Last Minute Gift Ideas? Time for Cookies!
I love the holidays.
The decorations. The excitement in my son’s face. The food. The family. The friends.
One way to combine all of the things I love?
Homemade baked goods.
A day spent in the kitchen whipping up batches of cookies, then packaging them up to give away as gifts is a wonderful way to share the holiday spirit. It costs so little, and yet, the joy it brings the receiver and the giver, is really spectacular, and so worth the time and effort.
There are lots of ways to package cookies as gifts, from cello bags tied in pretty ribbons, to store bought tins filled with colorful parchment. But one of my favorite ways to gift cookies for Christmas is a simple mason jar.
A case of wide mouthed jars is under $10 at your local craft or grocery store, and, depending on the recipe, each jar will hold about half a dozen cookies. The important thing to remember is how you decorate the mason jars is what will make your holiday gift stand apart from the rest!
Supplies
- Your holiday treat of choice
- Wide-mouth mason jars, with lids and rings
- Scotch tape
- Circles of plain parchment, cut to fit into the bottom of each jar
- Colorful ribbon, cut into 20-24 inch lengths
- Squares of holiday fabric, cut to fit under jar rings
- Bailing twine or ribbon, for typing tag
- Homemade printable tags
- Bells or other holiday ornaments
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and dry each mason jar.
- Tape the end of a piece of ribbon onto the bottom of each jar. Let the other end hang over the top of the jar, out of your way.
- Place circle of parchment into the bottom of each jar, over the taped ribbon end.
- Place a cookie, like my favorite HERSHEY’S Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies, over the parchment; lay the ribbon over the cookie. Stack another cookie, weaving the ribbon in the opposite direction. Continue until cookies reach the top of the jar, weaving the ribbon back and forth. Top with the lid.
- Place the square of fabric over the lid, then screw on the ring.
- Using your computer/printer, print out colorful tags detailing your cookies. You can also buy pre-made tags if you wish. Tie each on with the twine or ribbon. Add bells or other decoration, if desired.
- Give out your gifts and enjoy the smiles!
A huge thanks to Hershey’s Kitchens for including my tutorial as part of their Holiday Gift Guide. I was humbled and excited to be one of the Hershey’s Bakers Dozen this year, spending a few days in Hershey with my fellow bloggers, shooting videos, touring, baking, and having a wonderful time!
For more great ways to package gifts for the holidays, be sure to check out their Holiday Gift Guide!
