Hey there, Mason jar fans!
Mary here! We’ve been talking about self care this month and exploring new or engaging in existing hobbies can be a meaningful and enjoyable method to bring some self care into your day by nourishing your creativity and feeding your passions. Whatever your pastime may be, Mason jars (along with their accessory lids) can increase your enjoyment in so many ways and we can’t wait to share our ideas with you!
A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.
~ Phyllis McGinley
Hobbies are a great way to add some joy into your daily routine as well as improve your mental (and sometimes physical) health. You can experience the benefits of engaging in a hobby even if you’re only able to carve out a few minutes every day to do something that fills your cup mentally, emotionally, or physically.
In this blog, the Mason Jar Lifestyle team will share some of our favorite leisure activities and ways in which we use Mason jars, lids, accessories, and more in those activities. Most of these were inspired by my many hobbies and the stuff my kids are into as you’ll probably be able to tell : ) I’ve noted when the contribution is from another teammate to give create where it’s due!
Make Time For What Makes You Happy From The MJL Team
Using Jars For Storage
Sewing
Sewing is a great hobby that (in general) you get something useful and beautiful out of. Mason jars are perfect for storing small sewing notions that can spill out all over your sewing area. I like to keep buttons, measuring tape, spools of thread, clips, specialty pieces, and various odds and ends in jars with decorative lids to keep my space neat and pretty. I use frog/flower lids for scissors, Sharpies, pencils, pipe cleaners, and various fabric marking tools. Lastly, a wide mouth quart jar is the perfect scrap fabric and thread collector. Jars can also double as pattern weights too!
Knitting / Crocheting
Rachael’s Genius Idea! Whether you’re knitting or crocheting, getting your yarn tangled is a major slowdown and added stressor. One of our employees, Rachael, solved this problem by storing her yarn in Mason jars with sugar lids with flaps to dispense her cheerfully colored string. You can also use a daisy lid or cutout insert to dispense string, twine, ribbon, and more. So cast on and cast off your worries!
Painting
From watercolors to acrylics, painting can be a great way to fuel your creativity. It’s also very accessible for all skill levels and ages, making it a great family activity. One of our favorite tips is to use a straw hole lid on your water jar. This way should the water get spilled by eager hands, the mess is more contained. Frog/Flower lids are helpful to keep paint brushes organized and easily at hand.
Drawing / Coloring
Adult coloring books have certainly grown in popularity over the years and the appeal is easy to understand. There’s a certain meditative quality to coloring. Or you may prefer drawing your own pictures or doodles to color. Whatever path you choose, a Mason jar with a frog/flower lid full of freshly sharpened colored pencils, felt tip pens, vibrant markers, or whatever your favorite medium is a beautifully display for your art area as well as organized solution. Add a caddy to keep jars from being knocked over or group items together.
Journaling / Writing
What endless possibilities are found in a blank book! You can use a blank book for drawing, of course, or writing down bits of poetry, lyrics for a song, ideas for your novel, or the daily goings on in your life. Whatever you need to unload for your mind can be poured out onto its pages. I personally love an assortment of pencils and fine tipped pens for this and again love frog/flower lids for this purpose.
Crafting
From googly eyes to colored feathers, from festive pompoms to bits of ribbon – crafting requires a lot of supplies (that’s how Michael’s stays in business, amiright?!). Whatever you’re creating, it’s helpful to have the bits and bobs neatly organized but also visible so you can see what you have to work with. That’s where Mason jars come in as a solution you can clearly see! You can store all your little pieces in anything from a tiny 4oz jelly jar to 64oz half gallon with a beautiful decorative lid, which keeps your space (and mind) clear yet everything is still accessible.
Building Miniatures
Building miniatures is a hobby that my grandparents were into and is now coming back. New kits are on the market today full of wonder and enchantment (and sometimes some modern flair).
You can build tiny scenes in a wide mouth Mason jar or use an open bottom Mason jar with a decorative lid to display a special piece or two.
Creating Terrariums
Taylor here! Want to create your own Mason jar terrarium? It’s easier than you might think! Here are some simple instructions to follow:
Make sure to wash your rocks, decorations, and even your plants(just a rinse, don’t use soap). We want a nice clean environment for our terrarium.
Drainage – This can be rocks, glass beads, or leca (which are expanded clay pebbles often used in reptile enclosures). This allows space for any excess water to sit away from the plants so they don’t rot.
Peat Moss – This is a layer of dried moss that separates the soil and the rocks to prevent them from mixing and getting messy. Other materials can be used, like burlap or cheese cloth as long as it lets water pass through but not the soil. Peat moss is another common material for reptile terrariums and can be found at most pet stores.
Soil – Moss doesn’t require much help to grow, so fertilizer-free is best. I use starter soil that has organic materials like twigs for the moss to break down and feed off. Once the soil is placed, spray it down and get it moist in preparation for your plants.
A sprinkling of activated charcoal in your drainage layer or the soil can help remove any toxins that build up and keep your terrarium clean and healthy.
Plants and decorations – The best part! You can either purchase your plants at a local market, online on sites like Etsy, or harvest yourself if your climate allows. I was even able to find some moss here in Colorado! There are many types of moss and plants that thrive in a humid, closed environment like this so mix and match to your heart’s content! Use rocks, crystals, sand, beads—whatever you want to decorate your terrarium. Just make sure whatever you use can get wet.
Make sure to plan for ample empty space in your jar to allow your plants room to breathe and grow.
Then you just need to top it off and let it be. It doesn’t need to be an air-tight seal, but enough to keep the moisture in. I think corks look the cutest!
Terrariums thrive on neglect. They’re great if you’re a little forgetful. All they need is a spritzing of water every now and then when the sides of the jar get dry. If there’s condensation on the glass, your terrarium has plenty of moisture.
