This week is Teacher Appreciation week and Mother’s Day on Sunday  I recently shared a fun homemade gift idea over at Skip to My Lou that could work for either event.

Nothing says “appreciation” or “I love you” like a cupcake!!…….no wait, maybe that’s my hips! lol  ,  I’m pretty sure teachers and moms appreciate cupcakes too- it’s in the handbook, right next to apples and kisses. So I though, why not apple cupcakes!!

What you need for the cupcakes and frosting

• Duncan Hines Apple Caramel Cake mix, follow directions right on the box for making cupcakes. (You can either spray your pans and bake with out liners, or remove liners later .)
• Cinnamon Butter Cream (recipe below)

Cinnamon Buttercream

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons whipping cream (you can you milk, I just like whipping cream)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste (you can use vanilla extract, I just like fleck of vanilla in my frosting)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1. In a large bowl, beat butter, milk and vanilla on medium low until smooth and combined (about 1-2 min), scrapping sides of bowl as necessary.
2. Add cinnamon, then slowly add powdered sugar one cup at a time on low until combined, scrape sides of bowl.
3. Increase speed to medium, and beat for 1 min.
4. Add corn syrup and beat on med high for about 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium high and beat for about 1 minute.

Cupcakes in a jar would actually, make a great gift for , Mother’s Day, Secretaries Day  Graduations, Birthdays….just about anyone or any occasion.  I actually gave one to my daughter’s friend “just because” and she was in HEAVEN!   The joy of having a fork handy, ready to dig into a jar full of 3 layers of cupcakes and frosting!…What’s NOT to love?!

Homemade Gift Idea

Apple Caramel cupcakes in a jar are super easy and are sure to be all the envy in the teacher’s lounge.

Cupcakes in a Jar

What you need:

• 1 pint jar
• 3 Apple Caramel cupcakes (only 2 shown in picture, but you will need 3)
• Cinnamon Buttercream
• 16″ disposable icing bag and large french tip
• 7/8″ grosgrain ribbon
• curly ribbon
• plastic fork
• 4.5″ square of fabric
• hot glue
• foam adhesive dots
• 2″ scalloped punch
• FREE Teacher Appreciation Thank You Printable (thank you Cindy!) or FREE Mother’s Day Printable from The TomKat Studio

Lets get started:

start with dropping one cupcake inside the jar, then using your icing bag and tip, squeeze buttercream on top of cupcake………repeat until you have 3 layers. * I sprinkled a little cinnamon and sugar on the last layer of buttercream.

Now your ready to make it all look pretty!

• add the fabric to the lid
• wrap grosgrain ribbon around jar, and glue with hot glue
• punch out free printable Thank You tag, and attach to ribbon with foam adhesive dots.
• tie fork on with curly ribbon

That’s it ! You’re all set!

More Handmade Gift Ideas

Homemade Sugar Scrub

Monogramed Stenciled Canvas Bag

Mod Podge Frames

Etched Glass Bowl

These tasty cupcakes are just as good one by one the old fashioned way too! {wink}

So let’s hear it……do you have some great  handmade gift ideas?  Tell me about them in the comments or on the TidyMom Facebook page!

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