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When used to make a wedding table chandelier (left) or as part of a home display (right), the result is always dramatic and polished. Photo: Erin Ever After, The Print Lover
John Mason designed the revolutionary shoulder-seal jar with a screw cap in 1858, but his patent on the design expired twenty years later, opening the market to competition. Shortly after, the Ball Brothers -- Frank, Edmund, George, Lucius and William -- began manufacturing Mason jars through the Ball Brothers Glass Company, calling them "Ball jars." (The Ball Company's epic history includes debuting the first primer on home canning, Ball Blue Book, in 1909, bragging rights for not laying off a single employee during 1933's Great Depression, and, more recently, celebrating their 125th anniversary in 2009.)
Throughout their history, these jars have been used for everything from pickle canning to homespun mousetraps to grenade warfare, but here are a few unique ways to apply the old world ingenuity of Mason jars to stylish modern living.
1. Create stunning lighting sources
Few things feel turn-of-the-century chic like using generation-old materials to create modern lighting solutions. Pottery Barn's Exeter Pendant keeps the look classic while Anthropologie and Design*Sponge play with Mason jar lighting display on levels big and small. For a new approach, update the look with more energy efficient CFLs and enhance lighting effects by using aqua, amber or other colored jar options. You can also DIY your own lighting with this neat tea light chandelier or these quick and easy garden lights.
The perfect place for a miniature world. Photo: Craftzine
The desire to create miniature worlds doesn't have to end with childhood. Terrariums are the latest home trend. A Mason jar is the perfect vessel for creating one; it gives those throwback trinkets a space to shine. Check out this project on Craftzine for inspiration.
Photos: Brides.com, Teeny Blessings
Trust me on this: Beverages straight from Mason jars just taste better. Serve lemonade in them, as shown here at Brides.com, or leave the tops off, fill them with ice and pour in some fresh-brewed iced tea. Another brilliant idea: gifting limeade mix in mason jars as a sweet summer soiree treat.
Photo: Apartment Therapy
Drill a hole in a Mason jar lid and secure a reusable soap pump to make an enviable, refillable soap dispenser for under $3. Check out this great DIY project at Apartment Therapy.
Photos: Weeping Cherries, Etsy
Whether mounted on a wall or placed on a shelf, Mason jars can add uniformity and structure to any mound of clutter. A few can-do ideas:
-Show off your silverware by dividing each type of utensil into separate jars.
-Store your sewing supplies, as seen in this idea at Martha Stewart Living.
-Use different sized jars to sort your work space -- pens and pencils in one, scissors and letter openers in another.
-Take snacks out of their bags and use Mason jars as tight-sealed containers.
Photos: Lisa Light, LTD., The Inspired Room
Used as single-stem vases or centerpieces, Mason jars can make the most basic candle or bunch of flowers look tabletop-ready.
Ready to get your fill? Kmart offers 12 authentic Ball Mason jars for under $12, as do most hardware stores and container depots. You might consider scouring vintage booths and antique bins to rediscover firsthand both the jars' timeless aesthetics and that childlike feeling of capturing something really, really great in your two hands.
And if you're feeling inspired about reinventing household items, check out our gallery with several other fun ideas.
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Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)
I use Mason Jars to make Cakes-in-a-Jar which I use for gifts.
ReplyAbsolute best use for a mason jar is to drink beer out of it!!!!!!!
Replyhow ironic! just before sitting down to the computer, i was hankering for a long tall glass of iced tea. i found a mason jar on top of the fridge and filled it. sitting here enjoying the drink and memories of childhood in Virginia.
ReplyI have had a mason jar on my bathroom vanity for quite a while. Its stuffed with cotton balls and I painted a rose on it with my nail polish! LOL
ReplyThat sounds NICE!!! I bet there are 100 more creative uses for mason jars too!
I place my antique spools of thread (the more varied the thread colors the better) in a half gallon Mason jar. They look so cool on a shelf in my sewing room.
ReplyThey left our white lightning....
ReplyI like the ones with handles and so do my grandchildren. I used to buy them at Dollar General but haven't been able to fine them so now I look for them at yard sales.
ReplyJust happen to have mason jars laying around? Where did they come from? Tried canning, but just didn't have the talent or enthusiasm for it, I suppose.
ReplyI still can the jalapeno peppers my husband grows, and sometimes make jelly or jam if someone comes up with fruit they don't want - also, have some with handles and one green one I use as flower vases.
ReplyJust an add on to the Mason Jar train of thought and the fall canning season. I have an enormous amount of peppers this year, a weather thing. Jalapeno, Habanero, Jolokia, (Dorset) Tabasco and Red Carribes Traditional canning is a bit out of my league but slicing them up , packing them in jars and filling the jars up with cheap vodka works really well. They retain their color unlike vinegar, with no stovetop work. Snooty people need not fear as the alcohol evaporates when cooking. Normal people will enjoy "HOT" vodka leftovers. Or Gin, or any high proof alcohol to prevent food poisioning.
Easy, fun and good for gifts. And a good end to all your work. Throw in some garlic and onions, you have a party in a jar! And it does not burn twice, for some reason unknown to this reporter.
I remember the story (verified!) of the helicopter pilots putting a hand grenade in a Mason jar, and pulling the pin, take two or three dozen grenades set up like that.
ReplyDropped from the helicopter, the jar would break on the ground or in the the treetops, release the grenade spoon, and explode 5 seconds later, made for a efficent form of "carpet bombing" in the Vietnam war.
What a dopey comment to place in this kind of comment area.
Putting grenades in mason jars and dropping from helicopters. Ingenuity fighting communism and the enemies of freedom. LOVE IT! I just hope the jar doesn't get broken in route.
ReplyWhat does being Catholic have to do with your idea?
ReplyWe use mason jars both for canning home-made salsa and relish and as fishtanks- the bigger ones, half-gallon and up, serve well for betta fish. They're awful fun to create little landscapes in, and it's easy to cat proof them...just drill some holes in the cap for oxygen and it's good.
ReplyI really love the wall-mounted storage jars. I'm going to have to remember them!
Mason jars are terrific for storing glues that have solvents in them. The tight seal prevents the solvents from evaporating and they will last much longer.
ReplyI have used them for individual cakes. Take the batter and fill the jar almost 1/2 full to allow for the rising. Place them on a baking sheet. Cook till done. When they come out of the oven place the seals and lids on them and you will hear them pop, just like the canning process. Once they have cooled, decorate the jar with raffita or ribbon and such. The make wonderful gifts for one person! :)
ReplyMy mom (75 yrs old) takes the little cukes from her (huge, assorted) garden and adds spices, home-grown garlic, vinegars... whatever, to make spicy/sweet/spicy-sweet phenomenal pickles!!! I'm telling you, nothing like them.... I thank God for the ambrosia in those Bell Jars, recycled many, many, many times!!!
ReplyCandy corn&candles idea for little luminieries is brilliant!!
Reply