Homemade & From the Heart
This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.*
When my husband and I first married we found getting holiday gifts for both our families to be especially stressful. There were plenty of things to buy, but as many of you know, when you’re young finances can be tight. Finding that perfect gift that was both thoughtful and affordable felt nearly impossible. Then we decided why not make gifts? I love to bake and can and my husband is an excellent woodworker and candy maker. Enter our Homemade Holiday “boxes”! I use the word boxes loosely because over the years I’ve managed to stuff these delicious creations into a vast number of different vessels!
As finances got better and jobs became more stable I toyed around with the idea of purchasing gifts. When I brought this idea up to our families they nearly screamed at us for even mentioning it. These boxes have become a tradition that people love receiving and we enjoy making!
This year we were blessed with an abundant garden harvest. This meant that we were able to use many delicious recipes from the makers of Ball® home canning products to create holiday gifts all summer long. We had the absolute best time canning this year! The good thing about canning is you can make the gifts in advance (like now) and they’ll be ready when you need them! We tried many new recipes that will now become traditions in our home!
Some of these recipes include:
Along with the beautiful canned goods I also make sure to add in lots of baked goods. Cookies, candy, cakes, brownies, zesty crackers, and chocolates are always a good idea. I try to make sure we give a variety of flavors to please a multitude of palettes!
Dressing up homemade holiday boxes is really very simple. You can use a cardboard box, plate, basket, bowl, tray, etc. as the base. A sweet tea towel or some parchment paper add texture. Then, pile on the delicious goodies. I use washi tape, ribbon, and gift tags to decorate my jars. You can also use fabric around the lids or a fancy label to help people know what they’re getting! Cellophane bags are great for keeping baked goods fresh! Wrap it all up with a festive ribbon and tada! The perfect gift!
The makers of Ball® home canning products have lots of beautiful jars you can use in your holiday boxes. Below are a few of my favorites!
Each family gets a box from us to share. We also take them to our neighbors and friends! I tailor each box to who it’s going to. Do they like spicy food? Maple pickled jalapeños and zesty crackers for them! How about sweets? Extra strawberry honey butter and cookies for them!
I hope this has inspired you to incorporate handmade gifts this year. We find such joy taking the time to work together and make these gifts for the ones we love!
*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that is part of an ongoing partnership with the Fresh Preserving Division of Newell Brands. They have provided jars, equipment and monetary compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed remain my own.
