When it comes to decorating the home, finding an object to use for storage of items, food or creating a useful gadget mason jars seem to take the cake. These nifty little jars are perfect for everything, and have a use for just about anything. If you can dream it, mason jars can likely play a part in it.
With the rustic trend making its way through home design and weddings, it seems only fair that mason jars are incorporated. Originally created and used to can and preserve food, jars of all sizes were manufactured and sold starting in the early 1800s. Will Ball and Kerr brands dominating the market, were sure youve got an extra jar or two hanging around.
Check out twenty five of our favorite ways to repurpose some of those old mason jars into a decorative or useful piece that youll love forever more.
1. DIY Jar-Shaped Candle
Now, this unique piece ends up looking like a vintage candle found at a little antique shop and offers up a great alternative to its glass counterpart. Use the glass jar as a mold for creating a mason jar shaped candle complete with all of the text and embossed detailing that you would receive on the jar itself. [Learn How]
2. Cuppow Drink Lid
If you love your mason jar so much, that you want to have it with you at all times on the go, the cuppow lids might be your new best friend. These just attach onto the top and provide an easy sip spout to enjoy your favorite beverage anywhere. Cuppows come in a variety of colors to organize within your household, too!
3. Kitchen Organization
Creating a uniform storage solution could be the solution to everything, or create a whole new onslaught of OCD for others. With all of the variety in size of mason jars, you can store all of your dried goods along with spices, nuts, tea, and more in order to get the pantry situated just like youve always dreamed of.
4. Gifts in a Mason Jar
Instead of buying bags, boxes, and other toss-away wrappings this holiday season, give your friends and loved ones the opportunity to get a gift with wrapping that theyll use again and again. Get well gifts, teacher appreciation, hostess gifts; whatever the occasion, mason jars fit the bill.
5. DIY Room Scents
Air fresheners that are store bought dont often have the most natural scent and just fall flat to the floor once sprayed, or contain harmful ingredients. If you want to be proactive and create the ultimate signature smell for your home, just grab a mason jar, citrus, herbs, extracts, water and a saucepan. [Tutorial]
6. Mason Jar Speakers
If music is your thing, but having a state-of-the-art sound system isnt really within your budget, then having a pair of funky rustic chic mason jar speakers could be the thing that sets your home or work space apart. With quart sized jars up cycled and ready to plug in with whatever device youve got, get ready for a sonic treat with the acoustics of glass enhanced audio.
7. Matchstick holder with strike-on lid
Matches arent always the most practical option for lighting fires and candles with the hand held operatives of today, but the good old match stick can still provide to be a pretty (and functional) option for display, houseguests and practical to have on hand in case of emergency. What better to pair with your match sticks than something to strike them on? Seeing as mason jars have two piece lids, just attach a piece of sand paper to the inner lid and strike away! The best part about this is that the striking surface can be replaced time and time again for unlimited use.
8. DIY Lamp from a mason jar
Finding the absolute-perfect table lamp is always a feat in itself. If youre on the hunt for that perfect trendy rustic piece, look no further than your tools, local hardware store and to a vintage shop or local Target for a shade that you fancy. Grab a mason jar, tools and all of the instructions youll need (here) to create a gem that really makes a statement on your side or console table at home. This could also be the perfect thoughtful gift for someone around the holidays, too. [Tutorial]
9. Floating Tealight Holder
This one is so simple instead of going out and purchasing votive holders specific to floating candles, just snag up your collection of Ball and Kerr jars to layer with a romantic floating scene. Add jewels, interesting rocks or decorative beads to the bottom for some interest, or even add some food coloring to the water for a slight colorful tint to match your event or overall scheme of a space.
10. Holdster Leather cozy
Lets face it. Men arent the major supporters of all things mason jars. But were thinking that this masculine leather Holdster can change that train of thought, even just a little. There are four different models of what are essentially leather cozys to create a more comfortable hold for everyday drinking use. Sip on coffee, sweet tea, or a mixed adult beverage of your choosing. Secure it up and take it on the road without any spills or worries of storage with this pretty piece.
