day 21 repurposing a jar

day 21 repurposing a jar :: jar cozy

dress up jars with a jar cozies ! they can be really fun to make & can be for your own storage or for gift giving... the one in the above photo is made from a vintage pillowcase trim, with a few vintage buttons sew on


these jar cozies are super simple, can you guess what they are?


shirt cuffs ! just cut off the cuff of a shirt & slide it on a jar --- instant jar cozy !


almost any coffee cup cozy could work... this is a knitted coffee cup cozy --- a free knitting pattern called Knit Coffee Sleeve

well, this is the last day of the repurposing a jar challenge, but there are many more ways to reuse a jar, including:

:: snow globe
:: picture frame
:: sand art
:: moss terranium
:: storing kitchen utensils near stove top - tongs, chop sticks, etc.
:: displaying a beach (sand, shells) souvenir collection
:: storing paints
:: planter - put pebbles at the bottom of a jar, fill with potting soil, plant herb of flower seeds, keep in windowsill

see you here tomorrow for a Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway !

day 20 repurposing a jar

day 20 repurposing a jar :: advent calendar 3

this advent calendar is a table centerpiece in the shape of a Christmas tree, with a star on top (the star of Bethlehem), but if you wanted, all 24 of these little baby food jars could be lined up on a fireplace mantle, wouldn't that be cute !?!

supplies needed:
24 baby food jars
decorative papers
paper cutter
mod podge
sponge brush
chalkboard paint
chalk

instructions:
with the decorative papers cut out 24 pieces (these are about 1.25" X 7.5")
with mod podge & sponge brush adhere the paper pieces to the glass jars
paint the lids with chalkboard paint, then with chalk write the numbers 1-24 on the lids

voila !

see you one Monday for day 21 ! (the last day of this month's repurposing a jar challenge) have a happy weekend !

day 19 repurposing a jar

day 19 repurposing a jar :: advent calendar 2

this advent calendar uses the PLAYMOBIL nativity & wise kings set ($20) ---- and it's an advent calendar that turns into a nativity scene. i took all the PLAYMOBIL pieces from the set & divided them into 24 parts, placed into 24 different jars. i painted the jar lids with chalkboard paint, using chalk i wrote the numbers 1-24 on the lids (number 24 has baby Jesus inside). each day a jar is opened those PLAYMOBIL pieces are added to the nativity scene & on December 24th the nativity scene is complete.

see you tomorrow for day 20 !

day 18 repurposing a jar

day 18 repurposing a jar :: gift giving

fill jars with goodies & give them as gifts... peppermint bark

Chex muddy buddies

knit baby hats & booties

knit strawberries

knit green olives

see you tomorrow for day 19 !

day 17 repurposing a jar

day 17 repurposing a jar :: advent calendar 1

this advent calendar is a centerpiece at the table. for this i collected 24 baby food & smaller jars, painted the lids with chalkboard paint, then with chalk wrote the numbers 1-24, with 24 having a star - the star of Bethlehem. since the color of advent is purple, i tied a big purple bow around all the jars, holding them all together on top of a cake stand. each jar could be filled with little things: candy, little toys, pieces of paper folded up (with activities to do each day, messages, prayers, whatever you can think up...)

see you tomorrow for day 18 !

day 16 repurposing a jar

day 16 repurposing a jar :: craft storage

i use lots & lots of jars for my craft storage, it's a fun challenge to find the perfect jar for a specific craft supply or crafting tool... that's a HUGE pickle jar (in the above photo) filled with vintage craft goodies. a few weeks ago i went to a vintage shop i'd never been to before & i bought almost all their vintage ric rac, so now all this vintage ric rac is sharing the pickle jar with bits & pieces of vintage lace & tatting (i added a lavender sachet to help with the pickle smell)



on one of the IKEA shelves in my studio: one jar for vintage knitting needles, one jar for little balls of vintage thread, one jar for vintage wooden spools, & one jar for vintage crochet hooks



in a small white cabinet: 3 shelves with 3 different sizes of Bonne Maman jars all filled with craft goodies



these 2 smaller sizes of Bonne Maman jars are just adorable ! they are the perfect size for teeny tiny craft goodies... one small ball of thread, small buttons, one small spool of thread, small safety pins and surprise ! yes, those are googly eyes - my kids like to craft, too :-)


more vintage craft goodies...



and even more vintage craft goodies



oh, wow ! these are really old... i made the tops of these jars back in 4th & 5th grade summer school ! (where all of my crafting began - look for a future post all about that)



lots of ribbon, button, & prima flower storage


tons & tons of vintage buttons !

see you tomorrow for day 17 !

day 15 repurposing a jar

day 15 repurposing a jar :: forcing bulb

this one is an avocado pit: rinse pit gently (no soap), poke 3 toothpicks around, fill jar with clean, warm water, place pit wide side down, put in a sunny windowsill & wait (few days up to 6 weeks)

see you Monday for day 16 --- have a great weekend !

day 14 repurposing a jar

day 14 repurposing a jar :: I Spy Jar

fill a jar with rice & add a few objects: buttons, beads, paperclips, small toys... then have fun trying to find all the objects

see you tomorrow for day 15 !

day 13 repurposing a jar

day 13 repurposing a jar :: kitchen

jars are great for storing dried food items, especially the ones bought in bulk. around here 2 of the 5 of us are gluten-free, so this method works great for gluten-free flours. having the jars labeled with measurements gives you an idea of how much ingredient is left in the jar. for labeling with chalkboard painted lids, see day 5.


using a measuring cup, measure & pour the ingredient into jar. at that height, wrap a rubber band around jar, use this as a guide to draw a straight line with a permanent marker


Bonne Maman chestnut spread - gotta love the brown gingham lid !



Bonne Maman jars are the perfect size for storing cinnamon sticks

see you tomorrow for day 14 !

day 12 repurposing a jar

day 12 repurposing a jar :: picnic

picnic foods work great in jars because they don't leak, they can be used for fruit salad, trail mix, snacks, use small jars for dips...
canning & Bonne Maman jars make great drinking glasses


make sun tea in a large jar

see you tomorrow for day 13 !

day 11 repurposing a jar

day 11 repurposing a jar :: kids

check out & print this Coloring Packet: Reusing an Old Jar

it's for kids to color in & it gives several examples of how to reuse a jar


cookie cutter


bug jar


kids bank - cut a slit in the lid

this is the halfway point --- see you tomorrow for day 12 !

day 10 repurposing a jar

day 10 repurposing a jar :: egg cup

use a smaller jar to eat a soft boiled egg

see you Monday --- have a great weekend !

day 9 repurposing a jar

day 9 repurposing a jar :: terranium

to make this terrarium jar: paint lid, adhere rhinestone button on top of lid with glue gun, attach self-adhesive rhinestones 'sweet' to glass jar, inside jar add shredded paper (packing material) for the nest, then add bird & other nature decorations

see you tomorrow for day 10 !

day 8 repurposing a jar

day 8 repurposing a jar :: kid's art caddy

this is a toteable organizer for jars filled with art supplies: colored pencils, markers, crayons, paint brushes, & also jars for water color painting


supplies needed: cardboard beverage carton, packing tape, paper cutter, 2 sheets decorative paper, double-sided adhesive & scissors.


use packing tape to secure the collapsible bottom of the cardboard beverage container, decorate the carton with decorative paper adhering it with double-sided adhesive, fill the compartments with jars & art supplies



let the art begin !

see you tomorrow for day 9 !