, this is my 3rd exchange. I collect all the recipes ahead of time. I type them up on 8 x 11 paper, and make a pretty cover and copy them at work. I tie them with a ribbon and have them ready for the party. They get put in a wicker basket with another big bow by the front door and each girl takes one when she leaves. I put an index in the front with the name of the girl and the cookie choice and after all cookie recipes I add another index of all the appetizer and drinks served and the recipes for that. I also throw in some interesting tid bits I pick up on different sites to help us make a great cookie! ;D

[Susan]

I'm really looking forward to my 2nd Cookie Exchange this Sunday afternoon, Dec. 11.

How I do recipe booklets:
I ask the ladies to bring their recipes to the swap. I'm way too busy ahead of time cleaning my house, baking cookies, and decorating to do this project in advance. Also, some people change their minds about their recipe when it gets closer (or something goes wrong with a recipe) so I'd rather wait until they show up with the cookies they actually made.

Here are the instructions on my website:

Bring 25 copies of your recipe on 8 1/2" by 11" paper with a one-inch left margin. These will be bound for you to take home. You may adorn your recipes creatively with stickers or markers or print them on colored or Christmas paper. You may use the Oatmeal Cookie Recipe as a guide.

Please include:

your name and a recipe title (for example: "Marilyn's Marvelous Minty Marshmallow Bars")

recipe yield (number of dozen)

approximate prep time needed

The one instruction I added this year was "print on 8-1/2" x 11" paper"--last year some bakers printed them on cards or half pages and they would fall out of the cover.

Last year we had a very nice booklet with a color cover with the event title, 2 sheets of cookie tips, and 10 recipes that the ladies had either printed on colored or Christmas paper.

What I do in advance:
I print out a colored cover page and also a page or two of cookie tips. I buy inexpensive report covers at Staples (or Office Max). (They come in a 3 pack for a few dollars or you can get a box of 50 for $12.)

The day of the party:
When everyone arrives, I have them lay out their recipes on the counter. We collate them. Each collated batch gets a cover page and tip sheet, and goes into one of the plastic spine style report cover. No hole punching, no tying. Pretty easy.

After the swap:
If they give me an electronic version, I will post them to my website when I post photos of the swap.

I really like Kelly's idea of putting in my brunch recipes. People always ask for them. I think I'll do that this week. Thanks.

[christine from long island]

After my invited guests rsvp, i send each the correct number of recipe cards (one for each of the expected guests) to fill in w/their recipe. these are usually 4x6 index cards with a hole punched in the top left hand corner. i request they bring them to the exchange. have ready pre-cut ribbon to tie them together and a decorated cover for each (use the same size index card and put Christine's Cookie Exchange with the date or cut last year's Christmas cards cut to size) i have smaller scale parties (8-10 guests) than many ladies on this site but it only takes a few minutes to lay all of the recipe cards out on the counter and collate them (i have also used the little rings you can buy in an office supply store instead of ribbon to really make the recipe booklets easy to use!) as hostess you will be very busy no matter how organized you are ahead of time!...designate a friend to help with the recipe booklets...very often people ask what they can do to help...some people are also much more comfortable at social gatherings where they may not know the others well to be kept busy! fyi- i don't have alot of rules...we all bring the same amount (6 doz) for exchanging and 1 doz for display/eating! i don't ask ahead what anyone is bringing and i don't mind if they do a bakery run (i've only had a couple of people do this out of last minute stress...) i'd rather they come and enjoy the evening out- the cookie part is really just a theme/excuse...and an added bonus to a fun gathering...(i don't give party favors because everyone goes home w/ all of the cookies!)in this hectic day and age we owe ourselves a little fun once in a while! if you are thinking of hosting...do it!!! you'll be glad you did (you will also get invited to other people's gatherings! try to spice up the group by not just inviting people who already know each other...the cookies provide easy conversation starters...it really is heartwarming to bring together strangers who leave as friends!!! (sharing cookies just seems to lend itself to leading to friendship!) Have fun!!!