11. DIY Glitter Dip
Life is just better with a little bit of sparkle in it. Infuse your next event or daily life with a glittery mason jar to add a touch of glam, rock or femininity to anything. Storage for makeup brushes? A vase for a bridal or baby shower? Office supply or craft storage? Even glitter storage? You name it, theres always a use for a little bit of glitz and glam. [Tutorial]
12. DIY Oil Lamp
An oil lamp can come in handy (along with those matches!) in the event of an emergency. Or if you like the longer burning, super scented candle alternate oil lamps are a great solution and their refillable nature makes for a customizable experience. No more excess candle jars to figure out uses for, and they look extra cool, too. Leave the glass exposed to show the interior off, or wrap and cover your mason jar for a personalized look. [Learn How]
13. Mason Jar Ceiling Suspended Lanterns
Sometimes, just one mason jar wont cut it for the visual impact that youre looking to make. If youre in need of a wow factor light fixture and want to go a more DIY route, than take a more interesting approach by gathering a whole slew of jars, wood, string lights and a drill. [Tutorial]
14. Prep salads for on the go eats
Perparing for success can mean a whole slew of things. When it comes to food and the ease of getting in a healthy meal under an on the go or stressful schedule, nothing works better than some great preparation. If you love your salads as much as your morning coffee, youll know that packing up a salad for travel can mean soggy contents or a million little containers to combine all of your ingredients later. Creating a salad in a jar is easy as pie when you load it up with the heaviest contents at the bottom and lettuce at the top. When youre ready to eat, just shake it up and dig in!
15. BNTO
Improvise with your own southern version of a bento box. If youre following our number 14 tip, you can order this Bnto attachment to add onto any mason jar, and voila! Youve got the perfect snack or dressing holder that leaves your food fresh and items separate until theyre ready to use.
16. DIY Wine Glasses
This one is as easy as getting some dollar store candle sticks, strong hold glue and sticking them to the base of a few mason jars to spruce up any occasion.
17. DIY Mason Jar Canister
If youre always looking for another way to store and display goods in your kitchen it can pay to create some canisters for less than it would cost to purchase fancy counterparts at a department store. From cookies to scones, dry beans, sugar, flour you name it, a mason jar can store it. Spray paint the top of any mason jar that you have on hand, and use fun and fancy knobs of your choosing to create that canister look and feel. [Tutorial]
18. Create a cocktail garden
Obviously, herbs and spices are the basis for so many dishes and drinks, and if you can create recipes with fresh ingredients its even better. Attach jars to a single stretch of wood and plant your most used herbs for the ultimate cocktail garden. [Learn How]
19. DIY Soap dispenser
Everyone washes their hands. If you want your DIY to be in a place where everyone can appreciate it then this is the craft for you. Its an easy alteration to a mason jar, just grab your favorite soap and a pump of choice to begin modifying for your new favorite bathroom accessory. [Tutorial]
20. Painted Decorative Vases
Vases can get pricey, and not to mention whenever youre shopping for something specific it never seems to exist. We can combat both of those woes by painting mason jars from the inside out to achieve the perfect hue desired. Just purchase your favorite shade of paint, put enough in the jar to coat the whole interior and let it dry upside down to let any excess drip out. Go metallic, distressed, bold whatever you feel like in the moment. [Learn How]
21. Mason Shaker
A country cocktail just wouldnt be quite right if it wasnt all shook up in the proper shaker. Cuppow has got a shaker that rivals all others. It comes with four pieces (jar included!) and even comes packaged with a barn-like theme. Makes for a cool wedding gift or themed hostess gift.
22. Tinted Mason Jars
Similar to painting jars, tinting is just a soft and subtle way to make the jars decorative within their own right, by adding a light hue with some mod podge and food coloring to start. [Tutorial]
23. DIY Firefly Jar
Now this one may not serve as much other than a fun DIY project with kiddos or for a fun night out camping with a fun glowing accessory but its a fun look and makes for a great time. Glow paint, water and a paintbrush are all you need to make these jars a fun and interesting topic time and time again. [Tutorial]
24. Garage Storage For small items
Magnetic metal sheeting and magnets applied to the tops of each jar are the perfect way to store small items for art hanging. Nails, hooks, thin wire, and all kinds of little one-off pieces that can easily get lost in the shuffle of ins, outs, large items and daily life really help to keep an area organized and in tact without a whole lot of necessary involvement.
25. DIY Candle Holders
There is probably an infinite number of ways to incorporate mason jars as candle holders. As long as youve got plenty of extra jars available, you can change the design and feel of the holder to accommodate any situation. Decorative ribbon, chalk paint, colorful stones for anchoring, or even incorporating any sort of the tips listed above can really help you to customize candle holders that will display well in any room.
