I was brainstorming the perfect hostess gift to bring with me for Thanksgiving and the checklist in my head was never-ending… something that could travel without getting damaged, something that wasn’t liquid, something that wasn’t perishable, something that didn’t take up too much space in my suitcase… quite a list of prerequisites! I actually saw the idea to make a “cookie mix in a jar” a while back on my Pinterest but it wasn’t until I was browsing the grocery last weekend and saw an aisle full of festive sprinkles, that it occurred to me that this would be the perfect DIY Holiday gift. Truly adorable, so festive, works for all ages, a DIY craft that doesn’t require much skill, sign me up!

I also love that you can “customize” your cookie batter to your specific friends and family. I found flour for gluten-free cookies at Williams-Sonoma {here}, then for your health conscious friends I recommend whole wheat flour, raisins and rolled oats. For mommy friends, you can add cutesy sprinkles for the kiddos, how cute are these snowflake sprinkles?! And if you want to make this a DIY christmas gift, just add some red sprinkles or crushed candy canes to make it festive! All you need is a sealable mason jar, cookie ingredients {see below}, bakers twine and a hangtag. Follow along with my recipe below to get started.

Fashionable Hostess Cookie in a Jar ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cinnamon
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions: Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the mixture to the bottom of your mason jar. Neatly add each layer that follows. First, brown sugar, then cinnamon, then mix brown and white sugars and add as one sugar layer. Follow with oats, and top it off with chocolate chips. Seal.

The finishing touch is adding your hangtag, but first make sure to write a small note on the back of the hangtag that reads:

“Just add a 1/2 cup of butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Enjoy!”

Tie your hangtag on to the mason jar with festive colored bakers twine and you are set with a truly unique gift your hostesses and friends will love!

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