DIY Gift Idea: Present Homemade Cookies in Mason Jars

Yesterday I shared the recipe for these delicious Lemon Shortbread cookies.  As promised, I'm back today to share the details of how I packaged them so they'd be gift-worthy and protected for mailing.  I've always been smitten with the way Miette packages their graham crackers and I wanted to create something similar for my shortbread cookies.  Searching my mind for an appropriate, affordable straight-sided round container, I remembered the wide mouth pint size mason jars I had recently used for a few craft projects and thought they'd be perfect!  Turns out I was right.

I used a 2 5/8" scalloped cookie cutter from this set for my cookies and they fit perfectly in the jars.  My cookie dough had been rolled to 1/4" before cutting and I found that a dozen of the cookies fit beautifully inside the mason jars.  Depending on your recipe and your cookie cutters, you should be able to mimic these results.  This technique is great for packaging any crisp, thin cookies (shortbread, graham crackers, chocolate wafers, etc.) but you could also stack thicker cookies for a more rustic effect-though you'll fit less in your jar.

Here's what I used:

1 dozen cookies, rolled 1/4" thick and cut with a 2 5/8" scalloped cutter (I used Lemon Shortbread)

Pint size wide mouth Ball mason jar

6"x6" square piece of fabric

Ribbon to coordinate with your fabric

Handmade chalkboard tag (an unfinished wooden tag painted with chalkboard paint)

Chalk pen (to label the tag)

To assemble your jar for gifting, carefully stack your completely cooled cookies in your jar.  Top the mason jar with it's lid (the flat disk).  Next, center your fabric square on top of the lid and hold it firmly in place while you attach and screw on the band (this is the part that screws onto the jar).  Cut a piece of ribbon with plenty of excess for tying and run it through the hole on your tag.  Position the ribbon neatly around the jar and tie it securely and finish with a bow.  Cut off any extra length from your ribbon ends and that's it!

This will provide a safe and attractive way for you to gift any number of homemade cookies for birthdays, holidays, or just anytime you feel like lifting someone's spirits with homemade cookies.  The options for decorating your jar are limitless, though I personally think the chalkboard tags are darling and you can't go wrong coordinating your fabric and ribbon to the cookies you're gifting (such as my yellow theme for the lemon cookies).

There is something so wonderful about treating someone to a dozen homemade cookies.  What better way to present them than in a darling mason jar that can be reused time and again!


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