Chicken Keeping
Maggie here! I’m one of the owners at Mason Jar Lifestyle. Something you may or may not know about me is that I love chickens, and, in fact, have 10 backyard ladies. We love the multi-colored eggs they give us on a daily basis (blue, green, cream, dark brown, and white), with the deepest orange yolks you’ll ever see.
I use Mason jars in my chicken-keeping in multiple ways. First, every time I bring home new chicks, they eat and drink from their handy dandy Mason jar feeder/waterer. These Mason jar attachments are available at pretty much every farm supply store, and they are che-eap! Therefore, pretty much every chicken keeper has them. (Pro tip: we have had people chime in that they use them as candy dispensers in their kitchen – of course, new ones that haven’t been used in the chicken coop. I haven’t tried this myself, but I imagine Skittles and M&M’s would work perfectly.)
I also use Mason jars to make fermented chicken feed, which is oh-so-good for the little ladies. It improves their digestion, immunity, and overall health. Check out our blog post for all the details on how to make your own!
I often find myself pretty flush with eggs. This is a good thing, considering how much my family loves to eat them! Not long ago, a popular coffee chain started selling egg bites, and my family couldn’t get enough. It wasn’t long before I realized I was spending way too much money and should be using my own backyard eggs + Mason jars to make them at home. We wrote a whole blog post on the various ways to make these incredible egg bites at home. Read more here!
Some Ideas From Others That Inspire Us!
Using Jars In The Design
Painting Jars
You can use sheer, tinted colors to opaque chalk paint on Mason jars, depending on the style and look you’re going for. Create fun seasonal jars for your mantel, personalize gifts for teachers or friends, or simply paint jars to match to home decor. Here’s a great step-by-step tutorial you can follow: CLICK HERE
You can also etch glass Mason jars as a variation on painting by using a stencil and etching cream.
Whatever you decide to do, grab a Mason jar and get creative!
Adding Glitter
Much like paint, glitter can be applied to Mason jars. All you need is tape, decoupage medium or some other epoxy/glue, and glitter to sparkle up any Mason jar! Here’s a tutorial you can check out.
Applying Vinyls or Other Decals
Another trendy way to decorate your Mason jars is with cut out vinyl stickers and custom decals. Just like painting jars, this is a great way to make meaningful gifts, create unique decor (I see you “Tissue For Your Issue” dispensing jars), or label baking ingredients in your airtight Mason jars. Maybe you want to start your own “fund” jar for vacation or a special treat! Grab a coin slot lid, a smooth sided jar, and a free vinyl SVG file HERE to make your own today.
So grab a cutting machine to whip up your own or order some decals online and start sticking them on jars.
Displaying Photos
Do you love photography or collecting photos of places and people? If yes, then you can use your Mason jars to display some of your favorite images (especially beautiful when you put a votive
candle or flowers inside the jar!).
This can be done several different ways. First, you can purchase special adhesive paper at an office supply store, print your own pictures on this, trim the photos, and place them on your jar. Check out this blog for more details! You could cover the photos with Mod Podge or a similar sealer for a more finished look.
Or you can get traditional paper photos, trim to size and shape you want for your jar, glue them on with glue, and seal with another coat of glue, Mod Podge, or other sealer.
You can also print your pictures on vellum paper at home, trim to the correct size and use double sided sticky tape to keep the paper wrapped around your Mason jar. Whatever way you choose, you’ll have a beautiful craft to display images of something or someone you love!
Attaching String / Ribbon / Lace
If you want to dress up your Mason jars, you can do this by hot gluing ribbon, fabric, string, lace, burlap, and more directly onto your jar. This could be done in conjunction with some of the other decorating techniques mentioned above as well to complete the look.
Decoupage
Whether you collect ticket stubs, leaves, colored paper, fancy stickers, seasonal napkins, or fabric scraps from past projects, decoupaging them onto your Mason jar could be a fun addition to your existing hobby! This can be done using Mod Podge or another adhesive appropriate for what you intend to stick onto your jar.
Using Mason Jar Lids and Rings
Ring or Lid Wreaths
If you love Mason jars and buy new ones from time to time, you might end up with a handful of tinplated rings and lids that come standard on the jars. These tinplated rings and lids will rust easily which makes them less ideal for using over and over again to store food or attach Mason jar accessories to your favorite vessel. That’s why we recommend stainless steel storage lids and bands/rings.
These tinplated bands and rings came be used for canning, of course, or repurposed into fun crafts! One idea that I love is using these rings or bands to make wreaths such as washi tape decorated rings, painted ring wreath, or using the lids to make a beautiful photo display wreath.
Ring or Lid Garland
Similarly you can use your rings and lids to make garlands out of treasures collected while hiking, images or pictures you love, or whatever else you can think of! I love the idea of making seasonal ones with words, images, or natural elements to bring a festive feel to your mantel or wherever you want to hang your creation.
Pumpkins From Rings
Pumpkins made from tinplated rings is a popular fall craft and requires only a handful of items to complete. CLICK HERE for instructions to make your own!
Bird Feeder
Do you love to watch birds? You can do this fun craft to bring more feathered friends flocking to your yard and little ones can help too! Read more and try it yourself HERE!
We hope you’ve found some inspiring ideas to help you expand your current or explore new hobbies! We’d love to hear how you like to reuse and repurpose your Mason jars in your favorite pastimes : ) Share your ideas below in the comments or find us on social media and share it with us. We LOVE to hear from you about how you use Mason jars to be creative! Join the conversations going on right now on our Facebook business page, Mason Jar Lifestyle, or Facebook group, Living The Mason Jar Lifestyle! We are also on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Looking forward to connecting with you soon!
