Great Idea Series (Re-Purposing and Re-Using Everyday Items): 8 Ways to Re-Purpose Mason Jars

onlinements 55

1. 

   Dawn March 10, 2014 at 3:05 pm MST

   This weekend, I canned pineapples, make syrup from the peels and cores and canned that and that was from the Savealot 99 cent pineapples. Canned strawberry jam and apple jelly. The apple jelly may not set but I can use it on pancakes or to make appletini drinks so there is nothing lost. I also canned the klondike potatoes that were 20 cents a pound. I did 12 quarts of the potatoes. I store dry goods in my mason jars too.

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  Suzanne H March 10, 2014 at 3:09 pm MST

  Would love to know how you made syrup from the peels and cores. Have a recipe you can share?

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  Bunny March 10, 2014 at 3:17 pm MST

  @Dawn. If the apple jelly doesn’t set, you can heat it up and pour it over vanilla ice cream and make a sundae with some toasted slivered almonds. I did that with some strawberry jelly that didn’t totally set and it was wonderful! Num num num!

  Curious how you canned the potatoes. Did you cook them first?

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  Maria March 10, 2014 at 4:01 pm MST

  I canned 20 pints of apple syrup a couple years ago and the kids loved it as a substitute for maple syrup!
  I love to use old retired canning jars for other uses. Once they get older, they break more easily in the canner, so I use them for wildflower arrangements (I love to find roadside wild flowers) and give those away as gifts. I also have 3 very vintage jars to display my button, marble and my shell collection.

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  Lina (Hip's Modern Martha) March 10, 2014 at 9:09 pm MST

  I love all these ideas! 🙂

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2. 

   maria March 10, 2014 at 3:36 pm MST

   awesome ideas, thanks Collin! i especially love how the mending kit looks–customizeable pincushion on top is brilliant! I’ll have to try that. thanks for all you do!
   🙂 maria

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3. 

   Joy March 10, 2014 at 3:43 pm MST

   I don’t get the whole salad in mason jar craze. How does your fork reach all the way to bottom? I guess you could make a mini salad in a small mason jar. And it seems like it could break if you took it on the go if you accidentally drop it.

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  Joy March 10, 2014 at 3:44 pm MST

  Love the hydragena and lemon slices centerpiece though.

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  J March 10, 2014 at 3:57 pm MST

  I don’t fill the jar up. I put enough in that I can shake it. HTH

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  Em March 10, 2014 at 4:57 pm MST

  The idea is to dump it onto a plate.

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  mel March 10, 2014 at 5:21 pm MST

  I send dh with these for his lunch. He gives it a good shake, then dumps in on a plate. He loves it b/c the lettuce doesn’t get soggy.

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  Katrina March 10, 2014 at 8:18 pm MST

  Ooooooooh! lol makes so much more sense now. DUH!

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4. 

   Nichole March 10, 2014 at 3:49 pm MST

   Love, love, love these ideas! I’m trying to find ways to organize my stuff in a tight space and even tighter budget. Thanks for helping me expand my thinking.

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5. 

   Catie March 10, 2014 at 4:14 pm MST

   I love the mason jar salads. I’ve done it many times. When I’m ready to eat, I pour it out on a plate so I can mix the dressing with all the other ingredients. I make them once a week on Sundays and I’m set.

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6. 

   Maja March 10, 2014 at 4:28 pm MST

   I use jars to store spices in my kitchen cabinets 🙂 No mess , no clatter, and look so organized:) And I put small spoon in jar:)

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7. 

   Ashley March 10, 2014 at 4:46 pm MST

   I love the idea of the cupcake liners in the jar. Mine gets squished a lot. Will be using this one for sure.

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  AnnaMarie April 23, 2015 at 5:58 pm MST

  The little Pringles canisters work great for this too. Just wash them out and decorate the outside with contact paper.

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8. 

   Ashley57 March 10, 2014 at 4:47 pm MST

   I officially need a mason jar to store my cupcake liners in!

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9. 

   Mami2four March 10, 2014 at 5:00 pm MST

   So the salads stay fresh for up five days?! I need this! I’m the only person on my house that eats salads/ veggies so I don’t make them often but if I could have a salad ready ahead of time… Why didn’t I think of that???

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  Lina (Hip's Modern Martha) March 10, 2014 at 9:08 pm MST

  Yes it’s a great way to make a healthy lunch ahead of time!

