By: Elisheva Blumberg, Lubicom Staff
When you choose a theme for your mishloach manot, you can be sure your packages will stand out from the crowd. A theme can be the springboard that lets your creativity flow. But locking in that theme can prove elusive… For a little mishloach manot inspiration, read on for our list of 7 Mishloach Manot Themes and Everything You Need to Make Them.
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1. Jungle Safari
Chic with a wild streak! A jungle theme lends itself to some gorgeous mishloach manot possibilities.
Load it up:
The world’s rainforests produce the raw materials for scores of our favorite goodies, such as:
● Coffee (bottled iced coffee is always an adult favorite)
● Cacao (chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!)
● Passionfruit (look for passionfruit-flavored candy or gum)
● Coconut (macaroons, Gefen Coconut Chips)
Package it:
For the base, try these palm leaf plates (just $1 each!).
Wrap it up in cellophane and don’t forget to tie up the theme with something animal print, like this striking specialty ribbon.
2. Grand Slam
An old favorite (and always a hit with the kids!) a baseball theme mishloach manot can be easily coordinated with your favorite team colors, or stick with red, white, and blue for a classic Americana look.
Load it up:
● Bubble gum
● Popcorn (if you have the time, pop your own corn and fill it in these cute bags)
● A sports drink such as Gatorade
Package it:
Take a break and let the kids handle the packing – it’ll be a breeze with these baseball-themed favor boxes.
3. Retro Candy Shoppe
Nostalgia has gotta be one of the best feelings out there! An old-timey candy shoppe theme is guaranteed to make both kids and adults smile.
Bonus points if you theme the colors, too: whether red-and-white, rainbow, or pastels — this mishloach manot will taste — and look — super sweet.
Load it up:
Fill up your package with throwback penny candies including these:
● Peppermints
● Ribbon candy
● Pinwheel lollipops
● Butter mints
● Gumballs
If you’re in a baking mood, make your own button candy or old-fashioned fudge squares.
Package it:
Pack the goodies into a few transparent boxes like these and then stack them. Don’t forget to tie it up with colorful striped grosgrain ribbon and whimsical labels.
4. Farm Fresh
This Purim, accessorize your family of farmers with mishloach manot baskets filled with fresh and ready-to-eat veggies!
Load it up:
A fully prepped salad in a mason jar, like this Cobb Salad recipe from Chanie Apfelbaum is always a beautiful gift. Send it along with some elegant Tonnelli Breadsticks for a rounded meal.
Or, send along a few salad-ready ingredients for a stay-fresh package that you don’t have to spend all Purim night assembling!
● Gefen Organic Chickpeas pouch
● Gefen Stuffed Manzanilla Olives
● Heaven & Earth White Asparagus
Package it:
A picnic basket lined with a gingham napkin lends a rustic, country air to this mishloach manot. Brown paper tags attached with jute twine enhance the artisanal feel.
5. Sweet Citrus
As a flavor-based theme, citrus can work both as an upscale theme for adults, or a fun candy-based one for kids. It also allows for some beautiful, nature-based color schemes (think lemon-lime = yellow and green, or grapefruit = pink and yellow).
Load it up:
● Fresh tangerines or tangelos
● A jar of homemade preserved lemons
● Tuscanini Blood Orange Sparkling Beverage
Package it:
A wicker basket is an upscale way to pack a citrus-filled mishloach manot. A less costly (and pretty cool-looking) receptacle is a genuine mesh citrus bag.
6. A Spicy Kick
Sriracha, chipotle, cracked pepper — hot and spicy is tearing up the food scene. Lately, it seems like every variety of food is being dosed with a kick of heat!
Bring the spicy trend into your mishloach manot this year. You’ll be surprised how many items you’ll be able to find to fit this theme.
Load it up:
● Spicy beef jerky
● Zeta Olive Oil with Hot Peppers
● Make your own spiced nuts, such as these hot pistachios
Package it:
Keep it simple. A sliding gift box in a deep red shade is a perfectly sleek way to bring the fiery theme together.
7. Winging It
There’s just something about the beauty of birds.
Playing with shape, color, texture, and food possibilities, there’s unlimited decorative potential for a bird-themed mishloach manot.
Load it up:
Birds love fruit and nuts…and humans do too!
Try filling up your package with some of these bird-inspired treats everyone will love:
● Tuscanini White Fig Fruit Spread
● Mango-flavored fruit juice
● Dried fruits, such as Gefen Sweetened Dried Cranberries
● Gefen Chestnuts
Package it:
A rounded, nestlike, gift basket can be strikingly elegant, especially with a colorful foam songbird attached.
