5 Holiday Gifts That Fit in a Mason Jar

The holidays are a time for giving. The holidays can also be a time for pressure and worry surrounding that giving. The cost of buying presents for friends and family can be overwhelming for some. As well, the awareness of the commercialization of Christmas becomes blaring.

Some people opt for alternative ways to give during the holidays by making donations, offering experiences rather than stuff, or spending time with loved ones instead of money. Others opt out altogether! This is all wonderful!

However, if you are racking your brains for ways to give a little something without breaking the bank, without creating too much waste, or without falling prey to over-consumerism during the holidays, check out these fun little gifts that fit sweetly inside a mason jar— a thrifted mason jar at that!

Get Hold of Some Mason Jars

One of the great things about this gift is that the mason jar acts not only as the ‘wrapping’ for your gift, but after the holiday, it can be used for storage, donated, or refilled with another gift for someone else. You can usually pick up mason jars for a few cents at thrift stores, and, to be honest, old jam jars and peanut butter jars work just as well!

Once you have a stash of jars and lids, get filling and giving. Remember that you can fancy the jar up by adding natural twine, greenery, or ribbons as well as homemade gift tags.

1. Hot Chocolate Mix

Source: Instant Chai Hot Chocolate Mix

Who doesn’t love a hot cup of cocoa on a wintery afternoon? Fill a jar with cocoa powder, sugar, and spices with the instructions to ‘just add hot coconut milk or water’. Try this recipe for Instant Chai Hot Chocolate Mix.

You could grate in some dark chocolate for extra decadence, and for adult recipients, how about stringing a tiny bottle of cheeky whisky or vegan cream liqueur to the neck of the jar, too?

2. Herbal Tea

Source: Sky House Herb School & Apothecary/YouTube

Perhaps you had a thriving medicinal herb garden that you harvested from all summer and a pantry full of dried homegrown herbs that are waiting to be brewed into a delicious cup of tea.  Maybe you have a local shop that sells tea and herbs in bulk helping you to cut down on waste.

If either of these things is true for you, you could fill your mason jar with a custom tea blend. Usually, about a tablespoon of dried herbs per hot cup of water is good for brewing tea. A lovely sleepytime blend or a refreshing peppermint will do the trick.

This gift could come with an attached vintage spoon or even some reusable muslin tea bags strung to the neck of the jar.

Be sure to label the ingredients in your tea blend carefully so people can check for allergens.

3. A Spring Bulb

Moving away from the edibles for a minute, you could present your friend with a jar containing a spring bulb. Fill your jar with small pebbles with a hyacinth or narcissus bulb nestled into them. Be sure to add some growing instructions, too. Due to jars not having any drainage, the bulb may have to be repotted at a later date or transplanted outside.

4. Homemade Sweets

Source: Homemade Peppermint Patties

You can hardly go wrong with a jar of candies as a gift, especially homemade ones. There are lots of fun recipes for holiday candies that anyone would love to receive. Consider filling your jar with these Homemade Peppermint Patties, these Spiced Dark Chocolate Hearts, or these Salted Chocolate Caramels.

5. Simmer Pot Ingredients

Give your friend the gift of a great-smelling house this holiday season. If you don’t already know, simmer pots are a wonderful way of scenting your house without chemicals. It involves setting a pot filled with water, fruits, spices, and foliage on your stovetop and letting it simmer away.  You are essentially brewing a huge vat of tea (that you won’t drink), allowing the deliciously intoxicating smells to fill your home.

Dried oranges, cloves, pine sprigs, cinnamon sticks, and allspice make up a perfect festive blend. Don’t forget to add instructions so that your recipient knows what to do.

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• 12 Easy Tips for Making Your Christmas More Healthy, Eco-Friendly and Compassionate!
• 10 Last-Minute Anti-Consumerist Holiday Gifts

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