
Yikes!! It’s December 4th! We are entering the home stretch people! I thought I would squeeze in one more Handmade Gift Ideas post before it’s too late! I was inspired by the gift bags I have been putting together for our first annual One Good Thing By Jillee company Christmas Party. :-) I thought it would be fun to include some “Jillee Favorites” in the bags, so I’m including Semi-Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix, Roasted Almonds, Honey Butter Ambrosia, and something NEW! Hot Chocolate Stirring Spoons. Since I am pressed for time this week (the party is tomorrow!) I decided to make a semi-homemade version of this popular food craft idea.

I was at the party store yesterday and my sister spotted these cute wooden spoons. Since I was already planning on including the Hot Chocolate in the gift bags…I thought a couple of Stirring Spoons would be fun to throw in too. Originally I was going to make them using silicone molds…but then I realized you can buy already “molded chocolate” in the candy aisle! All the work has been done for you! :-)

The tricky part was figuring out how to get the spoon and the chocolate to come together as one.
First, I tried heating the spoon and pushing it in the chocolate. Ummm…wooden spoons really don’t HEAT up that much. STRIKE ONE.
Second, I tried heating the chocolate pieces, ever-so-slightly, in the microwave and inserting delicately into the chocolate. Ummm….flattened chocolate is not that attractive. STRIKE TWO.
Third, I decided that if I couldn’t actually get the spoon INTO the chocolate….I could at least ATTACH it with chocolate. SUCCESS! (Whew…STRIKE THREE was too close for comfort!)
Here is how I did it: Melt about a 1/2 cup of chocolate (chips or some of the candy) in a microwave safe bowl

Dip just the end of the wooden (or plastic) spoon into the melted chocolate and then carefully attach it to the top of the piece of chocolate candy.

At this point I applied gentle pressure and a sort of a rocking back and forth method to get the tip of the spoon embedded just slightly into the chocolate candy. This helped the spoon to stand up until the “glue” (the melted chocolate) hardened.

Once I had attached all the spoons to the pieces of chocolate, I set them all in the fridge for about 15 minutes to let them harden. Then I bagged them in cellophane bags and tied with some twine! All ready to go in the gift bags!

And here are the rest of the Simple Handmade Gift Ideas I’ve rounded up for this 7th installment:
Pretty DIY Storage Boxes from Nicest Things

Tissue-Pack Cover from Skip To My Lou
Scraps of bright print fabric are perfect for hiding unsightly tissue packs. Make them to match your room, your car, or your office.

DIY Marshmallow Shooters by Moms Crafty Space

Adorable Baby Blocks by Crazy Little Projects

Can’t forget the Canines…..Carrot & Banana Natural Dog Treat from 17 Apart

L.O.V.E. Bookends from Pinterest

Multicolor Can Candleholder Set from zulily
Made from chipped and rusted paint cans. Not a tutorial, but looks so simple I decided to add it.

Crafty Pin Cushions by Rebecca Sower

Shrink Your Favorite Books! from Small World Land

Decoupage Pencils by Craft and Creativity

DIY Surprise Card by Craft and Creativity

DIY Duct Tape Gift Wrap by The Sweetest Occasion

Chalkboard Paint Mugs by MarketHQ

DIY Dollhouse Bookshelf by Simple As That

That’s all folks! Hopefully something there will spark a creative idea….because let’s face it….it’s time to get serious! There isn’t much time left ’til Santa’s Clause comes! :-)