Christmas, do-it-yourself gifts: how to creatively pack homemade preserves

A few more weeks and Christmas, whether you like it or not, will arrive in our homes and, like every year, millions of people are already storming the shops of every city in search of the right gift. But in order not to panic and above all not to contribute to increasing the tons of waste of all kinds, which inevitably on the occasion of the great popular and religious festivals, such as the Christmas ones, end up in the landfill, why not decide to make it really eco this Christmas 2011, reducing consumption and consequently waste, trying not to buy and preparing gifts for friends and relatives with our own hands?



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A few more weeks and Christmas, whether you like it or not, will arrive in our homes and, like every year, millions of people are already storming the shops of every city in search of the right gift. But not to panic and above all not to help increase the tons of waste of all kinds, that inevitably on the occasion of the great popular and religious festivals, such as the Christmas ones, they end up in landfills, why not decide to really echo this Christmas, reducing consumption and consequently waste, trying not to buy and preparing gifts for friends and relatives with our own hands?



And what more welcome gift than a jar of homemade preserves? Good, genuine, healthy and above all always appreciated by lovers of home cooking. But precisely because the eye also wants the part of her, that they are of jam or vegetables in oil and vinegar, an idea, to make the glass jars placed in the pantry, is that of pack them by recycling old items you no longer use. So here are some suggestions, to give a special and Christmas look to your precious homemade winter preserves.

What do you need?

Scissors shaped or scalloped, sharp, but even normal ones can be fine.

Ndouble-sided tape.

  • Colored cloth, which you can get recycling old t-shirts, blouses, but also tablecloths, scarves, napkins, etc .. For a refined job you could get some fabric in a contrasting color or in combination with that of the preserve (red for a jar of tomato paste, yellow for one of blackberry jam ), but also vintage fabric or with rhinestones. In short, indulgent with the imagination.
  • items that you are going to give to make your preserves even more special, for example vintage handkerchiefs, napkins, doilies (hand crocheted or knitted).
  • Paper, leftover wallpaper, catalogs, magazines with an image you like, craft paper, old greeting cards, pages from an old discarded recipe book, etc.
  • Fasteners, such as embroidery thread, yarn, colored rubber bands, twine, raffia, long stem of a sturdy plant (such as rosemary), colored fabric ribbons, etc.
  • Decorative elements, cinnamon sticks, dried fruit, paper flowers, etc.

When you have more or less all these elements available, first write on alabel or directly on the lid the name and date of the preservation.



Once this is done, cut a piece of cloth or paper, adjusting to the size, so that once placed on the lid, it comes out at the sides for at least 2cm.

Christmas, do-it-yourself gifts: how to creatively pack homemade preserves

Put a piece of double-sided tape on the lid and, centering it, position the fabric or the card well, pressing to make it adhere perfectly to the lid. Then, gently but firmly, smooth the fabric down on all sides of the jar to create small folds.

Christmas, do-it-yourself gifts: how to creatively pack homemade preserves


Now you need to attach the fabric or paper to the lid. Take the thread you have chosen and twist it around the circumference tightly.

And finally, working with the imagination, at this stage, you could add any object or element that you have thought of using to make the preserves even more special and personal, such as a cinnamon stick, fixed with the wire to the jar, but also some paper flowers or sprigs of spices such as rosemary, chilli, etc.


An original and fanciful idea that will satisfy the palate and the sight of your gourmand friends and relatives.

Gloria Mastrantonio

Read our guide on DIY preserves

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