Homemade Gift Jar Ideas

Homemade gift jar ideas are boundless! You can do so much with a jar and basket. Make each gift personal to the person you love.

Tis the season! I make homemade gift jars quite often at the holidays. It is perfect for those who you just don’t know what to give. And boys…. All boys love food right? And hot chocolate? I have 4 sons so I speak from experience.

Homemade Gift Jar Ideas

Homemade gift jar ideas and supplies

You can give gift jars as is with a pretty bow and a Holiday tag, or you can add the jar to a basket with other food items. Maybe some fancy crackers with a soup mix.

If you want a source for freeze dried foods for the meal mixes… check out Thrive freeze dried foods.

And I got some fun jars and pretty supplies to use this year.

I’ve got so many jars I usually just hop on over to my pantry and grab some empties, but this year I found some super sweet snowflake jars from Ball. I mentioned them on Simply Canning Facebook and Fillmore Container (a sponsor of Simply Canning, Thank you Fillmore!) sent me some jars for my gifts this year. AND they threw in some fun additions, decorator lids, and fancy straws.

If you love to make things pretty check out these supplies for your gift jars this year.

Snowflake jars – Editing to say…. they sold out! These jars turned out to be very popular.

Here is a link to the other sweet jars Fillmore has available. The mason drink jars with the handles would be perfect for the Hot Chocolate mix. (not for canning though)

Green Daisy lids

Solid Colored lids

Paper Drinking Straws

Camo lids

Enjoy!

Homemade gift jar ideas – Printable recipes

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Mocha Hot Chocolate Mix

Perfect for pint size jars but if you are giving to a large family, double the recipe and get out the Quart jars!

Prep Time15 mins

Active Time15 mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cocoa mix, gift in a jar, hot chocolote mix

Yield: 4 pints

Author: Sharon Peterson

Materials

• pint jars
• 2 cups non dairy creamer
• 1 ½ cups hot chocolate mix
• 1 ½ cups instant coffee I use decaf
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Stir together and fill jars with mix.
• Decorate jars as you like.
• Add an instruction card for the recipients.
• Basket ideas: Add a jar of this mix to a basket along with a pretty mug and a good book.

Notes

Add the following instructions for your recipient.

Mocha Chocolate Mix
Add approximately 3 tsp to a mug of hot water. Stir and enjoy. Add more to taste.

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Beef Fajitas in a Jar Mix

A quick easy meal and fun gift idea. This uses freeze-dried foods so the recipient can just add water.

Prep Time15 mins

Active Time15 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: beef, fajita, homemade gift jar

Yield: 1 jar

Author: Sharon Peterson

Materials

Supplies

• 1 quart Canning Jars (multiply recipe for more jars)

Ingredients

• ½ cup freeze dried shredded beef
• ¼ cup freeze dried onion slices
• ¼ cup freeze dried green peppers
• ¼ cup freeze dried red peppers Include a total of 1/2 cup peppers, you can use all red or green if that is what you have
• 1 T your choice of taco seasoning or fajita mix. To taste. (see notes for my recipe)

Instructions

• Place ingredients in a quart-size wide mouth jar. And add a tight fitting lid.
• Decorate your jars as desired.
• Create a label/card with instructions for your recipient.

Basket Ideas

• Add a jar of Beef Fajita Mix to a basket with a package of tortillas and a jar of homemade salsa. Add a special cheese as a topping. You could even include a small container of freeze dried cheese.

Notes

 

Note: I use my homemade taco seasonings but you can use any seasoning you choose. I’ll include my recipe below.

Homemade Taco Seasoning – Mix this together and store in a dry place (of course a jar works perfectly)

• 1 cup dried minced onion
• 1/3 cup chili powder
• 4 tsp cumin (this is to taste, if you like cumin…. Add more!) 4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 T oregano
• 4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder

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Include these directions with your gift. 

Beef Fajita Mix

Simmer ingredients in one cup of water for 5-8 minutes or until beef is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed. Serve in a tortilla with cheese, salsa, sour cream, or whatever fajita sides you like.

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Peanut Chicken In a Jar Recipe

Love chicken in a peanut sauce? This is a quick way to have it ready for yourself or an unusual gift in a jar recipe. Freeze Dried food.

Prep Time15 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: Sharon Peterson

Materials

Ingredients for quart size mason jar.

• ½ cup freeze dried chicken
• ¼ cup freeze dried red peppers
• ¼ cup freeze dried onion
• ½ cup freeze dried broccoli

Ingredients for ziplock bag.

• 2 T peanut powder
• 1 tsp honey crystals or sugar
• 1 tsp chicken boullion
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 pinch of cayenne

Instructions

• Combine jar ingredients, add a tight lid to the jar.
• Combine plastic bag ingredients, close tightly and tie around neck of jar with a ribbon.
• Decorate jar and bag as desired. Or use a basket container and a small bottle of soysauce. (Soysauce is needed for preparation)
• Create instruction card for recipients. (see notes for instructions)
• Basket idea : Place this in a basket with a small package of rice and a small container of soy sauce.

Notes

Include these instructions for your gift recipient.

Chicken Peanut Recipe
Simmer veggies in 1 cup water for 5 minutes.
Add in seasonings and simmer for 3-4 minutes longer or until chicken is tender.
Add (from your cupboard) 1 T soy sauce and stir.
Serve with rice!