Mason Jar Gift Idea

The countdown to Christmas is really on now and I can feel the heat, can you? Each year I try to give the girls' teachers something they can use up. I can imagine that the last thing a teacher needs is another tchotchke for their desk, so edible gifts are my favorite thing to give. This year, I'm giving Jingle Jars. No doubt you've seen cookie mixes in jars before; but, I dressed up my jars with some burlap and jingle bells, making the jar itself something they can reuse, either for their own gift-giving purposes, or possibly as a votive candle holder.

I started with spaghetti sauce jars that I cleaned out after removing the labels. I simply wrapped a cuff of frayed burlap around each jar and secured it with a strip of hot glue where the ends overlapped. Then, I threaded a cluster of jingle bells onto a long length of variegated yarn and wrapped it around and around the center of that burlap cuff. I tied a knot in the back to secure the ends of yarn, and tucked it under the rest of the yarn to hide it. A gift tag completes the whole thing.



As for the filling, here's the recipe I used:

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie Mix

Combine 1/2 c. flour with 1/4 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt

Layer in jar with:
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. crushed shredded wheat
1/2 c. dried cranberries

Baking Instructions: In a large bowl, beat 1/2 c. softened butter, 1 egg, 2 T. water and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Add cookie mix and mix well. Drop rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Yields about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.