Neighbor gifts are one of my favorite things to do this time of year. It involves my love for baking and gifting. I’ve always been meaning to make some homemade vanilla extract, I have friends that swear by it! I think it would make a really special neighbor gift.
Keep reading to see how to make vanilla extract (you’ll never believe how easy it is), and also how to make the mini felt bow too!
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This post is sponsored by Safeway stores-Safeway, Dominicks, Tom Thumb, Vons, Randalls. Tastier for the holidays!
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Ingredients for Homemade Vanilla Extract:
3 vanilla beans per jar
1 cup of vodka
Pretty jar and lid (I bought a case of them here for under $1.29 each)
Labels (buy these label sheets here
Instructions:
1. Cut vanilla beans in half lengthwise to reveal the beans inside
2. Place inside a clean jar
3. Fill up carefully with about a cup of vodka (you may have to use a funnel, and have a towel handy). Now it just needs to sit for at least two months in a cool, dark place (like a cupboard) before using it. Once it gets down to about 1/4 full, you can add more vodka and let is site again for 6-8 weeks. You can continue doing that a couple more times but I haven’t gotten that far yet!
4. Print out labels. I stamped ‘vanilla extract’ on them but you can also write on them if you have pretty handwriting (which I do not).
5. Stick labels on jar and be sure to put a small label on the back indicating to wait at least 2 months to use it.
Now to make the cute little felt bow…
Steps: Cut out strips as shown in the first image. Hot glue the big piece together to make a loop. Place the long piece on the back in the middle. The medium piece will be wrapped around the hot glued together. Trim and tie around your bottle.