From: "midwestmom" 

Christmas Cookie Gift Baskets

Hello to everyone!  I am usually a lurker, but I couldn't resist 
sharing my experience from last Christmas.  I made two different 
kinds of gift baskets.  In one I made up about five jars of 
the "cookie in a jar" mixes, put them with the recipes in a basket 
with a couple of dollar store cookie sheets, a wooden spoon and a 
spatula - wrapped it all in cellophane and viola!  For the other, I 
made a few "soup mix in a jar" jars and put them inside a $5 stock 
pot purchased at a dollar store.  Oh I almost forgot, for the single 
people I cut the soup recipes in half and put the mix in a pint 
canning jar, bought a very large mug from the dollar store, nested 
the jar inside the mug and wrapped in cellophane.

These gifts where a HUGE hit.  One recipient still has the jars on 
display in his kitchen.  He says they looked to "cool" to use.  The 
looks on their faces made me swell with pride knowing that I had 
created just the right gift for that person and did it without 
breaking the bank.  Not to mention - no one else gave the same gift.

Just my .02.
Kristy