Give Christmas presents that come from the heart. I buy stemmed glasses at the lowest price possible, figuring one set of 4 for each present. Next, I get 4 boxes of SureJell, a package of wax, and 4 bottles of 100% juice without sugar. I choose juices of different colors: white grape juice, apple juice, pomegranate juice, and regular grape juice.
Following the directions on the SureJell box, I make a batch of jelly using each of the different juices, so that there are four glasses with four different colors of homemade jelly. I melt the wax and pour on top of the jelly about 1/4 inch in thickness to seal the glass. Then I slip the glasses back into the boxes they came in. Each set of four makes an excellent present.
In the event you want to use single glasses as gifts, just put a red or green ribbon around the stem, and either make a bow, or fasten a small decoration to the ribbon.
Source: I figured this out myself one year when I was very short on cash and had three bosses to buy gifts for.
By Clynn Altemus from Inglis, FL
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This is a good idea and probably a beautiful gift but wax sealing for canning is no longer suggested. There are potential problems of edges becoming unsealed, air bubbles, getting dislodged, etc. that allow the "bad stuff" to grow in your preserves.
A nice set of jelly jars with sealed lids (jelly just needs a water bath) would look equally nice in a box or basket. If you give to the same people every year, you could even include a note asking for the jars and rings back to be refilled for the next year. Most people are so grateful to get "homemade" that they are happy to return them to you.
If you want to make the jars fancier, just tie a cute fabric circle or square over the lid and ring before putting in a box. Be sure to label the jar lid (since it can't be reused) with the type of jelly, year/date made, and your name or greeting for the recipient's use. That way you never have to try to remove labels from the jars.
I was just going to ask about the wax part. Sounds like an awesome idea. I am going to try it this year and we shall see. Thank you. Michelle in PA
This is a wonderful idea! The dollar store sells these glasses, so I could make a gift for an entire family for around $10. This helps my creative juices gear up for a slim Christmas! Thank you!
Years ago when I was in Homemaking class we made candles at Christmas. We used a hand turned beater to whip the wax to give it frothy look. An old hand mixer or a cheap one would probably work. If you put a layer of smooth wax on the jelly first, making sure the wax is completely sealed, then a whipped layer next (to look look whipped cream).
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