Sometimes it is the simple things in life that make us happy. Easy Christmas gifts in a jar are one of those simple things. And they can become one of your family's Christmas customs you enjoy year after year.
Love to make gingerbread cookies? Why not put the ingredients in a jar; write the recipe on red construction paper; cut the construction paper to the circumference of the jar; and wrap the construction paper around the front of the jar with white ribbon. Place a green bow on top of the lid of the jar. Then your friends have one of your favorite Christmas cookie mixes in a jar recipe.
Brownies are delicious gifts anytime of the year, but especially during the Yuletide season. Look up your favorite brownie recipe and put the ingredients into a cool-looking jar. List the recipe, roll it up, and place the rolled recipe into jar along with the ingredients. Wrap the jar in colored plastic, and tie the cellophane with a bright, red ribbon.
How about those spice green and red candies? You can find them sold in most stores. These are perfect Christmas mix recipes you can stuff in a jar and wrap in colored plastic.
Jelly beans in a jar are another traditional holiday gift. Quick & easy to fill your jar. Jelly beans are delicious and low in calories as well.
M&M's in a jar is another wonderful Christmas treat. Buy a bag of red and green M&M's. You might mix & match-plain & peanuts. A green Coke bottle works well with these candies, and anyone would love to receive it.
A traditional Christmas gift in a jar is the colorful hard candies, such as peppermint sticks; Christmas hard candies with filling; red and white mint swirl candies. What a great way to save money and have an inexpensive Christmas gift idea for a large extended family.
For chocolate lovers, why not find some delicious chocolate pretzels to put in a jar. They come in packages and are available in your local grocery store. What a sweet treat this gift would make. Everyone will love it.
How about theme gifts in a jar? Some examples are chocolate golf balls, chocolate baseballs, chocolate footballs, and chocolate soccer balls. Any of these fun theme gifts would be a hit with anyone who enjoys these sports. You might even use a few real mini-balls to make a great homemade, non-food Christmas gift in a jar.
No matter what you choose, whether time-honored, far-out, home baked, or bought in a store, making easy Christmas gifts in a jar is fun and allows you to be as creative as you want to be. Christmas mix recipes can be an inexpensive treat to give to your friends, colleagues, and even members of your family. The best part is you can go to your local store or shopping mart and gather all your favorite sweets and chocolates to make as many jars as you need. Most of these jars make fun, holiday gift ideas under 10 dollars. Have fun and be creative!
- Editor's Note: Kerry Beck gives free advent calendars with daily Christmas activities to prepare your family for Christmas. Your family will learn more about Christmas customs with some of her daily activities. You can get her free Advent Calendar Countdown here.