Mason jars. Are they not one of the best inventions of all time? Originally designed for canning, mason jars (or Bell, or Kerr, or other canning jars…wide-mouth canning jars are just all-around awesome) have so many uses. They’re sturdy, difficult to break, have a big capacity-well, a quart!
Lately, the annals of Pinterest have shown us that there are dozens of ways to use mason jars, so we picked a few particularly clever uses.
Mason jar herb garden
Probably the most homestead-applicable, a simple mason jar herb garden is pretty much exactly what it sounds like! In lieu of drainage, you simply place rocks or marbles at the bottom of the jar, then fill with potting soil and finally your direct-sow seeds or plant your herb starts. This would make a great project for early fall, so you can enjoy fresh herbs inside throughout the winter.
Fragrant Mason Jar Oil Lamps
This requires a bit of craftiness, but it would make an awesome holiday gift and is also so pretty and rustic looking it’d be a great addition to any homestead decor. There are a couple of different methods-here’s one that’s perfect for the holidays. The cool thing about this one is you can add herbs, fragrant leaves, cinnamon sticks or citrus peels that make a wonderful smell with the lamp is burned, and also make for a beautiful display.
Weather-proof Matchbox
A very un-glamorous but fantastic way to use a mason jar. A great option for a bug-out bag or camping. You simply fill the mason jar with matches, then cut the strike-anywhere surface off the box and affix to the lid of the mason jar. You have your matches protected from moisture and can strike them right on the lid of the jar. Perfect!
Solar Lights
Ever try out those cheap solar lights to illuminate your paths only to find they get knocked over and broken in a stiff breeze? Well, you can simply remove the tops of these and place in-you guessed it-mason jars! You’ll have to pick some that fit a mason jar, of course, but these will illuminate the solar light beautifully and look way more stylish and rustic than those cheap plastic lamps. The glass will of course be breakable too, but being sturdier and heavier than the plastic lamps simply speared in the ground, they’re likely to hold up better. You can even bury them in the ground a few inches to ensure they don’t get knocked over easily.
These are just a few ideas for ever-versatile mason jars-I’m sure if you think outside the box you can think of cool ways to use them too! Ever tried a mason jar DIY craft?
If you like this, you might also like:
Advanced Gardening Course To Accelerate Your Food Production…
Survival Medicine & Wilderness Survival…
Survival Techniques From Long Ago, Re-purposed For The Modern Era…
6 thoughts on “Ways to Reuse Mason Jars”
I am interested in buying plastic jar covers (Ball or mason) – quart sze. Cannot seem to find any in local stores. Are they so rare? Please help mrayecrab@gmail.com Or P O Box 7713 Arlington VA 22207.
I’ve found them regularly in Walmart. A warning though, they don’t seal well alone. If you’re going to put liquids in a jar they will leak.
I recently purchased 6 Bell mason jars for use with my home generated COLLOIDAL SILVER.
The colored designer series offer was ending so are going cheaply online!!
These suggestions noted here are great also.
Thanks.
Strike Anywhere matches mean just that, no special striking surface needed. If they are non-strike-anywhere matches, even UCO Stormproof Matches, cut the striker into 1.5 to 2 inch pieces, put them in a small press-to-close plastic bag or small envelope and put (several of) them inside the Mason Jar. Then everything is water proofed. If the jar is big enough, sever 32 match boxes with striking surface can be put in the jar.
Strike Anywhere matches mean just that, no special striking surface needed.
If they are non-strike-anywhere matches, even UCO Stormproof Matches, cut the striker into 1.5 to 2 long by .5 inch wide pieces, put them in a small press-to-close plastic bag or small envelope and put (several of) them inside the Mason Jar. Then everything is water proofed
If the jar is big enough, several 32 match boxes with striking surface can be put in the jar.
Sorry, hit the wrong button while editing.
My mother was an avid canner when I was growing up, which was during WW2 and after. We would have been far less healthy if my dad had not grown most of our produce and mom canned what we couldn’t eat right away. (Plus, my brother and I were quickly introduced to all manner of fresh veggies and grew up enjoying them, as we do today.) Mom had a plethora of Mason jars, going back to the glass-lined zinc lids held with rubber rings that no one would ever use today. She used the same jars, year after year unless, perchance, there was a crack or chip in the glass. Only then would the jar be discarded — at least for canning. Most likely my dad would appropriate it to use for nails or something similar in his workshop.
So this whole crafty idea is rather new to me. I have several Mason jars for canning, jam, etc. from small jelly size up through half-gallon. (Yes, they make them that big now.)
And the craft stores have caught on. I’ve seen all kinds of fancy jars and craft ideas in Joann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby.