​The countdown is on! There is less than one week until Christmas! For those of you like me, you have spent plenty of time thinking about what you are going to get people for Christmas, but have yet to make it out to buy all those presents. The life of a college kid, am I right? I have become a master at throwing together last minute Christmas presents that still look good and show that you care enough to put in time and effort. I'm talking about gifts in a jar. Yes, it may be corny, but they are unique and completely customizable to the individual. It also helps that I am a jar hoarder. Any container really. As long as I can turn it into something cute, I wash it out and keep it. Here are some gift in a jar themes that you can put into any jar you can get your hands on:

1. Manscaping Kit: Perfect for guys, a quick manscaping kit is easy to put together. Things like a razor, razor refills, clippers, beard oil, and working man's hand cream go great together for most any guy.
2. Girls Night In Kit: Who doesn't love a girl's night in? Throw some nail polish, candy, and a pocket pack of tissues for those chick flicks, and you've got the perfect night in in one jar.
3. Pampering Kit: Everyone needs a little pampering. Small bottles of hand lotion and body wash, nail files, nail polish, and face masks all make up the perfect mini pampering kit.
4. Sewing Kit: Creating a sewing kit in a jar is an easy fix. Put together a measuring tape, straight pins, sewing needles, and thread in basic colors, and you've got all the elements of a sewing kit. For an added touch, take a mound of stuffing and hot glue it under fabric to the lid of the jar to make a pin cushion.
5. Baked Goods Jar: I'm sure you've seen the pre-made jars of baked good mixes. They are a great way to provide people the chance to easily make desserts that aren't readily available in mixes in the grocery store. You can find dozens of great recipes to put together your own mix.
6. Emergency Chocolate Jar: If you are anything like me, you could always use a bite of chocolate. Any kind of chocolate can be used, which makes this jar so simple. Use several different kinds of chocolate for variety and create a cute "Emergency Chocolate" label for an added touch.
7. Terrarium in a Jar: Cactus's and terrariums are a hot decoration item right now. They are so easy to take care of and easy to put together. Read up on the best way to prepare these plants and put it together in a pretty glass jar with nice looking river rocks. For a bonus, create a cute instructions card that provide the recipient with information on caring for their new plant.
8. College Survival Kit: If they're anything like me, college kids are always loosing small things they need every day. Pencils, pens, erasers, handheld pencil erasers, and the almighty whiteout all come in handy in day-to-day college activities.

My trips to the yarn store have become more frequent now that school is out and I am making Christmas gifts and I have become intrigued by the Christmas yarns . I was inspired by the beautiful swirls of Christmas colors so I bought a couple of skeins. At first, I didn't know what to do with them. I usually don't like to give Christmas themed items for Christmas presents because I like to give gifts people can use year round, not just seasonally. So, after several hours of staring at this ball of yarn, I came up with this cute Christmas Garland pattern. While I may not be giving them as gifts, they will make cute little decorations to spruce up all of my holiday decorating.

Materials:

• H Hook
• 1 Skein Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in Mistletoe
• Scissors

Abbreviations

• St: Stitch
• Sl St: Slip Stitch
• Ch: Chain
• Dc: Double Crochet

Directions:

I'm kicking off my DIY Christmas Season with this cute tabletop Christmas tree. The best part about this DIY decor is that I made it with items from the dollar store and things I had lying around the house! This tabletop Christmas tree is super cute and super simple to put together. Once you're done, you'll have a brand new centerpiece for your Christmas table!

Materials:
3-4 Wire Coat Hangers
2-3 Green Tinsel Garlands
Floral Wire and Wire Cutters
Hot Glue Gun
Optional: Ribbon

Directions:

2. Grab a third wire coat hanger and stick it in the middle of the triangle you just created hook first. Here, you can either add a fourth hager to the other side for a fatter tree, or manipulate the three hangers to have even space between them for a thinner and taller tree like I did.

3. Take the end of the green tinsel garland and hot glue it to the top of the coat hangers.

4. Wrap the tinsel garland around the hangers in a swirling pattern hot gluing the garland to each point on the hanger it touches.

5. When you reach the end of your first tinsel garland, take the beginning of the next tinsel garland and glue the two ends together. Continue to wrap the garland around the hangers gluing it to each spot on the hanger.

6. Your finished product should look something like this! If your tinsel garland comes up short, you can either cut the hangers or you can bend the end under. If you cut the ends, I suggest you put a dab of hot glue on each cut end to keep it from scratching you or your furniture. If your garland ends up being too long, cut the garland where you want it to end and glue it to the best spot available.

7. OPTIONAL: Take a medium sized ribbon and create a bow for the top of your tinsel tree! (I am not great at making bows, but I think this one turned out pretty cute for its purpose)

Now that you're all done, set it somewhere where everyone can see it! 

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. I know I ate way too much! Now that it is December, Christmas season is in full swing and I find my Christmas To Do List piling up. There's gifts to buy, cookies to bake, and let's not mention those dreaded finals... ugh. Once next week is over, and I have my finals behind me, I will be neck deep in Christmas crafts and baked goodies. And I am not ashamed.

As I start planning out my Christmas To Do list, I have had trouble deciding what to do first. This is, by far, my favorite time of the year, so I more than excited to start breaking out the tinsel and egg nog. But, I am so overloaded with DIY Christmas Decorations, making and buying presents, cookies to bake, and movies to watch, that I don't know how I'm going to get it all done! And that my friends, is the exciting part. I am beyond thrilled to be able to focus on things other than school for the first time since probably last Christmas. I will get to work on the projects I want to work on and get a handle on the paperwork I have gotten behind on. 

So, it's time for me to finish these finals, kick back with my egg nog, and watch 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' while I finish my holiday plans. Stay tuned for plenty of Christmas DIY's and awesome handmade ideas that will make great gifts. Here's what you can expect from Beanies & Weenies this holiday season: