Wooden Baking Trays - Are You Serious?

Polmac (UK) Ltd specialises in supplying customized, wood presentation boxes and packaging and it never ceases to amaze us what wooden boxes can be used for.

If you ask your old granny how she manages to bake wonderful cakes each time, she'll tell you that the ingredients and recipe are important. However, you'll also be surprised to learn that she may use a pinewood tray to bake the cake in, instead of a traditional baking tin.

The Wooden Cakebox Company Baking Tray

"A wooden cake tray. Are you serious?" Yes, wooden cake trays, particularly pinewood cake trays make baking cakes simple and straightforward and the taste can be truly amazing!

There are a number of companies around, such as The Wooden Cakebox Company that sell pinewood cake trays and these will usually include a fail-safe recipe and the ingredients you'll require. You can of course use your own recipe if you wish!

I'm told that for best results, a new wooden cake tray should be seasoned with oil before use, on the outside and inside.

After seasoning, the box is lined with brown paper, which allows the cake to grow and develop a rich aroma, as the oils, sugar and pine resin are released by the baking process.

The cake is insulated by the surrounding wood, so wrapping the tray with extra layers of paper during baking is unnecessary. Using a wooden cake tray ensures an evenly cooked, moist cake.

The wood used in cake trays should be sustainable, from managed sources and eco-friendly. The wood trays should also be constructed using a robust, non-hazadous jointing method. For example, if steel pins or screws are used, you don't want them turning up in the slices of cake you offer your guests!

Pinewood cake trays have been tested numerous times and the end result is usually the same - a delicious super moist cake whether it's a traditional, Christmas fruit cake, or a chocolate fudge cake.

You'll never need more than one pinewood cake tray because it will last for decades, except of course if you become more ambitious!

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Folding Pocket Knife Boxes - Adding Value!

Finding the perfect gift for a bloke who's got everything can be difficult, especially if you've already bought him multiple shaving kits and dismissed the idea of buying a dvd about how to make craft beer (because he only drinks single malt whisky).

But have you thought about buying him a top quality, single blade, folding pocket knife, which can truly be a work of art!

The earliest folding pocket knives date back to the early Iron Age. For example, a pocketknife with a bone handle dated 600 - 500 BC was found in Austria and folding blade knives from the pre-Roman era were found in Spain. 

William Henry Victory Folding Knife, With Sterling Silver Handle, Black Leather Clip Case, Certificate Of Authenticity And Black Wood Presentation Box

Possessing such a knife was not only useful, it also afforded the owner more status.

Knives like these can be great for everyday cutting tasks, such as opening letters, cardboard boxes and packages, cutting rope and for many other outdoors activities.

A folding pocket knife can also provide a satisfying, life-long partnership between the owner and his knife. The brand and style are usually something the owner will stay true to during his lifetime, so it's important to determine what the knife will be used for.

By law a folding pocket knife blade can be a maximum 7.62 cm, so can be used as a utility 'tool' to perform rudimentary daily tasks.

However, it's wise to keep in mind that it's against the law in the UK to carry an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful authority, or reasonable excuse.

A number of folding pocket knives have multiple blades (like the Swiss army knife), making them extremely versatile whilst still retaining their friendly carry status.

Top quality folding pocket knives, in leather sheaths and a certificate of authenticity, will often be purchased in customized wood presentation boxes that will stay with the owner for life.

The wood presentation box thus becomes a lasting reminder of quality and high standards, adding value to the folding pocket knife inside, by creating a package with irresistible charm and beauty! 

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Decorated Bamboo Gift Boxes - A Far East Alternative!

Bamboo grows relatively swiftly and requires little water or fertilizer, so is now marketed around the world as an environmentally friendly material.

Bamboo, as an alternative to solid wood, can be used to make stunning gift boxes and / or storage boxes. They are lightweight, durable and sturdy and can be used to package or contain anything from stationery to beauty products.

However, unlike timber which can be easily sawn into planks, the hollow bamboo stalks are usually cut into narrow strips, planed flat then boiled to remove any pest-attracting starches.

Making a gift box out of bamboo is relatively simple and straightforward and requires only a basic knowledge of the material, some woodworking skill and access to common hand tools.

