Homemade Gifts In A Jar, Cheap Gift Ideas

by Deanna
(usa)

Cheap Homemade Gift Ideas: Everyone (whether they are inclined to admit it or not – there’s always someone) enjoys having people be sweet to them. One idea for homemade gifts in a jar is what I think of as “Sweets for the Sweet”, and the idea of it is that you are showing how sweet you are to the person you are gifting, by offering up a jar full of double-duty goodness: sweets that each come with a reminder of why you think THEY are so sweet.

Do you have cavities yet? First you have to choose a jar to use. If possible, choose one that is flat and plainly colored enough that you can decorate it yourself with paint-pens, writing something like “Sweets for the Sweet” or “Because you’re so sweet” on the side of it.

If all you can find are glass jars, you can get glass “etching” medium from a craft store or department, and use that to “write” on the side. If you don’t think your handwriting is pretty enough, do not fear. Take note of the space on the side of the jar that you have to work with, and create an image file of that size, in a computer art program like PhotoShop.

Choose a font that you think reflects the style of the person you are gifting, type out your intended message so that it fits nicely in the allotted space, and then print it out. A craft store or department will probably also have plain sheets of translucent plastic called something like “stenciling blanks”.

You can put the printed text-image underneath one, trace things with a fine-pointed permanent marker onto the stenciling blank, and then, over a thoughtfully chosen surface, cut out the letters from the plastic with an Exacto knife. Remember that spaces inside of letters need to be pegged in place in the plastic by leaving “breaks” in the lines, or else you will have a bunch of small, loose pieces that aren’t very helpful.

Once you have created your stencil, you can use a piece of packing or duct tape to keep it firmly in place around the jar, allowing you to apply the etching medium or paint.

When it comes to what goes into the jar, the idea is simple. You can pick a kind of candy that you know someone likes, so long as they are one that comes with some kind of wrapper. To each one, tape a small note about why you like the person, something you admire about them, a compliment, an encouragement, a memory or a hope.

You can make each one different. Then, just fill the jar! Every time the lucky gift recipient reaches in for a sweet, they’ll find something that brings joy to their taste buds and to their heart.

Here's some other great easy homemade gift ideas.