​Christmas gifts in jars and bottles

With the festive season on the horizon, it's the perfect time to start preparing your crafty and homemade gifts for loved ones. When you create your own you can make truly personal and customised gifts, and minimise waste and wrapping too.

For example, Christmas gifts in glass jars and glass bottles are now hugely popular for a variety of reasons. They can be endlessly customised, personalised to the recipient, made budget-friendly and also are naturally presented in a sustainable, eco-friendly glass vessel rather than endless layers of commercial plastic wrap. The beauty of the bottles and glasses themselves is that they can then be reused in the home and create zero waste.

So what kinds of gifts can you make in glass jars or bottles? Here are some of our favourites:

Homemade drinks

Invest in beautiful new glass bottles with stoppers and fill them with jewel-coloured spirits, cordials, infusions and tinctures. From your family recipe to an old-fashioned health tonic to a delicious sloe gin, there is nothing more beautiful than a bottle of something delicious and home-crafted. Why not make a selection of drinks that finish in different shades - sloe gin, perhaps a raspberry-infused gin and a lemon-infused gin trio, presented together for a really eye-catching effect (and the beginnings of an instant party!)

Sweet jars

Kids adore sweet jars and adults will love the nostalgia of a large glass jar packed with colourful penny sweets! Head to your local old fashioned sweatshop or find a speciality supplier of your old favourites such as dolly mixtures, marshmallows and boiled sweets or toffees, or make your own treats at home. Fudge and toffee are perfectly possible to make with a heavy-bottomed pan, some basic ingredients and a cook's thermometer. Nougat, chunks of parkin or simple chocolate Florentines are also great options.

Mini first aid kits

These can be a lot of fun to put together, especially for parents! Add little colourful plasters, bandages, natural herbal salves and ointments and extras such as lip balm and mini sunscreen. These would make a great holiday kit for families.

Cookie mix jars

Layer up dry cookie ingredients to create a ready-made mix, or do the same for chocolate chip and walnut brownies or your favourite bake mix. Add instructions to a label and tie it with a ribbon before gifting the glass jar and mix to your lucky recipient. All they will need to do is add eggs and any liquid ingredients and enjoy fresh, hot, cakes and cookies from the oven!

Craft lovers kits

Do you have a sister that loves sewing? A friend who knits? Or a nephew that loves to make cards? If so, why not fill up glass jars with beautiful crafty items, such as ribbons, threads, buttons and card toppers? For a quilting friend, you could even fill a glass jar with a selection of seasonal fat quarter fabrics or a pre-rolled jelly roll, perhaps with some binding for a ready-made mini quilt project.

Bath salts

Make your own bath salts using Epsom Salts and food dyes or mineral pigments to create beautifully coloured and mixed bath salts. Additions such as rose petals, lavender buds and essential oils will also create wonderful fragrances. Fill up beautiful coloured glass bottles or jars and your creations will take pride of place in the bathroom! The beauty of these blends is that they can be customised to your recipient and their needs and the ingredients that you choose can be completely natural and organic too. Here are some ideas to help you get started with just a few basic ingredients: https://thebestorganicskincare.com/homemade-natural-bath-salt-recipes/

Gardeners gift

Glass jars filled with gardeners' essentials will be a welcome gift for any green-fingered loved ones. Add thoughtful gifts such as twine, garden gloves, plant food, seeds and planter labels so that your gardener has plenty to get them started outdoors in spring.

Mini snowglobe

If you are feeling particularly creative you could also use glass jars to make a snowglobe. You'll use glue and modelling clay to stick little decorations to the upturned base, and add glitter, water and glycerine to make the 'snow' slowly swirl around your scene. Here's a good DIY guide at BBC: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-make-snow-globe.

Stock up on your supplies

If you need to invest in glass bottles and glass jars for your Christmas present craft creations, then head to Wares of Knutsford, where we have huge stocks of the best glassware. We have huge stocks of festive items at great prices and offer superb customer service with a real eye for detail and experience. Our delivery rates are highly competitive and we are fulfilling orders as quickly as we can from our own large warehouse. Why not sign up for our newsletter for details of the latest product releases and special offers?