Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas In a Jar Part 2!

Hey everyone! I am finally on winter break and will have more time for blogging. Today, I have a last-minute christmas gift ideas in a jar part 2, because it was one of my most popular posts from last year, so I decided to do it again with some new ideas. The gifts range from cookies in a jar, brownies, bath bombs, and succulents. I think gifts in ball jars look so trendy and instantly make any gift look cuter, and they are also all DIY so can be made at home and don't cost a fortune.

Candy Shop Cookies
The first gift idea are these candy-shop cookies. They are so easy to make and the cookies taste amazing! Also, they are great small gifts for neighbors, a group of friends, or co-workers. All of the dry ingredients are played out inside the jar and then the rest of the ingredients and instructions are attached to the side of the jar.

Peppermint Brownies
The next gift is the second of three baked good ideas because the holidays are all about cookies and desserts. It is peppermint flavored brownies and look so festive and delicious in the ball jars. Similar to the candy shop cookies, these brownies have all the ingredients inside the ball jar except for any wet ingredients that need to be added along with the instructions attached to the jar.  I got the recipe and pictures from an amazing blog called A Pumpkin and a Princess who has a ton of DIY's and homemade gifts.

http://apumpkinandaprincess.com/2014/12/peppermint-brownies-mason-jar-gifts.html?crlt.pid=camp.DdZqIT7T4B3c

Ingredients

1. 1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
2. 3/4 cup cocoa powder
3. 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4. 1/2 tsp baking powder
5. 1/4 tsp salt
6. 1/2 cup chocolate chips
7. 1/4 cup Andes peppermint baking chips
9. Additional ingredients:
10. 3/4 cup melted butter
11. 2 large eggs
12. 2 tablespoons water
13. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Layer granulated sugar, cocoa powder (wipe the inside of the jar after the cocoa layer), then flour mixture.
3. Add baking ships and chocolate chips on top. 
4. Directions:
5. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 13x9-inch pan. 
6. Mix brownie mix with wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
7. Spread into prepared baking pan. Bake for 18-25 minutes.

Succulents in a Jar
I love this next gift idea because I am a sucker for succulents and have three of them on my desk in my room. I think they add such a nice aesthetic to the room and are a perfect gift for any one who loves easy-to take care of plants that look great as decoration. These plants can also live inside and require very little water since they are used to living in the desert. I gained inspiration for this gift from http://elisamclaughlin.com/design/2012/01/diy-succulents-in-a-jar/ as well as the beautiful pictures of the plants.

Layer an inch and a half to two inches of medium to small stones on the bottom of your jar. You can start with large stones and then top the two inches off with smaller stones to fill in the gaps.

Lay the small piece of mesh or burlap over the stones. This provides a natural barrier between the dirt and the stones allowing the water to drain and the soil to dry. Layer a small layer of charcoal on top of the mesh and then layer some dirt.

Now you can place your succulent in the jar and fill it with more dirt. Sometimes I top the jar off with a small layer of orchid bark or something purely ornamental to finish off the look.

When watering a succulent that is potted this way it is best to only use a little bit of water. Then let the soil dry completely before adding a little more water. Succulents are desert plants and survive better with less water than with over-watering. Once you have finished you can decorate your jar if it is more simple with fabric, white burlap, and other trimmings.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Next, I have the final baked good gift idea. It is sure to please anyone who loves an already baked, moist cupcake in a jar. It is layered with frosting and has a portable spoon on the side so it can be eaten anytime and anywhere. Also, it requires no work for the person receiving the gift-except eating it of course! I found this recipe on CAKIES and thought it looked phenomenal and worth a try. 

Ingredients

- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1 tsp salt

- *2 1/4 tsp cocoa powder

- *1 1/2 cup canola oil

- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

- 2 large eggs, room temperature

- 2 tbsp red food coloring

- 1 tsp white distilled vinegar

- *2 tsp vanilla extract

for the cream cheese frosting:

- 1 pound cream cheese, softened

- 2 sticks butter, softened

- *2 tsps vanilla extract

- 4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Assembling the Jars

-Once they are cool, I slice them in half. You will have a stack of tops and a stack of bottoms.

-Place one bottom in each jar 

-Put a layer of frosting

-Take the top of the cupcake and place on top of the layer of frosting 

-Flatten or gently smash the top part of the cupcake inside of the jar-you want to get the top pretty flat 

-Frost the top and place on lids and a spoon! 

Homemade Bath Bombs 

Next, I have homemade bath bombs in a jar, which are perfect for a spa-themed gift or as an extra gift for relaxation. I'm obsessed with bath bombs and usually pay for them at Lush until I found this recipe for homemade bath bombs on Club Chica Circle which looks super easy and just as amazing! Most of the ingredients can be found at home and the final product looks so cute. You can also make them Christmas themed/colored, but for this one the bath bombs were more neutral colors for any occasion. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup baking soda

1/4 cup citric acid

1 tablespoon of massage oil

Spray bottle with water

Mold

Instructions

The first step is to mix the baking soda and citric acid in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. Then add the oil and mix again really well with the whisk.

Then the next step is the trickiest one. While my daughter mixed with her hands, I spray water into the bowl. The chemical reaction of the “fizzing” happens when water hits the mixture, so you don’t want to add too much at one time. I sprayed about 10-20 squirts in the bowl, until we got a nice clumpy consistency and it could hold a shape when squeezed together. That’s as complicated as it gets.

The final step is to press into silicone molds. I have been collecting some great ones that I found in the dollar bin at Target. Make sure to compact the mixture into the mold as much as possible. The mixture might expand a little bit in the mold while you are working but that is ok.

The first batch we made, we pressed out of the old right away, and put on a baking sheet to dry.

Thank you so much for viewing this post and I hope some of you give any of these gifts a try for Christmas or a birthday coming up. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays and I hope everyone has an amazing and relaxing break with family or friends. xx