Edit in JSFiddle

$(function(){
    $('.target').append('<div class="element well">.element</div>')
        .css('background-color', 'yellow'); // yellow collor added to .target
    
    $('<div class="element2 well">.element2</div>').appendTo('.target2')
        .css('background-color', 'yellow'); // yellow collor added to .element2
});

<div class="well target">
    <span class="label label-info">.append() example</span> .target
</div>


<div class="well target2">
    <span class="label label-info">.appendTo() example</span> .target2
</div>