Homemade Christmas Gifts: Cookies in a Jar

This year for Christmas I had to get creative & do gifts on a major budget.  So I started searching for fun homemade gifts to give our family & friends.  I'll share a few of them with you over the next few days.  But let's start with this one- homemade cookies in a jar.  These always look so pretty & are super easy & cheap to pull together.  Bonus: the cookies that this jar makes taste awesome.  Bonus, bonus: the recipient gets a free jar.  Many of us have extra mason jars, but if not look at a thrift store or garage sales for them.  Jars are easy to come by.  Use left over ribbon & this makes for an very affordable gift.  All I had to buy were a few ingredients.  Here's how to make this fabulous present...
Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup red & green M&M's (change the color to make this for other special occasions or birthdays)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Cocoa Krispies (regular kind work too, I just like the contrast of the chocolate ones)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions
In a one quart widemouthed mason jar add the ingredients in the order listed.  Pack them down after each addition using your knuckles or a spatula.  Screw on the lid & tie a pretty ribbon around it with a tag.  On the tag include the following instructions: "Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream 1/2 cup butter, one teaspoon vanilla, and one egg together in bowl until fluffy.  Add contents of the jar & stir until well blended.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes."

You can make your own tags, or here are some I made that you can use.  These tags are intended to fold in half (which is why some of the pictures are upside down).  You can use the inside to write a little Christmas wish & your name.  I suggest printing them on card or cover stock.


*The first time I posted this the tags had a mistake.  My chief editor caught it ;)  It said to mix the dough in a "lard bowl".  Please don't mix anything in bowls made of lard, I don't want any heart disease on my watch.  I've corrected the tags so you can go ahead & print the updated version that says "large bowl".  Thank you for your cooperation, 10-4.