Decorated Bamboo Gift Boxes

Bamboo can be used to make traditional rectangular, or square gift boxes, with decorative metal hinges and catches, or if you're feeling particularly you can create unusual shapes with imaginative hinge and fastening mechanisms.

Traditionally, bamboo can be decorated by hand painting with a wide variety of vibrant gloss colour paints and stains, or even decorated with delicately embroidered fabrics. However, before painting the bamboo may need to be sanded to remove it's natural, outer wax layer.

There are some 1,400 species of bamboo that grow worldwide but Moso bamboo is the most widely used which is grown in China and elsewhere in the Far East.

Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world and can grow as much as 0.9m in a single day. Moso bamboo can grow to a staggering height of 23m and a diameter of 20cm. which means bamboo fields can truly be described as 'bamboo forests'

The strips of bamboo are kiln dried to remove excess moisture, glued into flat bundles, and then formed into sheets. The shreds can be treated with adhesive and pressed into panels or blocks ready to be made into beautifully decorated bamboo gift boxes.

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Decorated Ceramic Tile Boxes Make Stunning Gifts!

Plain, undecorated wooden boxes (box blanks) can be transformed using a variety of traditional decorative techniques into functional and artistic gifts. The visual effects these decorative techniques can provide are limited only by your own imagination.

Traditional methods of decorating wooden boxes include painting, with acrylic craft paints, emulsion, oil based paints and wood stains, with natural wood and / or colour stains.

Polmac (UK) Ltd Decorated Ceramic Tile Boxes

You can use small pieces of coloured tissue paper to decoupage your wood boxes, if you prefer a more random, vibrant finish.

The sea glass you've collected from a recent visit to the beach can be glued to your wooden boxes, to create stunning mosaics.

You can also create more complex or basic designs using pyrography (wood burning) and traditional wood carving techniques.

However, one of the most unusual and interesting methods of embellishing wooden boxes is to use decorative ceramic tiles, glued onto the surface.

You can create your own ceramic tile designs, if you have access to a kiln, by hand decorating, or using decorative transfers. If not, you can use decorated tiles from your local tile shop.

When fixing ceramic tiles onto your wood boxes, bear in mind that wood 'moves' due to moisture content, whereas ceramic tiles and glass are static. This means the glue needs to provide separation as well as adhesion.

So, a good choice would be silicone, as it's relatively inexpensive and easy to use.

However, if you're using plywood, you'll need to seal it first, then use a flexible, cement based adhesive, rather than a pre-mixed tub adhesive.

These two gluing methods assume the substrate, whether it's wood, mdf, or plywood, is reasonably rigid and doesn't flex or bow with variations in temperature.

Wood boxes decorated with ceramic tiles and mosaic, are perfect for displaying your tile and mosaic artwork.

They offer unusual design opportunities that can wow and impress your friends and / or clients.

These decorated, ceramic tile boxes make stunning gifts to store treasured mementos and photos in, or to use as elegant gift packages!

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Presentation Packaging & Sustainability!

Lots of people believe that presentation packaging and the more robust transit packaging, although commercially necessary, isn't really something they need to think about too much!

They consider a box, even a wooden box as an inconsequential container. It's what you must open to access what really matters - the product inside.

Well, many consumers today do care about packaging in the broadest sense, particularly when it concerns attitudes about sustainability.

Packing Polmac Wood Presentation Boxes

Of course, I'm biased. Polmac (UK) Ltd is a 20 year plus business specializing in supplying customized, wood presentation boxes and we believe that it really does matter.

Why? - Because many people think that an item's packaging, tells them something about how much the company cares about them.

Furthermore, they think that packaging solutions in general, should reflect the environmental values of the company they're buying from and the role it plays in protecting the products they purchased!

Consumers care about sustainable packaging practices and this is not just about them being biodegradable or recyclable. It's also about the wider economy and the use of scarce natural resources.

For instance, many delivery systems and packaging solutions are inadequate in terms of meeting today's packaging challenges!

The result is damage and damaged products have to be re- delivered using packing materials that will have to be reused, recycled and / or disposed of in landfill, using up more and more valuable resources.

Naturally, the delivery systems have to be fit for purpose, as does the outer transit packaging! If the packaging materials are also re-usable and recyclable, then so much the better.

That's why Polmac (UK) Ltd takes great care to ensure we use only materials from sustainable and managed sources and our wood boxes are packaged in a sustainable way, prior to despatch to the customer.

