Christmas decorations are staring to hit the shops so my mind is all a buzz and finding inspiration for gift ideas, recipes and more as the silly season approaches. Christmas it is always my favorite time of the year. The decorations, the good will and cheer, my nephews excited faces and now with Charlie, our Maltese-Shitzu cross in the picture too it is going to be so much fun!
The key to making Christmas as stress free as possible is to PLAN, PLAN, PLAN! Yes you need to be organized and have a clear plan of your gifts and menus, well ahead of schedule, leave it too late and you will be one frazzled Scrooge!
Well this year I am giving a mix of homemade and store bought gifts and I have put on my arts and crafts hat to make these adorable Pumpkin Spice Jars! My sister-in-law (also a fellow blogger) check her out at www.goodparsiwife.com, had some extra baby food jars and asked if I wanted some to which of course I said "Yes Please!".
SO HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE CUTE JARS!
Well they are really so simple. I went to Spotlight - a local crafts and fabric store and got myself a cheap glue gun for $10 and some ribbon to decorate the base of the jar. I just cut the ribbon to size and then glued it into place. Then I added a sticker label, I got mine from Officeworks. Simply write on it or print them out on your computer and stick them on. Then fill with your pumpkin spice in and screw the lid on securely. To make the pretty cover for the lid, I just used some red and white muffin pans attached with a rubber band to keep it in place and finally I wrapped some thin metallic cord (also from Spotlight) around it with a cute little Xmas decoration tied in and there you have it - a pretty homemade and delicious gift that you can use for cakes, cookies and muffins, yum! I have ended up using this so many times, it is really handy and versatile for baking.
When making a spice mix like this, it is important to use only fresh spices as old spices, over time, lose some of their intensity
Make this well ahead of the silly season craziness and store, well sealed in your fridge
YOU WILL NEED
For The Jar
1 small CLEAN jar (a clean baby food jar is perfect. Ensure it is thoroughly washed and dry before adding the spice mix)
A glue gun or craft glue
Ribbon for decorating the base - preferably in Christmas colors
A sticky label for labeling your jar
Muffin pans - preferably in Christmas colors
A rubber band
Thin metallic cord/string
Small tree decoration (optional)
(Instructions as described above)
Pumpkin Spice Recipe (use freshly bought or ground spices for the best results)
13 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3 teaspoons ground all-spice
2 teaspoons ground cloves
METHOD
1. In a small bowl combine the ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all-spice and cloves. Store in an air-tight jar or container. Keep in the fridge to preserve freshness.
Tried this recipe? Tag @eatinstylebyferitta or #eatinstylebyferitta so I can see your creations and show you some love ♥