Winter Crafts 2: Mason Jars Craft Ideas

Wow! It is amazing how many things one can make with old jars! Working with jars is a fun activity you can perform with younger or older children or by yourself. We have chosen here a variety of ideas: plantations, pencil holders, candle holders, decorative, and even how to remove labels from your old jars chemical-free way. Enjoy crafting!







We have gone through several crafts websites and Pinterest accounts and selected what we thought are amazing ideas visually and in terms of usage. Now to include as many as possible of these, we opted to post the picture of the end product, a small description and the link to where you can find it. Some might even just look at the picture and get inspired to do it without instructions. the ideas speak for themselves sometimes. (If you need the detailed instructions, click on the name of the source after "Courtesy of..").


First let's start with this amazing trick to remove labels from old jars, courtesy of The Creek Line House: 



1- Soak jars in hot soapy water sink to clean them and help remove the surface paper off of them.



2- Make a paste of equal parts of baking soda and oil. Let stand for a few minutes.





3- Wipe the paste away with a clean cloth. The gluey parts stuck on the jars will go away with the paste.



4- If you have a tough jar with glue still stuck, instead of the cloth use the dishes scrubby sponge.

The best thing is that there are no chemicals or strong smells in this methods!







Now, let's go over some jar crafting ideas:






1- Pencil Holders:
Great idea if you are into writing, painting, crafts or arts, and have many pencils, colored pens, brushes, and other tools. You can even use the same idea for kitchen utensils of practically anything that can stand in the jars. Courtesy of Crafts by Amanda.





2- Homemade Flower Vases:
How nice it is to separate flowers you receive on certain occasions in different jars around the living room and kitchen counter tops! This method is good for using varying sizes as you wish for each flower bunch or location. You have the freedom to tailor your vase according to your own taste, color theme and garnish with special items that have memories to you like old lace or buttons. Courtesy of Good Housekeeping.








3- Plantation Jar:
You like small plants? This is just the idea for you. You can use it for decorative plants or herbs. These jars will look awesome on the kitchen windowsill, garden table or gift for occasions. Courtesy of Rae's Little Garden.















For a similar herb planter idea, check Chick Advisor.













4- Butterfly Terrarium:
This is a good project to do for a girl's room and easy enough to involve the younger girls in. You can use it for any other items you have besides the butterflies once you get the hangs of it. It also makes a nice DIY gift in birthday parties for young girls or to decorate tables in home parties. Courtesy of 6th Street Design School.












5- Picture Frame Jar:
This is as easy as it looks. Fill up th ejar with olive oil and insert the picture. Courtesy of Dolled Up.











6- Snow Globe:
You know these nice globes where you have a snowman or anything else when you shake snow or glitter moves around... You can make them with a jar, gluing any object you like on the lid, filling the jar with liquid and glitter, closing it and inverting it on the table. Courtesy of Equally Wed.




7- Finally, here is a Pinterest account that has a huge collection of ideas on mason jars crafts. Check it out: Country Chic Cottage.



Jar crafting is a really creative and relatively easy field and the ideas are basically endless. We hope you enjoyed our selection and would give it a try!


Sources:
Sources are included in each section above.

Images:
1- Crafts by Amanda: http://craftsbyamanda.com/2013/03/mod-podge-fabric-jars.html
- Other image sources are included in each section above.