A protective sleeve, adapted to receive at least a first light bulb, includes parallel first and second panels, wherein at least the second panel includes a plurality of apertures. The package also includes a pair of sidewalls generally perpendicular to and connecting the panels, wherein the first panel, second panel and sidewalls together define an interior space. A second sleeve is adapted to receive at least a second light bulb. When the sleeve and the second sleeve are received together into the outer shell in an inverted orientation relative to each other sleeve, the respective second panels of the sleeve are adjacent each other, and the bulb portion of each of first and second light bulbs positioned with the sleeve intrudes into an interior space of the adjacent sleeve through at least one of the plurality of apertures of each of the sleeves.