Think that jars are only for selling food in? Think again! The humble jar is a versatile object that, when you use your imagination, can be transformed into many wonderful things and have many fantastic uses! From presenting your food in unusual ways, to creating stunning household display items, we’ve got some great ideas on how you can use your empty glass jars in an eco-friendly way that you can enjoy.
Layered Salads
Let’s start with a twist on the traditional use of jars: food storage. Why not use your empty glass jars to store your lunches for work by creating delicious-looking, colourful, layered salad pots? They’re so simple to make, easy to store in your fridge and let’s face it, they just look great! As well as layered salads, why not make a impression at dinner parties by serving up your posh puddings in mason jars? They’re perfect for soft, layered desserts that are eaten with a spoon such as Eton Mess, chocolate mousse, jelly and tiramisu, just to name a few.
Or if you’re more of a traditionalist, you can always simply use glass jars to store all your homemade jams and preserves. Luckily, we’ve got plenty of yummy preserve recipes that you can try out at home!
Mini Terrariums
With just a little soil, a little water, a little sunlight and a little love, you can create your own miniature garden! Whether you’re a keen gardener who doesn’t have the outdoor space or someone who wants to grow their own herbs in your kitchen, glass jars are a great place to start. If you grow small plants in your glass jars, they make fantastic display items for your mantelpieces and windowsills. If you use them to grow herbs such as basil, parsley and thyme in, then you’ll have plenty of fresh produce right on hand to use in your recipes (and you’ll save some money on your shopping bill)!
Find a handy tutorial on how to make a mini terrarium at Makezine.com.
Extra Storage
Putting food aside, a glass jar is an ideal storage solution for small items such as buttons, pins and paperclips, even batteries! Instead of having a traditional ‘man drawer’, full of odd bits and bobs, why not get organised and separate these items out into handy jars? They would be on display so you’d never have to root around a drawer and wonder where anything is ever again! We’re thinking sewing kits, jewellery and any other tricky little objects.
Candle Jars
Glass jars are the ideal vessel for displaying simple tea lights and posh candles to brighten up your living space. There’s nothing better than having some candles burning while you’re snuggled up on the sofa in autumn/winter time! You could even just grab some fairy lights instead of a candle, place the lights in your glass jar, close the lid (leaving the plug hanging out obviously) then turn on the switch. You’ll have a shining ball of light that isn’t a fire hazard! Our range of Le Parfait Jars are absolutely ideal for this and, with no minimum order, you can get as many or as little as you want!
Glass is a durable material that can be used for both indoor and outdoor lighting and can be reused time and time again! You could also use a stylish votive if a glass jar with a lid isn’t doing it for you.
Packaging Gifts And Favours
Looking for unique party or wedding favour? Give a personalised memento that your guests can treasure for a long time to come by filling a glass jar with little trinkets from the day. These could include table name cards, confetti, cufflinks, earrings and a photo-booth strip from the event. Get creative!
Feeling romantic? A great little gift idea for Christmas, birthdays and Valentine’s Day is to fill a jar full of post-it notes which each give a reason why you love the other person. They can take one note from the jar a day and, if you can get imaginative, you can keep this going for a full year!
Finally, you could use your glass jars for what they were originally designed for: jams and preserves. If you’ve made your own homemade jam, marmalade, chutney or relish, you can turn them into sweet little gifts for friends and family to enjoy. Just add a lovely personalised label and tie a fancy ribbon around the jar and voilà!