This post is part of the 2021 Christmas Planning series. You can find other posts in the series here.

Each Christmas, I have a few close friends that I like to make handmade Christmas gifts. Some years I have more time and get quite creative with what I make and other years it is something much more simple. You can see a range of handmade Christmas gift ideas here – there is a wide range of ideas from macrame pot hangers to DIY Christmas hampers.

This Christmas I am opting for a simple and easy to make Christmas gift. It is also a gift that gives a nod to the longevity of our friendships. As we have known each other since we were teenagers we have been through many stages of life together and one included a lot of partying and sipping of cocktails. I was originally going to make bottled Illusion Cocktails which played a key role in the partying phase but upon tasting felt that this is a little too sweet for our tastes now, so have opted for the Japanese Slipper. With Midori as a key ingredient, it is giving a nod to the Illusion but with not so much of the sweetness.

The very cute bottles I have used, most are repurposed from some bottled cocktails I bought during lockdown for Grand Final and I bought the smaller ones from Pack My Product. I kept the lemon separate to keep the freshness of the cocktail.

I used the Cricut Joy to make the labels opting for black writing to match the lids. I will add an ingredients card so the recipient knows exactly what is in each bottle. One bottle makes two Japenese Slipper cocktails.

What are you making this year as Christmas gifts? Did you also buy bottled cocktails during lockdown?