Polmac wooden boxes are first individually wrapped in white paper to prevent scuff marks on boxes during transit. In certain circumstances, single - layer, cardboard sleeves (outers) are used instead of white paper, to make doubly sure there are no scuff marks during transit.

Finally, they're packed and sealed in 6-ply corrugated, impact resistant, cardboard boxes, palleted and shrink wrapped. This minimizes any transit damage and the sustainability issues this may cause.

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Protecting & Displaying Military Memorabilia!

Wood presentation packaging is a broad term that can mean not only wooden boxes but also wood constructions that enclose, store, or display items that are valuable, have some emotional connection, or are simply beautiful to look at.

For example, over the last ten years there has been a huge surge in the number of people collecting military memorabilia. There are many reasons for this, including the recent anniversaries of two world wars and an insatiable appetite for all things military.

Wall Mounted Medal Display Case

Other reasons include the popularity of war films such as 'Saving Private Ryan' and the 'Band of Brothers' television series. Interest is also generated through the many military fairs held across the country and of course online trade.

People thinking about collecting war memorabilia need to decide how to protect and display it to best effect. War memorabilia come in all shapes, sizes and types, from tiny bullets, medals and badges to huge tanks and planes.

You can store your collection in a battered old trunk if you want but if your collection is special you may consider ordering a large, stylish wooden box with latches that lock and a carrying handle, all made to your exact specifications.

Wall Mounted 'Challenge Coin' Display Case

However, if you decide to preserve and display your military memorabilia, it's important to do it properly. Displaying military memorabilia can be very rewarding because not only is it a way of honouring the individuals who served their country, it's also a way of keeping family history alive, if the items have a  personal connection.

The larger items can be displayed on specially designed pedestals or in large glass cabinets, like the ones you see in museums.

Smaller items such as medals and badges can be displayed in shallow or deep 'shadow boxes', that are small, glass-fronted wooden display cases, usually mounted on a wall.

There are also specially designed, wall mounted wood display cases for so called 'challenge coins'. These are small coins or medallions given to members of an organization displaying the insignia or emblem of that organization.

Uniforms can also be displayed in wooden (picture) frames rather like wood framed oil paintings but with a lockable glass front.

When considering the display of military memorabilia, there are usually two considerations ...

1: How to display it in the best possible way so it can be seen and admired.
2: How to provide easy access so it can be handled from time to time.

Today, wood presentation packaging can mean different things to different people. However, the real beauty of these wood presentation display methods is that you can take any military object and turn it into a valuable collectable item and display it with perfect grace.

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Wood Presentation Boxes - More than Just Functional!

Wood presentation boxes are a type of packaging that's much more than just functional. They're also intended to be decorative, artistic and used commercially for promotional purposes. Because they're used commercially to promote products they're usually branded as well.

They may be customized and personalized with a printed logo or message for commercial, as well as for private use for - weddings, births, birthdays, welcome packages, anniversaries and virtually any private occasion that warrants a special gift.

Polmac Premium Quality Perfume Boxes

However, for commercial use, choosing customized, wood presentation boxes and deciding how products are to be presented to potential customers, are very important aspects of sales and marketing.

The goal is to provide additional value for the customer and your business, by creating a memorable and sharable experience.

The very best wood presentation packaging stimulates all four senses - sight, hearing, smell and touch, because it can enhance the emotional 'charge' that customers experience, which makes the overall package much more alluring.

An important part of building a long-term, sustainable brand is doing business with the same customers over and over again. This is because it's more expensive to find new customers than it is to encourage existing customers to purchase your products again.

Many suppliers believe that premium quality, wood presentation packaging is an unnecessary extra expense, because by increasing the cost, their products become less attractive to potential buyers.

However, customers are often prepared to pay more and are more likely to purchase a product, when they perceive extra value in that product. They're also more likely to come back for more when the product is delivered in premium quality packaging.

Furthermore, customers will often share an image of a product via social media if it comes in a premium package. From a marketing perspective this can be invaluable, because more people will see and be aware of your products, which will invariably boost your product sales.

The value of customized, wood presentation boxes extends far beyond the initial purchase when the customer actually opens the package and shares that experience across social media networks.

Social recommendations drive loyalty from your customers and promote brand awareness, that will keep your business well ahead of the competition!

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