What Are Some Chocolate-Themed Crafts and Gifts?

Anyone with a chocolate sweet tooth will be delighted to receive a gift that is chocolate themed. It doesn’t even need to be edible to pull at someone’s chocolate heartstrings. Sure, there are a lot of premade chocolate-filled baskets, towers and hot cocoa sets popular around holiday time, but those are not unique and custom made for the one you wish to impress. With a little time and a few supplies and ingredients, you can have fun making chocolate themed gifts and crafts.

There are endless images that people generously share on the internet that show off their creativity and resourcefulness. This includes chocolate inspired gifts such as chocolate flower arrangement, jarred cookie mixes, and customized chocolate bars. In addition to consumable gifts, there are suggestions such as chocolate inspired t-shirts, mugs and even body scrub. Several of these ideas will be presented in this post to encourage your next project or gift.

One of the traditions we have in our family is to follow our Thanksgiving feast with an afternoon of crafting and gift making for the upcoming Christmas season. Each of us presents the ideas and materials to complete a project and then we make the item. In many cases, we are so impressed with the gift idea, that we keep it for ourselves. This is particularly the case for me when chocolate is involved. Over the years, I have collected several clever ideas and am delighted when someone shares their take on a chocolate related gift or craft.

‍

What Are Some Chocolate-Themed Edible Gifts I Can Make?

There is no doubt that people enjoy receiving a plate of homemade goodies as part of a celebration. Tasty as they are, you can step it up a notch by making unique gifts that will amaze the chocolate lovers in your life. Whether you make hot fudge sauce from scratch, or repurpose premade chocolate products, you will score with some of the following ideas:

• Whip up some chocolate hazelnut spread: This popular spread can be made by processing hazelnuts, powdered sugar, oil and cocoa together for a quick and delicious gift.
• Nips & Nibs: For the discerning adult on your list, pair a small container of chocolate covered chocolate nibs with an assortment of tiny liquors (nips).
• Make a Hawaiian Lei: A Lei made out of small wrapped chocolates such as Lindt truffles will delight any age. Grab your favorite flavors and some curling ribbon to make a colorful garland.
• Make an edible Scrabble set: It’s easy to find a silicone alphabet chocolate mold at your local craft store or on the internet. Melt some chocolate wafers and gift someone a box of chocolate letters to spell words and messages before making them disappear.
• Bottle varieties of cocoa: It’s not unusual to see a gift basket of hot cocoa for sale, especially in the winter. But a variety of unsweetened or baking cocoas can be a great gift for the baker on your list. Fill interesting bottles with different cocoas such as dutched, brown, dark and black.
• Dip and embellish spoons: Using metal spoons from the dollar store or disposable plastic spoons, you can coat each spoon with melted chocolate and top with various crushed nuts, peppermint, or caramel. Gift them to your coffee and hot cocoa loving people.
• Make a chocolate flower arrangement: With a couple of plastic chocolate molds, some melting chocolate, and a few lollipop sticks, you have everything you need to start making an assortment of chocolate flowers. Finish the bouquet off by placing them in a vase or stick them in a small pot with a Styrofoam block.
• Make a chocolate sundae: The flower arrangement doesn’t quite fit your needs? Use a sundae dish, a piece of floral foam and a bunch of bite-sized wrapped chocolates to create a candy bar sundae cup.
• Send personal hugs and kisses: Purchase Hershey Hugs and Kisses and personalize them by printing ¾” photo stickers or messages and placing them on the bottom of the chocolates.  
• Jar some hot fudge sauce: Use your favorite recipe to share the joy of made-from-scratch chocolate sauce. Be sure to include a label and refrigeration instructions if needed.
• Make a giant Kiss: Occasionally, you can find a larger than usual Hershey Kiss on the store shelves but did you realize you can make your own customized Kiss? Use a circular funnel as your mold. Plug the tip of the funnel with plastic wrap. Pour melted chocolate into the funnel and let it cool upright in the fridge. Meanwhile, create your message on the “tale” which can be made from white tissue paper or computer paper. Wrap in foil.
• Collect an assortment of bars from your travels: If you are lucky enough to travel away from home, it’s fun to discover new brands and flavors of chocolate bars. Collect them and then present them as a gift. (See article on traveling with chocolate)
• Mason Jar mixes: This is a gift idea that continues to be popular. There are oodles of ideas on the internet where you can collect and layer the ingredients in a quart-sized jar, along with an accompanying tag with directions, to make cookies and brownies. You can also gift homemade cocoa ingredients as well as chocolate pudding mixes.
• DIY chocolate bar: Provide the ingredients and equipment for your benefactor to make his own bar. Fill a basket with melting chocolate, dried fruit, chopped nuts, crushed candies, and various sprinkles. Add a silicone mold and some clear bags to store the finished products.

