How to Simplify Your Holiday Gift Giving with Ball® Jars

This post is brought to you by the makers of Ball® home canning products.*

Merry Happy Chrismukkah! It certainly feels like the holiday season snuck up on me this year, it feels like one moment we were back to school shopping and the next minute we were cutting the turkey. Our family celebrates Hanukkah so our celebration ended earlier this week but that doesn’t mean we were not excited and, dare I say, a little stressed out about the holiday season. I love the holidays but they also come with a certain amount of chaos and stress that can take away from the spirit of the season.

You may remember that last month we talked all about simplifying Thanksgiving using Ball® Jars (see that post here – so many of these tips can translate to other holiday celebrations). This month, I partnered with the makers of Ball® home canning products again with a focus on simplifying holiday gift giving using Ball® Jars.

No matter the holiday you celebrate, December always comes with a certain amount of gifting baggage and the stress that comes along with it. From gifts for the teachers at your kids’ school to your book club friends to the both dreaded and adored office secret santa, everywhere you look there is a different gifting need during the holiday season. Along with all of that gifting often comes stress but as with everything, a little organization, planning and simplifying can help streamline your festive fun.

Why I Love Ball® Jars for Holiday Gifting

This holiday season, I decided to make things easier on myself by creating a gifting assembly line using Ball® Jars. There are a good amount of people in our lives that we want to give a little something to but don’t necessarily want to hit the mall. I love a thoughtful, handmade and personal gift that shows you care without added stress and Ball® Jars provide the perfect way to make that happen.

There are several reasons why I love using Ball® Jars for holiday gifting but first and foremost I love focusing on consumable gifts. I can attest, more than probably anyone, that clutter can really add up and impact someone’s day to day life. When I am gifting for the holiday season the last thing that I want is to add to anyone’s clutter. The gifts that I create in Ball® Jars are all consumable treats so that my friends and family can enjoy without having to decide where to stash yet another candle or tchotchke in their house. And everyone knows the way to the heart is through the stomach!

Secondly, I love that Ball® Jars are a sustainable option when it comes to gift giving. Not only are the jars glass (you know I love anything that allows me to stay away from plastic) but they can be reused by the gift giver either to create another gift themselves or for storage or organization in their homes. You didn’t think I would let an organization opportunity pass by did you?

I also adore that there is an option for a holiday jar that isn’t specifically Christmas focused. As someone that celebrates Hanukkah it can be tricky finding items this time of year that don’t push me into the Christmas direction but the Ball® Regular Mouth 16 oz Snowflake Keepsake Jars are perfect for any holiday.

Finally, these holiday gifts using Ball® Jars allow me to simplify my gift giving by creating everything all at once. I set up a little assembly line in my basement to streamline the process. First, I gather all of my jars and supplies. Then I assemble all of one type of gift, add the personalized notes and repeat for the other types of jars. Little changes to your holiday season like being purposeful about creating your gifts all at once instead of running around your house frantically before you head out to a holiday party make a world of difference in your enjoyment of the season.

Ball® Jar Gift Ideas

I know what you are thinking: “Rachel, I am not that crafty” and I will be the first to tell you that I’m not either. But if that didn’t stop me from whipping up these holiday gifts anyone can do it. The key is to focus on gifts that are thoughtful but super easy to assemble – all of the festive cheer and no hot glue burns. These are my favorite holiday gifts to assemble using Ball® Jars:

• Candy Jar: No one ever turned down or scoffed at a good candy gift and these are the MVP of easy gift assembly. I started with a Ball® Regular Mouth 16 oz Snowflake Keepsake Jar and popped in some of my favorite candies. I used a pretty silver option so I could gift these for Hanukkah but any festive looking candy would do (red and green chocolates, anyone?). Add on a ribbon and cute tag and you are ready to gift!

• Hot Cocoa Kit: Is there anything better than cuddling by the fire during a snowstorm with a steaming hot cup of cocoa? I love this gift idea as you can not only give a sweet treat but that fun holiday memory the receiver will create when they mix up your cocoa mix. Start with a serving (or two) of your favorite hot cocoa mix at the bottom of a Ball® Regular Mouth 16 oz Snowflake Keepsake Jar top with mini marshmallows and voila, instant cozy holiday gift! I added cute sparkly twine and a gift tag with a handwritten note for a little extra personal touch.

• Cookie Mix: If you are looking for a slightly more involved gift option (and I do mean slightly, if you can measure you can do this one!) I love creating a cookie mix jar using the larger Ball® Quart Jars. There are a million different cookie jar recipes on Pinterest so you can pick the variety that suits your taste best. The cookie dry ingredients are layered in the Ball® Quart Jars creating a really pretty look that appears you put in a lot more effort than you did, gifting win, right? My cookie recipe called for a good amount of ingredients so I packed them up in a couple jars and wrapped everything in a cute gift bag. Don’t forget to pass along the instructions on what to add and how to bake so your friends and family can whip up a holiday cookie treat in no time.

The most important thing when creating your gift list this year, and always, is to remember to keep the process fun, simple and enjoyable. Use a little organization and some systems so you are enjoying the season and not pulling out your hair by the time the last candle is lit or Santa takes to the sky.

TELL ME: what are you gifting for the holidays this year? Did you wrap up your gifting plans at Halloween or have you not even thought about it yet?

*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.