Thrifty loot bags/pekalech

chica

Thu, Dec 08 2011, 9:11 pm

Looking for cheap ideas for pekalech for an upshernish.
Unfortunately my budget is REALLY tight. We'll IYH have over 50 kids there, and I really can't afford to spend $100 on stuff that they're just going to throw out anyways.
I'm willing to put in work on my own.

mommyla

Thu, Dec 08 2011, 9:40 pm

I recently made an upsherin and made 60 pekalach. I think the cost came out to somewhere between $.50-.65 each. I bought cheap standard plastic goody bags (you can get upsherin-print ones, or plain, or any pattern of your choosing - I got mine at a Jewish store but I'm sure you can get them at the dollar store or a party store) and put in:

*one bag of chips - $.25 (got the cheapest one, and a snack bag fills the bag really nicely)
*one lollipop - ~$.05 (bought one big bag of regular lollies, but taffy or winkie lollies would have been the same price)
*one winkie "money roll" - ~$.07 (again, bought a big bag, or maybe two)
*two laffy taffies - $.16 (they were on sale for $.08 apiece, and then the day after I put the pekelach together I found them in a different store for $.04! Buy in bulk, at Costco or Sam's Club if you can.)

And that was it! My son "helped" me put them together, and I tied them with three colors of matching curling ribbon (bought at the dollar store, $1 a roll, and they're not anywhere near finished). It took some time but if you do it well enough in advance it doesn't matter. They won't go bad.

Good luck! Upsherins are fun!

Sugar plum

Thu, Dec 08 2011, 10:58 pm

I don't know the exact cost, but they weren't expensive, just a lot of work.
First I bought white paper lunch bags and drew 2 lines across the bottom with a thick black permanent marker. Then I hole punched the bottom two corners in the front of the bag. Next I tied beige string through the holes to look like tzitzis string.
In the bag was a bag of aleph beis cookies, I think 25 cents each. a bag of pretzels, also 25 cents. and one lolly.
To finish it I just folded the top over and scotch taped it neatly to the back.
Mazal tov and hatzlacha rabba.

TranquilityAndPeace

Mon, Dec 12 2011, 3:34 pm

Homemade popcorn will fill a bag really well, and will cost pennies for all 50 of the pekelach! For the other candies, check out the dollar store; they sometimes have lollypops and such with a hechsher.

pobody's nerfect

Mon, Dec 12 2011, 4:01 pm

TranquilityAndPeace wrote:

popcorn is considered a choking hazard for young children and may not be the best idea.

you could use those corn puff things that are sold in stores next to the popcorn, but I don't know how cheap they are.

TranquilityAndPeace

Mon, Dec 12 2011, 5:39 pm

pobody's nerfect wrote:

TranquilityAndPeace wrote:

You're right, thanks for posting that.

What about homemade cookies or cupcakes? Or is this for a school that won't let you bring in homemade goods?

bigprincess

Mon, Dec 12 2011, 8:22 pm

abmom wrote:

A bag of chips and 2 licorice sticks on the sides with a paper wrapped around it to shape a sefer torah. You can draw a crown and flowers etc on the paper & write the child's name.

Cute idea! We usually stick a wrapped nosh like a wafer or soft candy onto a bag of chips.

lamplighter

Mon, Dec 12 2011, 8:30 pm

If you can make homemade cookies (alef bais shapes, the number 3, a torah, tzitzis) with royal icing or fondant (I.e. fancy cookies) or even just cake pops, then you'd only need a few in each bag, wrapped really nicely it should be enough (maybe with some cheap candy at the bottom of the bag).