Dessert in a Jar

When I worked at a preschool, I had 6 to 10 close co-workers at any one time. I needed to figure out gifts that were different than the many scented lotions we all got from parents each year, but that weren't too expensive. I saw an idea for a jar filled with s'more material (graham crackers, Hershey's bars, and marshmallows in case you didn't know) and decorated for the occasion. I bought a pack of 24oz wide-mouth mason jars at the grocery store (usually somewhere near the baking supplies) for around $16. I bought Styrofoam balls from a craft store and glued them onto the lids to make the head of a snowman. Then I used scraps of cloth from an old shirt and made "scarves" for the snowmen that I tied around the head (to hide the glue) and glued mis-matched buttons to the front of the jar as a finishing touch. You could do the same thing with any dessert recipe, like cookies or brownies made from scratch. Just put all the dry ingredients in the jar and attach a 3x5 card with the recipe. Remember to include what other ingredients will be needed to finish making the dessert. If you don't have a group that likes cutesy things like snowman jars, you can also just do a plain paper or cloth cover and tie it with ribbon or raffia (as pictured) and save yourself some time. Either way, it'll be a nice treat for a good price.