Homemade Christmas Gift: Hot Cocoa Kit
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Hot Chocolate kits. The idea certainly isn’t new, I’ve seen them around for years and years– even before Pinterest and blogs, gasp! But since they make such easy little DIY gifts I thought I’d share our version. If you live in a colder climate, there’s nothing like some hot cocoa to warm your spirit on a chilly day. These kits make great gifts for teachers, babysitters, neighbors, and friends. They ended up costing about $4 each. Here’s how I put my version together. Enjoy!
Materials:
hot chocolate mix (Ghirardelli makes a delish one, found at the grocery store)
baggies for treats
a mix-ins like mini-marshmallows, peppermint chips, peppermint pillows
glass cracker jar (from the Dollar Store)
felt, paper, pens for the gift tag
elastic cord or ribbon or tying on tag
festive colored washcloth or tea towel for wrapping (optional)
1. Go shopping for the hot cocoa and mix-ins. We love Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa Mix, it’s rich and decadent. Here’s a homemade version, too– yum!
Those glass cracker jars came from The Dollar Store. They are a little smaller than I would have liked, but they worked well for this purpose. Though I did have to leave out some peppermint pillows I’d purchased, so next time I’ll splurge for the larger size. Walmart sells similar versions in a larger size starting at $3 if you want to go that route. Larger jars = more mix-in ideas!
2. Fill the bags with your goodies (make sure the size you are using FITS in the jar first, I had to do a few trial runs… it was kind of like Tetris trying to make sure they all worked together).
It looks prettier to fold them without twisting the top together first, but I went for practical over pretty. By twisting and folding, I hoped to make a better seal to preserve the cocoa for longer and prevent a blast of powder in the face when the recipient opened the bag.
Label the bags.
I placed the cocoa and marshmallows in the jar first:
and then the mini-melts on top. That’s the only way all three things fit. {I had to squish the baggie of mini-melts a bit into a hamburger shape to fit on top.}
Tie it up in a red striped washcloth if desired, and tie with elastic cord (or any ribbon, of course, I just happened to have the red cord). They’d be pretty without the extra wrapping, but I found these striped ones at The Dollar Store and couldn’t resist:
Create your tags. I used mittens cut from felt on the front, and glued on paper with the cocoa recipe and instructions on the back.
Now go deliver your cheery gift!
