Homemade Gifts To Warm The Heart

Every year, I hand make some gifts for a few girlfriends that I have known for many, may years. I wish every year I could buy them awesome, individual gifts, but it is just easier to make them something with some of my time and love.

As you may remember, last year I made these sequin earrings and in 2009, I made this rosemary sea salt. This year, I decided to try a recipe that I have eyed for a few years from Martha Stewart: Peppermint Marshmallows, paired with some Swiss Miss hot chocolate.

Here's what I started with for the hot chocolate:

- 3 boxes of Swiss Miss Classic Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate (it is the best, so why try to make your own?!)
- Glass jars - I bought 3 Four packs (12 total) of the Rajtan from Ikea for $12. I love that they have screw tops too!
- Raffia to tie on the gift tags (already owned)
- Gift Tags (business card sized) I made on Microsoft Publisher

 Here are the gift tags up close:

I used 3 packets of Swiss Miss per jar, although I could have probably fit 4 packets... I just ran out of mix!

And here are the jars after a little embellishment:

Next came time to make the marshmallows, which I had never done before. A word of warning.... read all the comments under Martha's recipe, because I ended up needing some of these tips. I didn't take any in-the-making pictures because I was too worried about making them right, but they came out just as they said they would, so I was happy. So I cut them up and got them ready for packaging.

But here is the finished product, placed in little bags made by, who else? Martha Stewart.

Quite a sweet gift... I just love them! What is left to check off on your holiday to-do list?