Repurpose New or Vintage Canning Jars
Mason jars or canning jars have dozens of uses far beyond the basic job of storing preserved foods for the winter. Of course, they still do the job if you want to can your beets or carrots from the garden. I’ve gathered together here some ideas to upcycle or get new uses from those Ball or Mason canning jars.
Gail Lee Martin collected old canning jars and displayed them on shelves above the sink in her kitchen. I have some other suggestions to show off or make useful those vintage jars. One of my nieces used the jars filled with paper flowers to decorate the tables at her wedding.
Diana made the paper roses to place in the canning jars that she borrowed from her Grandmother Gail.
Party or Table Decor Ideas with Mason Jars
- Use them to hold silverware on the buffet table.
- For a wedding, place jars on each table and fill them with wildflowers.
- Put a pump style lid on 2 jars for a BBQ and put ketchup or mustard in them.
When eating outside, decorate your patio table with a canning jar filled with sunflowers.
Since you’re visiting this page, I’m guessing that you already have some Mason jars. They may be the more common clear canning jars or the vintage green or blue ones.
With these tops, you can put your empty canning jars to work for many purposes.
Drink, Pour, Store! Wide Mouth Mason Jar Flip Cap Lid with Airtight, Leak-Proof Seal and Innovative Flip CapView DetailsMason Jar Soap Dispenser Lids – For all Regular Mouth Canning JarsView DetailsMason Jar Shaker Lids – Shake Cocktails or Your Best Dry Rub – Mix Spices, Dredge Flour, Sugar & More – Fits Any Regular Mouth Canning JarView DetailsChalk Tops – Reusable Chalkboard Lids for Mason Jars – 8 Pack – Wide MouthView DetailsMason tops Bean Screen Sprouting Lids – Grow Bean Sprouts, Alfalfa, Salad Sprouts and MoreView DetailsMason Bottle Silicone Straw TopsView Details
The green plastic lids from parmesan cheese containers fit perfectly on a canning jar too. With that, you can store any food that you want to shake out or use the jar for storing craft beads or glitter.
Uses for Newer Canning Jars
For some of the craft projects below, you’ll want to use newer canning jars instead of making permanent alterations to an antique jar.
Get out your paints and give a jar a cute pumpkin face. Put a battery-powered votive candle inside for a light.
Make Frosted Jar Lanterns – With these video instructions
You can make one of these. Look how easy it is. I really like video tutorials. Guess I’m a visual learner.
Gail Martin filled several of her vintage canning jars with sand. They made great bookends for her cookbooks.
