Mason jars bring me back to my childhood. My beloved grandma was an avid canner. She had an abundant garden, filled with cucumbers, onions, green beans, strawberries, and — my favorite — raspberries. She canned all summer long so that we could all enjoy the fruits of her labor in the dreary winter months. I can still taste her canned raspberries, which we would smear on top of warm french toast. Oh, so good! And of course, she canned jams and jellies to make our white-bread toast simply delicious.
These days, I might make some homemade jam or dill pickles once every year or two, bringing the Mason jars back into my kitchen. But more recently, I’ve found myself incorporation those ubiquitous jars into the home organizing realm. They come in a variety of sizes, are see-through, and can be used with or without the lids. They are easy to label, and they look charming out in the open or inside a cupboard. Here are some ideas for using Mason jars to organize your home:
in the kitchen
Use jars to de-bulk your bulk food items. When you take them out of the plastic bags/cardboard boxes and into jars, they look beautiful, take up less space, and make it easy to see what’s running low. Some items that I “jar” include brown sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, marshmallows, white rice, brown rice, wild rice, beans and lentils, pasta, coffee beans, and granola. And I especially love stashing paper cupcake liners in a see-through jar, because I always know when supplies are running low.
Jars also neatly hold silverware when you’re having a buffet-style party, making cutlery easy to grab and even tote outside to the picnic table!
in the bathroom
Use jars to hold toothbrushes or make-up brushes on the vanity (no lid required) and to corral long and skinny make-up items (like lip balms, lipsticks, eye liner, mascara, emery boards). Pop hair binders and barrettes into one and the kiddos will never again have a bad hair day. Cotton balls and q-tips work nicely in a short jar. Make your own bath salts and pop into a jar.
in the home office
Always losing stamps? Stash them in a small Mason jar. Any type of small office supply — such as binder clips, rubber bands, pushpins, or small post-it notes — will work nicely in a clear container.
in the laundry room
I declare that whomever does the laundry gets to keep all the spare change that falls out of the pockets. So keep a Mason jar close to the washer to capture the loot. Clothespins, dryer sheets, and even powdered laundry detergent stashed in pretty jars make a laundry room go from ho-hum to magazine-worthy.
in the kids’ toy room
The see-through quality of Mason jars make them ideal for organizing kids’ small stuff. Everything from sorting Legos (nice for the Lego guys and weapons that are easily lost) to corralling bouncy balls, any little collection will look neater in a jar. Think of how pretty marbles would look… they go from clutter to collection in just a few seconds with the help of a jar.
in the craft room
You could go through a couple dozen jars in this room alone! Whether you’re a scrapper or a jewelry-making fanatic, jars allow you easy access to all those little bits and pieces that make your hobby a pleasure. Use a separate jar for colored pencils, markers, and other writing utensils.
labeling tips
Of course, you can easily create and stick on a label-maker label. But there are other fun ways to label: Spray the lids with chalkboard paint, and use chalk to tell you what’s inside. Hang “tag sale” tags around the mouth of the jars. Print out sticky labels to place on the front or top of jars.
more another time
Mason jars can be used for so much more than canning and organizing. Craft projects, gifts, and decorating ideas abound. I simply love using Mason jars. There is more to come another day. Need some inspiration now? Head over to my Pinterest page dedicated to Mason jars!