Homemade Caramel + Fudge Sauces plus Free Printable Tags

This year for my Mom's birthday I set out to make her a gift that I knew she would love...Homemade Caramel and Chocolate Fudge Sauce. I found a great Simple Caramel Recipe on Savory Sweet Life (she includes helpful step-by-step photos) and followed blogger Maya's recipe for Chocolate Fudge Sauce here. Both turned out deliciously. 

To make the gift presentation complete (and to make for easy refrigerator storage) I poured the sauces into glass canning jars (purchased from our local hardware store). Similar jars can be found online right here. If I had had more time to source materials I probably would have used a completely clear canning jar — simply for aesthetic purposes.

After the sauces chilled overnight I topped them with a fabric circle tied on with pretty twine and some custom made tags. I used a small inverted bowl as the template for my fabric toppers, cut them out, and then trimmed around the circles with pinking shears to give them a decorative edge. The whole gift really came together nicely and has been heartily enjoyed on ice cream and fresh apple slices for the past couple of weeks. Yum!

If you'd like to print out tags to hang on your own jars of Caramel or Chocolate Fudge Sauce, I've made the file available for you to download below.  I've also included a set of blank tags that you can use for topping whatever gifts you'd like (they also make great bookmarks).

• Download the free Decorative Gift Tags
• Download the free Blank Gift Tags

Doesn't this sweet fox by Paulina of Lemmikkiapina look fetching with a modified tag around her neck! To create the tag I simply cut one tag in half and then folded it in the center. I then took a scrap from another tag and punched a starburst circle using a decorative paper punch to layer on top. Next I punched a small hole at the top of both tags using a small 1/8" hole punch by McGill. Lastly I strung a gold bead onto baker's twine and then threaded the beaded twine through the tags and tied the whole thing onto my fox sculpture. Voila! I hope you will have fun being creative with the recipes and freebies from this post. Enjoy! xo Ez

Tip: With Fall just around the corner, you might enjoy a couple more apple themed freebies from previous months.  See them here.

Comments

[Desiree]

I love this! Can you tell me where I can find the box and cute crinkly filler? I am always looking for packaging materials like this. thanks!!!

[mirundap]

Cool

[J Koes]

thanks for the wonderful recipe. i came across your blog while looking for tips on homemade caramel, and i'll try both the caramel and the fudge this weekend.

btw, i was really upset to find haagen dazs which used to be my favourite ice cream brand is among the companies that use milk from cows injected with genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/is-your-favorite-ice-crea_b_686629.html — saw the words "all natural" in the photo you posted, so ironic...

[Lisa]

Thank you for the tags! Really nice!

[mack]

chocklate rain!