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Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Regardless, I only link to products we use on our homestead or believe in.
Homemade spice mixes and herb blends are much cheaper than store bought versions. Plus, you know exactly what’s in them and what isn’t.
Are you looking for an easy, budget-friendly gift idea that you can make yourself?
Making your own herb and spice blends only takes a few minutes and they make great gifts.
Presented in a spice jar with a printed label and tied with a bow, they are as pretty as they are useful!
Resources for Homemade Spice Mixes and Herb Blends
Glass herb and spice storage jars with lids and shakers.
Kraft card stock paper for labels
Red and white Baker’s twine for tying on the labels
Click Here for your FREE Printable Tags
These are perfect to pair with homemade marinated cheese balls or making herb farm cheese or chevre logs for holiday gifts and eating. Find out how to make your own Homemade Farmers Cheese at Home (or Chevre) for FREE in this cheese making class online this Thursday December 14, 2017.
Grab your seat–> How To Make Homemade Farmer’s Cheese
Where to get your spices and herbs
We grow and dry some of our own herbs here on our homestead. While it’s too late right now if you haven’t done this already, I highly recommend you plan on putting in some herbs this year. They require little growing space and are an excellent way to begin growing your own food.
Purchasing in bulk has always proved to be cheaper for us. You can check the bulk food section at your local co-ops and even Fred Meyer’s Health Food Section has a bulk spice and herb area.
However, they don’t carry all the spices or herbs and I’ve found some of the best prices available from Amazon. I prefer the Frontier brand as they have quality and many organic choices as well. Here’s the bulk herb and spice section if you can’t find it locally or want to price check (always smart!)
In fact I have 5 spice mix recipes in the over 100 recipes in my new book Hand Made: the Modern Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living, plus custom spice and herb labels, including culinary and medicinal use.
Psst, did I mention the 3 bonus teaching videos you get with it on how to make homemade doughnuts, sourdough starter and more, check it out here.
How to make Homemade Spice Mixes and Herb Blends
Here are four of my favorite blends for gift-giving, with printable labels so you can whip them up and wrap them up in no time.
I printed the labels on craft paper for a more rustic look, but they would be just as pretty printed on white card stock and tied with red or green ribbon.
To make things easy on the budget, purchase your herbs and spices in bulk, and look for spice jars at thrift stores.
Each mix makes enough for about 2- 3 spice jars, depending on their size. The recipes are easily doubled if you want to make a larger batch. For the herbs, you will want to use the leaves, not the powdered varieties.
Homemade Spice Mix Recipes
Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 cup basil
- 2 Tbsp thyme
- 2 Tbsp marjoram
- 2 Tbsp rosemary
- 2 Tbsp oregano
Ranch Dip Mix
- 1/3 cup parsley
- 6 tsp dill
- 4 tsp chives
- 4 tsp onion powder
- 4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp salt
Taco Seasoning
- 1/4 cup chilli powder
- 8 tsp cumin
- 3 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp granulated garlic
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Bouquet Garni
- 2 Tbsp summer savory
- 2 Tbsp basil
- 2 Tbsp sage
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 1 Tbsp marjoram
- 1 Tbsp rosemary
- 1 Tbsp thyme
- 1 Tbsp dill
Directions for all mixes:
- Combine all of the herbs and/or spices in a bowl
- Transfer the mix into a jar. A funnel can be helpful!
- Close the jar, tie on a tag, and it’s ready to go!
What are some of your go-to handmade gifts for the holidays? Have you ever made spice mixes for gift-giving?
P.S. Today was a guest post by Andrea and if you’re looking for some new crochet patterns, check out her Etsy shop.
About the Author
Andrea is an artisan and teacher trying to live a handmade and homemade lifestyle with her husband in Eastern Canada. She is passionate about growing her own food, cooking healthy meals, using herbs for healing, nurturing creativity, and finding joy and blessings in the every-day moments of life. She writes about all of this, plus her adventures in sewing, crafting, and pattern design at http://www.artisaninthewoods.com/
