By Jason and Kodi Wright, authors of Christmas Jars Cookbook – Recipes, Crafts, and Heartwarming Stories from Our Family to Yours
If you’d told us twenty years ago that a jar of spare change would one day lead to a cookbook, we probably would’ve laughed, right after asking if that cookbook came with coupons for takeout.
Back then, we were just a young family with a recycled pickle jar sitting on our kitchen counter. We tossed in change whenever we could and gave it away at Christmas. Simple. Meaningful. Sticky, because someone (Jason!) forgot to rinse out the jar first.
When Jason wrote Christmas Jars in 2005, we hoped a few readers might be inspired to start their own jars. We never imagined that families, classrooms, churches, and entire neighborhoods would join in. But they did. In every state. In more than a dozen countries. Millions of dollars given away. Countless lives transformed — both the givers and the recipients.
The movement inspired a sequel, a feature film, a podcast, and more acts of kindness than we could ever count. And over the years, people kept asking us the same question: “What can we put in the jar besides money?”
That question stuck with us.
So we started dreaming … What if the next generation of Christmas Jars could be filled with something homemade? Something tasty or creative that could spread the same spirit of generosity? Before we knew it, our kitchen had become a test lab for cocoa mixes, soup jars, and more kinds of caramel than we care to admit.
We burned a few things. We spilled a lot. And once, Jason confused baking soda with cornstarch — a rookie mistake that will live in family legend. But we laughed our way through it, and somewhere in the flour cloud, The Christmas Jars Cookbook was born.
Today, we’re thrilled to share it with you!
Our 176-page cookbook features 30 recipes for treats and crafts suitable for all skill levels, plus true stories from the Christmas Jars community that will warm your heart.
And Kodi’s stunning photos? They steal the show!
You’ll find beloved family favorites like Level-up S’mores Cookies and The Less Famous Reindeer Pops. You’ll discover Ginger’s Cream Cookies — a recipe traced all the way back to Kodi’s great-great-grandmother. And you’ll find crafts that even beginners can manage, all designed to be given away rather than kept.
It’s part cookbook, part craft guide, and part reminder that kindness is supposed to be fun. We wanted this to feel like sitting around our kitchen table — snacking, laughing, and making something beautiful together. If the recipes don’t make you LOL, you might need to get your LOL seen by a medical professional.
Here’s the best part: You don’t have to be a chef, crafter, or professional jar decorator to join in. Just start where you are. Grab a jar, some ribbon, a recipe, and bring your generous heart.
The cookbook also includes inspiring stories from people who have given and received Christmas Jars over the past two decades. These stories demonstrate the profound impact of simple acts of generosity. We even included a favorite Christmas Jar memory from Jason, Kodi, and our children — Oakli, Jadi, Kason, and Koleson.
For us, this project represents both a celebration of the movement’s 20th anniversary and an invitation to continue spreading kindness in creative new ways.
We hope this book feels like an invitation — to cook, to create, to laugh at the messes, and to give something from your hands and your heart.
Because after all these years, we still believe what that first little jar taught us: small, simple acts of kindness can change lives — sometimes even your own.
And yes, we promise — this time, the jars are clean.
NEW! Christmas Jars Cookbook: From New York Times bestselling author Jason F. Wright and his family, give the gift of warmth and kindness this holiday season—one jar, one recipe, one story at a time.
Jason F. Wright is New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling author whose novels and over 500 columns have been featured in outlets like The Washington Post, The Deseret News, The Chicago Tribune, Forbes, and CNN.
Kodi Wright is an award-winning photographer with more than twenty years of experience behind the lens. This is Jason and Kodi’s second creative project, blending their talents for storytelling and visual art.
When Jason, Kodi, and their children gave away their first Christmas Jar as a family kindness experiment in 2004, it sparked a tradition that changed their lives forever.
