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.
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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.
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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 Better Homes and Gardens
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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 Better Homes and Gardens
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 Wit and Whistle
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! :-)
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Hi Jillee – You continue to amaze me with all your great ideas, especially regarding your simple homemade gifts. But my new favorite gift idea you’ve overlooked which is understandable. What is it? Gift bags I fill with samples and recipes of your many great ideas! After all, what do you give as a housewarming gift to someone who already has everything? Why a bag with mattress freshener, pillow cleaning instructions, linen sheet spray, directions for cleaning washer, dryer and dishwasher. I also put in some favorite tips, mine and yours. I’ve had very positive responses thus far. Of course.… Read more »
Thanks so much for including our marshmallow shooters in the list! :)
Hi Jillee, I’m living in Eastern Europe and i stumbled across your site, you see the thing is i’m a farmers wife, too houseproud and i love your blog! You make my morning when i read your blog, it helps me wake up at four in the morning when i have to milk cows in the freeeezing cold! Keep up the good work and thanks for all your great advice :) P.s In Bulgaria they make everything out of nothing here and i might just get a new trend going with all your crafty ideas and recipes :D x
Again with the TWINE!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!
Gnashes teeth!!!!! Shakes fist at IKEA web site which failed to provide twine to the string deprived!!!!!!
Looks very cute tho!!!!!!!!!
And the other ideas are very clever!!!!!
Oh dear Jillee, You are such a life saver. I know it’s only the 4th, but the days are going by so fast. I have Altoids to make today and little ribbon German stars to fold tonight. And I’ll make the chocolate spoons in between. Since I’ve found you, I’m now accumulating a nice supply of things to make home made gifts, from my heart….and yours! I see I need to find some clear bags for this one, but I have the pretty butchers twine now. Thanks for taking time to help out so many people. You are a blessing… Read more »
Ohhhh that ever so versatile twine. Great ideas! Like the spoons– I think I’ll use Lindt Chocolate balls–before I eat them all ;-) Guessing the chocolate is soft enough to press a lollipop stick inside, secure with melted chocolate & douse with sprinkles or crushed peppermint (make up your own to Chai spices to sprinkle on a white chocolate version) before the chocolate sets. Love the tissue holder too. I recently bought some Vera Bradley napkins because they were on clearance and now I know what to do with them. How pretty in the purse. Thinking they would be great… Read more »
Lindt! Why didn’t I think of that!?? :-) Great idea CTY!!
I LOVE your blog!!! These are such cute ideas!! And affordable! ;)
My family makes fun of me because most of my sentences start with “From Jill’s blog I made….”, or “I saw on Pinterest today…”
They tease me, but my husband LOVES the body butter I make from your site!!
Awww Antoinette….thank you! It’s been one of “those” days….and this just made it a WHOLE lot better! :-)