Make Old Items New

• Turn a used container into a hot cocoa mix gift box. Some ideas for cocoa containers include empty plastic powdered drink mix containers, cardboard oatmeal canisters, coffee cans or an empty glass jar with a secure lid (such as a pickle jar). Before adding the cocoa, ensure that the container is empty, remove any labels, wash it thoroughly with soap and hot water, and dry it with a lint-free towel. Create a decorative label for your mix and glue it to the container's outside or decorate glass jars with markers meant for writing on glass surfaces. If desired, you can decorate the container with colorful elements; for example, consider attaching a candy cane to a peppermint hot cocoa mix.
  
  

Think Outside the Bag

• Use a plain paper bag to create unique hot cocoa mix packaging. Paper bags come in all colors, from brown to white to green. Some bags even have clear windows in the front that allow you to see the item inside. Fill the bag about half-full with hot cocoa mix, then fold its top down. Print a decorative label and attach it to the bag's front. Use a hole punch to punch a round hole in the center of the fold, then string a colorful ribbon through, tying it at the top. Wrapping a strip of colorful fabric vertically around the bag's center can also be a pretty embellishment.
  
  

Brighten Up Plain Cellophane

• Fill a clear cellophane bag with your homemade hot cocoa mix, then glue on a decorative label. Use a decorative ribbon that matches the label to tie a bow around the mix. Optionally, you can also stick the bag of cocoa inside a pretty mug as a gift container. Another idea is to use stickers that coordinate with a winter or holiday theme to decorate the cellophane bag.
  
  

What's Hot Cocoa Without Marshmallows?

• Consider making a batch of homemade marshmallows and packaging them in a food-grade gift box. Set some of your hot cocoa mix into another, smaller food-grade gift box, and stack the two together; tie a coordinating ribbon around the boxes to keep them together. Make a bow at the top. Optionally, make a homemade label to glue onto the box's front. Coordinate flavored marshmallows with hot cocoa mix flavors; for example, pair raspberry-flavored marshmallows with raspberry cocoa and peppermint-flavored marshmallows for mint cocoa.
  
  

An Attachment to Chocolate

• Add an element of creativity to homemade hot cocoa mix by embellishing the container or bag with attachments. A miniature metal whisk is a great idea for stirring the hot cocoa mix; tie the whisk to the container with matching ribbon. Dip the straight end of a large candy cane in melted chocolate and let it dry, then gift the dipped candy cane along with the hot cocoa for use as a yummy stirrer. Some stores sell hot chocolate toppers, such as chocolate sprinkles, cinnamon and shaved chocolate, which also make nice accompaniments.