Shrink wrapping tarts - can it be done without expensive equipment?

[bunkie68]

And if so, how? I'm trying to shrink wrap my tarts, but using just the film instead of the bags, I haven't yet been successful doing it. Does anyone use the film and not have some kind of pricey sealing equipment? If you do, can you please tell me the secret? I don't want to waste my whole roll of shrink wrap experimenting. LOL I'm about to just chuck it and buy the bags if I can't figure something out, but thought I'd ask here first. Thanks for any help!

[OverSoyed]

Thou we haven't tried it yet.. It seems that the bags or bands would work the best. They are made especially for the size, and eliminates the need to cut the roll down and so on.

And if so, how? I'm trying to shrink wrap my tarts, but using just the film instead of the bags, I haven't yet been successful doing it. Does anyone use the film and not have some kind of pricey sealing equipment? If you do, can you please tell me the secret? I don't want to waste my whole roll of shrink wrap experimenting. LOL I'm about to just chuck it and buy the bags if I can't figure something out, but thought I'd ask here first. Thanks for any help!

[Rebecca]

I had just used the small shrink bags and zapped them with a heat gun...then said screw it and just put each scent in it's own small wood crate for table display and left it at that to see if there was a difference in how they sold.

Through that, I found people (here anyway) didn't seem to care if they were wrapped or not, so if they didn't care then I wasn't gonna waste the time, effort or money.

[OverSoyed]

I've been putting ours in small 3x5 zip bags, and labeling them with the scents. I picked them up at Pat Catans, 300 for $2.59

[bunkie68]

I may try the bags and see if I can sell the roll of shrink wrap film I bought. I'm trying to find a way to pack mine to send them out in the mail when people order (or for sample boxes, something like that). I've been using bubble zip bags, which are handy, but not real cute, and I'm hoping that if I can shrink wrap them, then I can just pack them in the box in packing peanuts and forego the bubble wrap altogether.

So with the bags, did you have to have a sealer to seal them closed to keep the edges from being all crinkly and messy? Or could you just use a little piece of tape to keep them together?

[MissMary]

For the tarts, I use shrink TUBING, not the wrap. It's 4 inches wide and 1500 feet long and I cut it as I need it. Seal both end and shrink. I use my FoodSaver to seal them, though impulse sealers can run as cheap as $40.

For other stuff though like aroma bags, I also use 3x5 cello bags and heat seal the top closed with the FoodSaver.

[bunkie68]

MissMary, where did you find the 4" wide tubing? I've looked, but haven't yet managed to find it. And I've got a FoodSaver!

[candlesprite7]

Cut your film into 4" squares, place melt upside down in middle of square film, pull in corners, use warning label to hold together, heat gun to shrink.

I learned this here (I cant remember who posted it tho!)and it works really well, little time consuming cutting the squares, but I'll be doing it until my mega roll of 6" tubing is used up and i buy better sizes and a heat sealer.

Kim

[MissMary]

MissMary, where did you find the 4" wide tubing? I've looked, but haven't yet managed to find it. And I've got a FoodSaver!

http://aplasticbag.com/storeitems.asp?Cc=SHRINKTU

Might seem like a lot at first, but remember that's 1500 FEET! I figured that out to 2000+ 4" long wraps. (ETA: that figure includes trimmings and extras.)

[bells4shells]

Okay, you asked for inexpensive advice and I've got it. LOL Feel free to call me ghetto. HA! I don't do it currently since I've switched to boxes, but I came up with a nice system that worked for me (and might for others) while I was working with shrinkwrap.

I used the shrinkwrap on a roll from Hobby Lobby. I cut it into strips and then into squares. I only used it for votives. I would then wrap it around the votive as if a present (open ends though) and I would hold the ends closed with my fingers--the ends of the shrinkwrap would meet at the bottom of the votive. I would then take a really hot THIN hair straightener and hold it on one of the open edges for about 8 seconds. I would then cut off the excess. I would repeat on the other side. Then I'd set the whole thing on the table and zap it with my heat gun, rotating it and pushing down the edges that I used the straightener on. Worked perfectly!

[hellen]

Hi Bunkie I PM'd you...

Hope its helpful

Cheers,

Hells

[Beth-VT]

Jeez guys....all this cutting and wrapping of film is a PITA. Labor intensive. Not worth it for a silly tart. You have more time wrapped up in packaging than the damn thing is worth.

3" shrink tube is perfect. Much less shrinking and extra stuff than 4". Get yourself a heat sealer with a round element, slip a bunch of tarts in a length of tube, seal in between them (the round element burns through so there's no cutting needed, and it's a nice trim seam that shrinks up smooth) and heat shrink. Only takes a few seconds.

You can get the tubing at PackCo Inc. Like 1500' for $18 or so.

[fredron]

I have been using an impulse sealer and 3" tubing for tarts, and it's working well. The sealer cost was $70.00, ans the tubing comes on a 1500 foot roll for about $8.00. Cut the tubing into 3" pieces, put in the tart, seal both ends, and zap it with a heat gun.

Works really well.

Fredron

[bells4shells]

Is there a place locally (lowe's maybe?) to get tubing other than ordering online? I would love to be able to pick up so much tubing for only $8!!

[Beth-VT]

Doubt it. 3" tube is pretty hard to find.

I had to ask PackCo to start carrying it a few years ago because no one else had it.

[fredron]

I had looked for several weeks before someone gave me the name of a supplier on line. Never found one where you could walk in & buy.

The stuff was so cheap, I bought 2 rolls, because the shipping for one roll cost more than the material.

Fredron

[bunkie68]

I'm going to give the tubing a try. I'd checked out PackCo (thanks, Hells! ), but before I could order, I saw that someone here was selling a good bit of the 4" tubing. So I snagged it. I'll just cut it, use my FoodSaver to seal it, and then shrink that bad boy, and see how it goes. The 4" may actually work really well for my big star tarts. We'll see!

[Juggy]

I ordered the shrink wrap tubing last year but it STINKS. I mean it really smells so bad I'm afraid to use it.

[MissMary]

If I sniff the bag it comes it, it does stink, but if you cut it and take it out, there is no smell.

[birdieluvr76]

I have been thinking about shriking my melts for a while now. Will the 3" tube also work for standard size votives? I would love to have 1 size for both if possible.

[Beth-VT]

No, votives won't fit in 3", you need 4".

As for the smell, PVC shrink often stinks when it's in the roll (basically all in bulk). Once you take the tiny amount out and use it on your tarts, there's no smell at all. HTH.