Cupcakes …In A Jar…In A Box

I have been seeing the cupcakes in a jar all over blogland.  Such a genius idea!  I made some for Christmas gifts this year but they make such a good gift for any occasion…So I thought I would share this idea I did for a Valentines version.

First you will need jars.  These are my favorite jars for this project and seem to be the perfect fit for cupcakes.  You can find them at Wal Mart, the grocery store or hardware stores.

I cheated and used a box mix! Shocker!  But a little note here.  I did darker cakes at Christmas (Red Velvet & Chocolate) and now after making the lighter cake, I can say I think the darker mix is better for this project because you can see the browned edges more on the lighter cakes…does that make sense?  Or maybe I just burned my cupcake and need to learn how to bake.You just bake cupcakes as usual and then peel the wrapper off.  (If you are making the single cupcake smaller jar version, you can bake your cupcake right in the jar.  But I have not personally tried this.) Just smoosh your cupcake down in the jar.  don’t be afraid to smoosh it, sometimes it need some force.

 

Frost your cupcake as you normally would right in the jar.  If you are doing the larger jar, you put one cupcake in…put a layer of frosting…smoosh another cupcake on top…top with more frosting.  I used a ziploc bag for the frosting to make it easier to get down in the jar.

I like attaching a spoon to each jar.  This is not a must, but I think it looks cute.  I got these adorable wooden ones HERE. They come in a pack of 100, but I have had them for a while and have found many uses for them.  I think Amazon sells them in smaller quantities.

I attached a little label to the top and tied the spoon on with a ribbon.

I also decided to make some of the jars with fabric toppers for a more retro look.

They are so cute on their own and make the perfect gift…but I wanted to go a step further and put them in a little box.  I found these boxes at the $ spot in Target.  Not sure why they were called “mailboxes”?

I tied a ribbon around the box and added a CUTE little owl (I randomly found the owl in the floral department at Kroger)  But you can decorate your box however you want…that’s the fun part!

Put all your jars in your box.

I made this little tag to put inside the box.  I have yet find a clear answer on the expiration time for the jars.  I have read about people shipping them in the mail to soldiers overseas and it taking a long time but they still arrived fresh (GREAT IDEA – wish I would have known about this when my sweetie was stationed overseas!)  To be safe I just put a use or freeze by date of 1 week after I make them.  Although I think they may last longer.

These would be such a good Birthday gift to ship to someone in the mail!!!  If you are looking for more info on shipping them check THIS out.  For more info or inspiration click HERE or HERE.

Happy Valentines!

 Coming up next:  A wreath for EVERY season!