What Are Some Chocolate-Themed Crafts I Can Make?

If crafting suits your personality, there are tons of ways you can incorporate chocolate into creations. Just as edible gifts, handcrafted items show your willingness to take the time and effort in your gift-giving.

• Make a chocolate cookbook: A cookbook filled with your favorite chocolate recipes that is. You can word process and insert photos, hand write on recipe cards and tie them in a bow, or work with an online publishing company to preserve and share your chocolate secrets.
• Design your own candy wrapper: Buy your favorite bar but then personalize it for the occasion. There are online templates you can use, or you can create it from scratch. Even kids can draw a picture on a blank wrapper.
• Create some chocolate bean jewelry: If you can get your hands on a few cocoa beans, you can make a lovely pendant or pair of earrings that feature a dangling chocolate bean. The beans can be decorated with paint or a Sharpie pen.
• Mix up some chocolate body scrub: Body scrubs act as an exfoliator, stimulating the skin. You can make a scrub from common kitchen ingredients such as sugars, oil, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Place in a jar and finish with a bow.
• Design a t-shirt: With the popularity of letter-cutting machines, you can make a customized t-shirt with just the right chocolate mantra written across it. Iron-on computer transfer paper also makes it easy to create the perfect shirt for your chocolate lover.
• Produce a chocolate scented candle or bar of soap: starting with melted wax or soap block, add chocolate fragrance oil and color to create a fragrant product.

Sometimes there just isn’t enough time or energy to make a gift from home. Perhaps you have the time but lack the equipment or the talent. Or maybe, there’s this real cool idea (like a gift certificate for a chocolate tour) that is the perfect present for your loved one. If that’s the case, feel no guilt as you match the idea with the person you have in mind.

What Are Some Chocolate-Themed Crafts I Can Purchase for Chocolate Lovers?

• Infrared or Thermapen thermometer: Probably one of the most thoughtful gifts for someone who tempers chocolate, either thermometer has its merits and will be warmly welcomed.
• Chocolate scented candle: Although you can make them yourself, you might choose to purchase one from any of the major candle companies. One major company offers a scent called, “Chocolate Layer Cake”.
• Apron: With so many novelty fabrics available, this can be a homemade gift as well. However, there are a lot of lovely and clever aprons available for purchase.
• Chocolate perfume: Who knew? More than just a chocolate aroma, many of the top cocoa inspired perfumes are a sophisticated formula of complimentary fragrances.
• Subscription: As with many food items, regular subscriptions for chocolate are offered by several companies. They range from bars to bonbons, to drinking chocolate.
• Chocolate tea & coffee collections: You can find an array of choices that pair coffee and chocolate or tea and chocolate. Red Velvet Chocolate or Coconut Chocolate tea anyone?
• Edible chocolate candles: Available through Amazon and other sites, these dark chocolate candles can be lit and consumed (except the wick).
•  Chocolate band aids for boo boos: It’s more a novelty but the perfect gift for someone in the medical field.
• Chocolate coloring book: Available for all ages, this gift is sure to make a mouth-watering coloring experience.
• An in-person or virtual class: Available at local colleges, continuing education programs, or via the internet a gift certificate for a chocolate class will sure to be well-received.

Whether you design a gift yourself, borrow someone else’s idea, or purchase a chocolate related gift from a business, someone is going to be pleased to receive a thoughtful chocolate related gift. Who knows-you might even find a gift for yourself.

‍