Tis the season to be cozy.

That means twinkling lights on the tree, puzzles, movies, music and a warm beverage. Chai tea walks the line between coffee and hot chocolate by delivering a bit of a caffeine boost without a lot of sugar.

It’s the perfect gift for coworkers, teachers or anyone who’d enjoy an easy — and delicious — afternoon pick-me-up.

DIY Chai Tea Gift

You’ll need a few things to get started on this recipe by Deliciously Plated, including: loose black tea, cardamon, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, ground cloves, ground allspice, and sugar. If your spice drawer is well-stocked you probably already have all of these on hand! (Scroll down to find the full printable recipe.)

Simply combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour into your mason jar. This recipe makes enough to fill a pint jar or four 4-ounce jelly jars. It will keep four to six weeks at room temperature.

To prepare the tea, use 1-1 ½ tablespoons chai mix (in a tea ball) to 8 ounces of boiling water. Steep for three minutes and enjoy. Add hot milk or honey as desired. 

Mason Jar Gifts for Coworkers or Teachers

You can get creative when assembling this gift, but we like the idea of filling one jelly jar with chai mix and one with honey, then using bakers twine, pretty ribbon and wood buttons to dress the jars up.

Put both jars in a mesh drawstring bag and include accessories such as a tea ball and honey dipper. Finally, don’t forget to put a sticker on the bottom of the jar with instructions on how to prepare the tea.

To make your gift extra special, use JarJackets to “wrap” your Mason jars. Sure, they look cute, but they also protect the glass from bumps and slips. And when the tea is all gone, the jelly jars and JarJackets make the perfect combo for taking soup, pasta or salads to work (JarJackets are dishwasher and microwave safe).

Even better, JarJackets are 100 percent non-toxic and made from earth-friendly materials.

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