Budget Finds -- Cheese Accessories under $25

The weather wouldn't be a good indicator of it around here, but we're making swift strides towards July 1. In any other sphere but this one, July 1 may not mean more than Canada pride, but the strange maple-infused day also happens to be Red's birthday! And what does Red's birthday bear if not a wonderful gathering filled with wine and cheese? With only a weekend in between now and the tentative partay, I've got cheese accessories on the brain!


These adorable porcelain flags can be stuck into cheese--beginners will use fat erasable markers to scribble names of cheeses, while advanced eaters can use the back side to supplement names with tasting notes (how fancy!). At under $12 for a set of 6 right over here, it's a pretty good deal, too. (The DIY version I usually rely on is even cheaper, but not as pretty--two blank squares of thick paper, like cut down index cards, taped around a toothpick.)

But what cheese party is complete without great serveware? When my friend Q bought me individual cheese boards complete with wine-glass carrying indentations, I knew the parties would elevate to whole new levels of cheesiness (meant only in the best of ways, of course!). For something really cheesy, though, try these--a funny little set from Target that's selling for a reduced price of $22.49.

With all this money saved on accessories, you can feel free to splurge on the cheese!