A while back I received a request to come up with a list of ways to use Mason jars. I’m sure there are hundreds of this kind of post already floating around out there, but we’ll go ahead and make it hundreds-and-one.
I (and apparently, a lot of you too) collect anything glass. Between us keeping the jars from anything we buy and hunting for Craigslist scores (200+ for $20!), we have a lot of glass in the basement. So what do we do with it? Here are several of my ways to use Mason jars, plus some that I haven’t tried yet.
1. Canning your produce. Duh.
2. Store grains, beans, or other dry goods.
3. Make homemade yogurt!
4. Sprout seeds.
5. Soap dispenser.
6. Container for homemade toothpaste, deodorant, or body butter.
7. Cookie or biscuit cutter.
8. Make sauerkraut (or other lacto-fermented foods).
9. Make a sourdough starter.
10. Make homemade stock or broth.
11. Fruit scrap vinegar.
12. Use as a vase for your flowers.
13. Make a salad in a jar.
14. Drink from them!
15. Grow some windowsill herbs.
16. Store spices.
17. Pencil, pen, or other office supplies holder.
18. Utensil holder for parties.
19. Make kefir.
20. Catch lightning bugs (don’t screw the lid on all the way!).
21. Do something crafty (seriously, look at Pinterest for thousands of ideas).
22. Light fixtures.
23. Use them as stand-alone decoration (find some of the older ones that are different colors or have unique designs).
24. Give a “baking mix in a jar” gift.
25. Make candles (or put tea lights in them).
26. Pack your lunch in one.
27. Candy jar.
28. Make an oil lamp.
29. Twine dispenser (poke a hole in a lid and pull the twine through).
30. Cocktail shaker.
You can store just about anything in a jar, so don’t limit yourself. They’re really handy to have around, and if you’re into it, add the rustic-chic kinda look to things. Much to my wife’s dismay, I can never have too many!
Do you have any novel ideas that I didn’t mention? Leave it in the comments and maybe I’ll add it to the post!
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