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10. 

    Laura March 10, 2014 at 5:03 pm MST

    Sorry off topic but does anybody need a shutterfly code? I have a 40% that ends Tuesday…
    Email me [email protected]

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11. 

    Whitney March 10, 2014 at 5:10 pm MST

    I am equally, if not more, obsessed with mason jars! We actually use them as glasses to drink out of at our house! We put a “P” sticker for our last name on the lids used them as one of the wedding favors/glasses to drink with dinner at our reception. I also have made many salads in them! We like storing things like leftover soups and fresh ground coffee in them, we put our toothbrushes in a small one in the bathroom, we store pens and pencils in one on our desk and in the living room, and we put flowers in the large ones! Thanks for the other ideas 🙂

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  Lina (Hip's Modern Martha) March 10, 2014 at 9:13 pm MST

  How cute for a wedding, and smart for left overs!

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12. 

    Liz Kelly March 10, 2014 at 5:27 pm MST

    We used them as center pieces for our daughters baptism lunch. We wrapped and pink and white gingham strip of ribbon around and added white and pink Gerber daisies. They were so inexpensive and really cute.

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13. 

    Jennifer March 10, 2014 at 5:44 pm MST

    I have been painting some of my glass vases and jars in my house to look like faux mercury glass lately for a new look without spending much. They look pretty with the wildflowers in them that are starting to spring up around my house.

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14. 

    Jennifer March 10, 2014 at 5:46 pm MST

    Oh, and I just love to drink out of mason jars. Even if it’s just ice water. Country at heart, lol.

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15. 

    Adina March 10, 2014 at 5:48 pm MST

    Thanks for all the great ideas! I will be following this for more ideas as the onlinements onlinee in!!

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16. 

    Sussie March 10, 2014 at 5:52 pm MST

    These are great ideas for these jars. I wonder if these jars are only sold in certain regions because I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in Los Angeles.

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  Susan S. March 12, 2014 at 1:40 pm MST

  Susie, they are everywhere in SoCal! (I’m in Pasadena.) I get them at Ralph’s, Albertsons (baking aisle), Target, Whole Foods, True Value hardware stores, OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware), Home Depot. You can also order them online from Ball. If you can’t find them, post more specifics about your location and I’ll try to help.

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17. 

    Amber March 10, 2014 at 6:30 pm MST

    I love the cupcake liner organizer. Great idea!

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18. 

    eve March 10, 2014 at 7:14 pm MST

    where is the cheapest place I can buy mason jars?

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  karen March 10, 2014 at 7:30 pm MST

  Thrift stores, garage sales & craigs list are great places to buy used ones. My price point for used jars is 25 cents.

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  karen March 10, 2014 at 7:32 pm MST

  I forgot to add that if you are going to use used jars for canning to make sure that there are no chips on the top lip of the jars where the seal touches.

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  Lina (Hip's Modern Martha) March 10, 2014 at 9:06 pm MST

  Walmart and Michaels with coupons for new..I also have thrifted many older mason jars for organizing my craft things 🙂

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  AnnaMarie April 23, 2015 at 6:04 pm MST

  Big Lots sells Kerr brand jars and lids by the pack at this time of the year. You can find them in the kitchen dishes aisle. They even have the straw lids to turn them into drinking glasses.

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19. 

    Ali March 10, 2014 at 7:51 pm MST

    I use the large yankee candle glass jars for Q-tips. I also put lindt chocolate balls inside and give them to friends. I burn yankee candles a lot!

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20. 

    Suzanne March 10, 2014 at 8:49 pm MST

    the Barilla pasta sauce jars work great as ‘Mason’ jars when washed out and de-labeled!

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21. 

    Sue March 10, 2014 at 8:53 pm MST

    I just think drinking from mason jars taste so much better. You can use them as terrarium or betta fish aquarium too.

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  Lina (Hip's Modern Martha) March 10, 2014 at 11:01 pm MST

  I agree! 😀

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22. 

    Nicole March 10, 2014 at 9:37 pm MST

    Those daisy punched lids are available at the Target dollar spot at my store too. Of course they are a $1 each. Maybe not super cheap but will get plenty of use in my house.

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  emily March 10, 2014 at 10:55 pm MST

  OMG. Thank you so much for the info. I made my husband do a few lids for me so that my kids would have beautiful, spill-proof glass cups. But I want one of those flower designs. Too cute.

