Earlier this month, I did a little homemade gift demo at my local Container Store. You guys. Is The Container Store Gift Wrap Wonderland the most magical place on earth or what? I could, actually I DO, spend hours there every year strolling up and down the aisles deciding on the perfect wrap, ribbon, tags, boxes, and tins.
Sometimes I'm there so long, I'm afraid they might call security. But hey...they invited me to do a demo. That meant I could stay for hours on end, no questions asked. ;)
Here are three homemade gifts you can make TODAY!
Instant Chai Tea Mix
This gift is the quickest. It's perfect to have on hand when someone pops by your house with an unexpected gift. You know, you thought you were on a Christmas card friend basis only? Yeah. OK...make a few of these up today. You know you'll need it.
I'm crazy about all of the pretty gold touches here. This would be a really pretty New Year's gift as well!
You'll need:
- metallic gold lidded jar
- gold-flecked tulle
- gold chevron gift tags
- gold rosette tie-on
- gold sharpie
- tea mix (recipe follows)
2 1/2 cups unsweetened instant iced tea
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups dry milk powder
1 cup French vanilla powdered creamer
1/2 cup plain powdered creamer
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Process all ingredients in a food processor until combined and a fine powder. Place into the jar (this recipe will fill two jars). Add tulle and gift tag with instructions to place 2 tablespoons mix in a mug. Pour boiling water over. Stir and serve.
Sugar Scrubs
You might want to make extra and keep a few for yourself. Sugar scrubs are so easy to make, you'll wonder why you ever paid big bucks for them! These were totally inspired by this cute little wooden caddy at The Container Store. I just had to find a way to use them!
You'll need:
- wooden caddy
- two 4-ounce jars
- tartan plaid tape
- red and gold shred
- Avery Kraft labels
- glue dots
- mini scoop
- gift tags
- rosemary sprig
- peppermint candy
- sugar scrubs (recipe follows)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Stir together until well blended.
For Rosemary Sugar Scrub, stir in 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon rosemary essential oil.
For Peppermint Sugar Scrub, stir in 4-6 drops peppermint essential oil. Optional: add red food coloring to half and layer the scrub for a candy cane effect.
To assemble: Wrap plaid tape around the wooden tray. Place one type of scrub in each jar. Print or write the name on an Avery label and affix to top of jar. Use a glue dot to secure the peppermint to the top of the peppermint scrub jar. Use the plaid tape to secure the ends of the rosemary sprig into a wreath shape. Use more tape to affix to the top of the rosemary scrub jar. Place jars in the caddy and tuck the shred in to fill. Add a scoop and gift tag.
Decorate your own snowman cookie kit
(AKA: do you want to build a snowman...cookie?)
Of course, there would have to be a cookie gift in the mix. This one is a decorate your own snowman cookie kit. Of course, you could use any shape here. I can't decide which is cuter: the cookies or that darling red tin?!?
With this kit, you'll give the cookies plain and supply your recipient with food coloring pens to do their own decorating. I like to decorate the top cookie in the stack to give an idea.
The pictures show these done super simply with un-iced cookies. If you have more time, cover each cookie in white royal icing. (If you attended the demo, that's how they were shown.)
You'll need:
- red metal tin
- white shred
- cello bags
- holly printed parchment
- red baker's twine
- snowball ribbon
- tree gift tags
- snowman cut-out cookies
- royal icing (optional)
- food coloring pens
To assemble: Bake the cookies, and ice with white royal icing (if using). Let the cookies dry completely overnight. Decorate one cookie with food coloring pens as an example. Stack the cookies, three per bag, using holly-printed parchment between the cookies. (I used 6 cookies per kit, three cookies per bag.) Place the decorated cookie on the top of the stack. Tie each bag with baker's twine.
Fill the bottom of the tin with shred. Tie food coloring pens together using the snowball ribbon (so cute!). Place pens and packaged cookies in the tin. Add a gift tag to the top and more snowball ribbon around the tin.
Who wants to meet me at the Gift Wrap Wonderland today???
{Thank you, The Container Store for having me!} 