Hostess Gift for the Holidays: Homemade Vanilla Extract

The holidays are coming up and that means parties and family dinners are just around the corner. I like to be ready with a few hostess gifts on hand to express my thanks for other's hospitality. Today I am showing you a quick and easy way to make a homemade hostess gift that others will love. Today I am making homemade vanilla extract which is relatively inexpensive and can be dressed up to look AMAZING! Here are four easy steps to a festive hostess gift.

To make vanilla extract you will need one bottle of vodka, two vanilla beans and two 8 oz glass containers. I used SKYY vodka, a mid-grade selection. You can experiment with flavored vodka or used unflavored as I did. I found my containers at the container store but found similar ones from Amazon here.

Split each vanilla bean down the middle with a sharp knife.

Add one sliced bean to each jar.

Fill each jar with 3/4 cup of vodka. You could use a funnel if you have one. Otherwise a spouted cup measure, which I used, works just fine.

Secure the lid and store the jar for a few weeks until the water turns brown; then it is ready to use. I suggest decorating with a festive bow and a cute tag around the top and you are ready for a party with hostess gift in hand.

Happy Holidays!