DIY Gift Jars ~ Keep it Simple and Thoughtful

     So, I've been on a DIY kick for a while now (blogs to come), and my favorite by far has been the super cute gift jars I made for Christmas. Although they were a little time consuming, they were totally worth it.
   
     These could be made with any combination you want, just get creative and see what happens! I made mine for Christmas and so they have jolly undertones :) Trust me when I say, this looks a lot more complicated than it actually is, you can totally do it!!

 

    
  First you have to find the perfect little jars. You can find these at Michael's or any craft store...OR you can just go to the dollar store like I did and save tons of money. I chose the ones with the latch, you'll see why in a bit.

Then you'll need hot chocolate powder. Any kind will do, depends how much you feel like spending. I made 5 small jars and needed 2 medium cans of powder. Scoop the powder into the jars until it reaches halfway.

Next comes the chocolate squares. I chose Ghirardelli Peppermint squares which I found in the States. Any square chocolate will do here. Place one or two pieces (depending on the size of the jar) on top of the cocoa powder, I cut one square in half and overlapped them.

 Now were ready for the mini marshmallows! I opted for the plain white ones. However, if these gifts are for a baby shower or birthday, I would have used the little pink ones (yes...I love pink). Add those to the jars until the top, make sure you leave enough room for the lid to close.

The next steps depend on what the jars are for. Choose whatever you like to cover the jar with and close the lid. All I did was cut up some pink napkins and top those pieces with transparent christmas plactic. You can also choose material which would probably frill alot easier once the lid is closed. You can also place the material over the lid like so... (not my jars)

...What's better than hot chocolate?...hot chocolate with alcohol in it! This is my favorite part...I then attached mini bottles of Bailey's with red ribbon, you can also use rope like in the picture below, gives it that shabby look!.. this is where the latch comes in handy. It's much easier to attach something from the latch. You can use any alcohol you want for this part but you might want to make it something that goes well with hot chocolate. Khalua and Tia Maria would also work. Creme de Menthe would be a cool idea for those who like mint chocolate...I dont.

Next come the finishing touches. You don't have to attach a card or label, but if you want to, there is no need to spend all kinds of money at a printing shop or some website. I simply used those Avery stickers used for envelope labels, Microsoft Word and clip art saved from Google images....easy peasy!

I also glued mini candy canes to the top of the lid...This was a bit of a mess. If you choose to glue a decoration to the top, invest in a glue gun! DO NOT USE CRAZY GLUE like I did...needless to say, the lids looked great but it took me days to wash the glue off my fingers...and earlobe (don't ask)

And here we are...the finished product!

Happy Jarring!
Follow me on Pinterest! ~ Sara

http://pinterest.com/sarita84/