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  Jennifer March 10, 2014 at 11:31 pm MST

  Head over to plaidbarn.online to score
  6 Pewter Daisy Mason Jar Lids for $3.99!! This site offers Daily Deals these were yesterday’s deal. You can also opt to have these daily deals sent to your email inbox to keep you in the know. Beware this site can beonlinee addicting so enter with with much caution! Enjoy 😉

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23. 

    emily March 10, 2014 at 10:50 pm MST

    I went to Ralph’s a couple days ago to take advantage of the hot 25/50 coupon mentioned a few weeks ago. Anyways, all the mason jars were 50% off. Wish I could’ve gotten some, but I don’t have enough $$$ right now. : ( If anyone going to Ralph’s and in need of these, it’s worth a check. FYI @ Tustin, CA Ralph’s (ex. pint jars case for 6.99)

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24. 

    Jill March 11, 2014 at 3:36 am MST

    Love your posts, Lina. The great ideas/repurposing posts are my favorite!! Thanks for all the great ideas!

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25. 

    Nia March 11, 2014 at 6:25 am MST

    I love all of these wonderful ideas. I save mason jars from spaghetti sauce. A really inexpensive way to NOT have to buy them. I store, dried beans, spices, dried oats, grits, etc in my kitchen. Also when I juice, (usually on Sunday), I store the juice onlinebinations in the jars. They stay fresh up to the following Sunday. I want to know more about the Salad jar. I do not like Ice cold veggies. So do I have to put in the frig if taking it for lunch? I love the fact that the lettace does not get soggy. How long can you leave a batch in the frig in a jar before it starts to sog?

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  Lisa March 11, 2014 at 12:18 pm MST

  I save those sauce jars too, but haven’t done much with them. The lids always get thrown out. Do you know if standard Mason jar lids would fit them?

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  Susan S. March 12, 2014 at 1:44 pm MST

  Lisa, some of the Classico pasta sauce jars can use regular-mouth canning jar lids.

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26. 

    Gail March 11, 2014 at 8:20 am MST

    I loved the cupcake liner idea! I just gathered all of my liners and did this! Love it, thank you!

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27. 

    Debbie March 11, 2014 at 10:00 am MST

    Dry Pasta looks nice in them, i also store Sugar in one too. I have the old blue/green Ball jars. We used them on our tables when we got married; filled with wild flowers, inexpensive and great for an outdoor wedding. Made cupcake caulk candy jars for Christmas gifts. Then there’s sugar scrubs you can make and put in the tiny ones too….. Hundreds of ideas for these pretty glass jars.

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28. 

    Beverly April 22, 2015 at 2:26 pm MST

    If you are not canning you do not need real canning jars! Aldi’s organic pasta sauce onlinees in a very nice looking mason-type jar that I reuse. I also like to reuse salsa jars. Although they aren’t as nice looking they are easier to use because they have wide mouths. I store dried foods in the jars, but I also use them to store leftovers in the refrigerator or the freezer since I don’t like plastic against my food. Be careful with glass in the freezer since frozen glass is more brittle. Do not microwave the cold or frozen glass, pour the food out; the changing temperature could break the glass.

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29. 

    RB April 24, 2015 at 12:33 pm MST

    After seeing something in Martha Stewart Living (free subscription for the magazine, of course, thanks to Hip2Save), I put all of the scrub brushes (bottle brushes, wire brushes, old toothbrushes, long-handled Q-Tip-type swabs, pipe cleaners, etc) into a mason jar on my laundry room shelf. Looks so much better than the tacky plastic casino chips souvenir cup that I used to use to hold those items and it’s easier to reach for an item from below by simply rotating the jar to see through the contents through the glass.

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30. 

    RB April 24, 2015 at 12:36 pm MST

    Lina, I am especially fond of the blue jar you photographed.
    (I’ve never onlinee across colored mason jars before.)

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  terri June 18, 2015 at 9:04 am MST

  They sell colored ones at AC Moore

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31. 

    Oshea August 11, 2015 at 8:01 pm MST

    They’re available at Joanne’s & Michaels. Plus you can use a 40% or 50% off coupon. I like the wide mouth jars the best.

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32. 

    Jmk September 23, 2015 at 3:15 pm MST

    Pat Catans craft store has all colors. But be aware they are color covered glass and will peal off if put in the dish washer.

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