Fun Ways To Use Mason Jars You Need To Know About
Long before Millennials started using mason jars for their on-the-go acai bowls, my mom was using them as water bottles. These following ideas for ways to use mason jars are neither one of these habits but more for crafts and decorations. The best part is that if you ever get tired of them or are in need of a vessel for your spiralized zucchini, you can just empty it out and continue using the jar. Let’s get started:
Light Up Jars
Simply buy some fairy lights and bundle them up smoothly inside a mason jar. If you want the lid to stay on, you will need to get a battery-operated (and preferably remote-controlled set of lights). If you decide to embrace the lid-less look, buy fairy lights with plugs for wall outlets and have the long line of lights dip in and out of a bunch of mason jars. The wall plug versions are the more eco-friendly and budget-friendly option because you will not have to buy and dispose of batteries as frequently.
You can take this all a step further by colouring the jars on the outside. One way is to glue or stick coloured cellophane onto the jar. By cutting them into small pieces and a variety of shapes, you may even be able to create a scene or a stained-glass look. This will look beautiful when the lights are turned on. Another option is to mix some acrylic paint with polymer medium (the type for acrylic painting) and paint the jars. This will give you more precision when painting a design or a pattern onto the jar.
Grass Heads
One of the best things I ever convinced my parents to buy me as a kid was a Grass Head. The silly squished face printed onto the yellow and orange plastic pot was the most endearing face I had ever seen. I just could not wait to help the little guy grow its hair (and to cut it when it got long enough).
Using the excellent instructions outlined here, fill a sock with grass seeds. You can either use enough filling to take up all the space in the mason jar or fill the bottom of your jar with other decorative items first (like shells or confetti). Do keep in mind that whatever you choose will end up being your Grass Head’s outfit. Once you have the grass seeds right on the top of the jar (or even sticking out a little bit), you are ready to make your new friend’s face. I suggest that you do things in this order so you can make the face according to the top of its head (you know how it is when the vibes don’t match up). With the use of paint, glue, googly eyes, and maybe little bits of yarn, you can create the face of your soon to be very grassy-haired friend.
Vase
If you would like to transform a mason jar into a vase for flowers that looks like it has just come out of a cartoon, read on.
One way you can make your real flowers look more fake or your fake flowers look extra fake is to fill the jar with glass pebbles. If you use blue glass pebbles (in varying shades) the jar will look like it is filled with fake water. Another way to make the jar look like it is filled with fake water is to paint the interior of the jar with blue acrylic paint diluted in polymer medium. Paint this mixture in smooth, horizontal strokes with slight waves. The effect is funky, visually interesting, and looks great on top of a white chest of drawers.
Pom Pom Pet
Your mason jars can be used like tiny fishbowls minus the cruelty of trapping a fish like Nemo in a small space. I have always believed in having pets that aren’t alive; they are effortless to care for, listen without interrupting, and do not cost money.
You may use the same method of painting “water” into the mason jar. Next, you can hot glue some appropriately sculpted pieces of green pipe cleaner for the seaweed, drop in a handful of tiny pebbles, and maybe make a tiny home for your pet.
As for your pet, you may already have a spare tiny plastic fish lying around in your room. If this is the case, just glue a very thin piece of string to the fish and glue the other end at the lip of the jar. If you prefer your fish pet to swim in the middle of the jar, glue the top end of the string to the inside of the lid. Now, if you do not have a tiny plastic fish, you can use a pom pom with googly eyes glued onto it to create your pet. Of course, you may use any other tiny object with eyes glued or drawn on as your pet. For example, you may have a thimble from someone who meant a lot to you. Turning this thimble into your pet is a wonderful way of keeping it safe and happy.
