The humble mason jar has been having a serious moment. This vessel is everywhere. Mason jars have been transformed into light fixtures, wedding centerpieces and toothbrush holders. They’re being painted, stenciled, bedazzled—you name it
Mason jar projects are so popular right now, I’ve even heard the word “overused” associated with them. But, to me, mason jars will never go out of style. How can they? They’re a classic.
So, I was super surprised when I realized I haven’t ever written a post on just mason jars. (The shame!)
My favorite ways to use mason jars are the ones that stand the test of time. The tried-and-true methods you’ll use over and over. You’ve probably heard of most these mason jar uses before, but I want to keep it simple and just celebrate some fabulous ways to use mason jars, without changing them too much.
Here are my favorite ways to use mason jars.
1. Mason jars as votives
Outdoors, indoors, doesn’t matter. Stick a tea light in a mason jar and you have an instant votive. Group several mason jars with flickering tea lights together to form an easy—and sparkly—centerpiece or just have one sitting on a table to add moody vibes to a room.
Having guests over? Line the walkway to your front door with mason jars lit with tea lights, or outline your patio with them as an inexpensive way to make an outdoor space feel fancy.
2. Mason jars as vases
Ah, classic. What is it about mason jars that just make them the best vases? My cupboard is full of traditional vases, but whenever I have a bouquet of flowers, I always reach for mason jars, blue Ball jars in particular.
3. Mason jars as organizers
They corral; they collect; and they display. Mason jars are littered around my home, keeping odds and ends in place. They’re holding lip balms, q-tips and cotton balls in my bathroom. They’re storing dog treats in the cupboard. One sits sans lid on my desk holding pencils, pens and scissors.
What more is there to say? They’re great for corralling all manner of small items that easily get jumpled. Plus, mason jars make anything look good. Just sayin.
4. Mason jars as candles
Every year, usually around the holidays, I make homemade candles, and my favorite containers to use are, of course, mason jars.
Homemade candles are super simple to make. You basically just secure a wick in your jar and pour in melted wax. I usually use soy wax or beeswax. (Here’s a tutorial on how to make beeswax candles, but the steps are the same if you use soy.)
Mason jars work great as candle containers because they make the candle look fancy and because they’re practical. For example, they have lids, which is always convenient to have with a candle.
5. Mason jars as food storage
This use for mason jars is so obvious, it’s not.
I think we’ve gotten so caught up in new-fangled uses and DIY projects for mason jars that we’ve forgotten what they’re meant for. Don’t get me wrong; I love mason jar projects. I just also think mason jars work great for simple, everyday uses too.
Mason jars are my go-to items for storing foods. Whenever I get home from the grocery store, I dump whatever I can into mason jars. Nuts, chia seeds, flax, flour, sugar, spices, rice.
It’s just really nice to not have a bunch of plastic packaging around. Mason jars look sleek in my pantry cupboard and they make finding what I need at a glance easy.
These bask-to-the-basics ideas for using mason jars are nothing new, but they’re a good reminder. What are your favorite ways to use mason jars?
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