Welcome LorMarSzon! The more the merrier to this birthday swap.
This is the way I package my candies... I find inexpensive birthday cards that are at least 5" x 7.5". Inside I place the candies in 6 stacks of 8, with two on top= 50 candies. Then I do not wrap in plastic! I simply close the card and slip it into the envelope. After a short while the candies will settle and the package becomes thinner. It needs to remain 1/4" or less to be classified as letter mail (cheaper). If it's thicker than that you have to pay package rate (significantly more $). I'm not sure what stamp I will need to use, until I bring the first one to the P.O.
To be ready to mail easily, I prepare all the envelopes at the same time. This year it looks like we will need 18 (19 on the list, minus ourselves). When I'm cutting my scraps I will make 18 piles, and add to each pile as I cut scraps. I must be careful not to duplicate any in the same pile, but the same ones can be put into all 18 piles. Once I have all 50 candies in my 18 piles, I can start loading the cards. And once all the cards are loaded, I stack them somewhere safe where I can find them as I need them. When the birthdays come out, I mail a card to each just as soon as I get the birthday addresses. That way I won't forget. So if a birthday is on the 30th, but we get the address earlier, I just mail earlier. Can't trust my memory!
Have fun, everyone! Send good candies!