If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I grew up on a farm in South Dakota. Being a farm girl, my fall months were spent helping my mom and grandma can fruit and vegetables from our gardens to eat during the winter months. For decades, glass canning jars had just one use, and that was to store food for the future. Lately though, I have started to use Mason jars for a variety of other uses. Keeping just a few of these around your home means you can have them handy for a number of everyday uses.
1.) Drinking Glasses
One of the cutest ways I’ve seen glass jars used is as drinking glasses. Yes, you can go buy a set of drinking glasses, but using jars offers a cute, country look to your beverages. Whether you keep them in your cabinet and use them on a daily basis, or you have a bunch of them that you prefill with adult cocktails for a party, the jars are a cute and handy way to serve drinks.
A bonus about using the jars for party drinks is that you can premix the drinks, pour them in the jars, screw on the lids, and toss them in to a cooler or tub of ice. It cuts down on the amount of hands-on work that needs to be done during the festivities, which means you can have more time with your guests.
2.) Smoothies
Another way you can use Mason jars for drinks is for your morning smoothies. My husband and I go through phases where we drink smoothies as a meal replacement in the morning. I had been using travel cups to drink these on the road, but that caused issues a few mornings where my hands were full. I realized that I needed a better option to seal up my smoothie so I could throw it in my purse and drink it when I got to the office. Know what works great for that? Mason jars.
I used the pint size jars to store my peanut butter and banana protein shakes or my green drinks until I got to my desk. Then I’d pop off the sealed lid and toss in a straw to enjoy my smoothie. It was a quick and easy way to make sure that my smoothie got in my mouth instead of the bottom of my purse or the front of my shirt.
See Also: How to Make the Perfect Smoothie
3.) Salads
Now that you have the drinks covered, it’s time to look at some food storage options that you can use the jars for. One of my favorites is to use the jars for lunch salads. At the beginning of each week, it’s super easy to layer the salad ingredients in to several jars and have them ready to grab on your way out the door.
When you assemble the salad ingredients, it’s important to put the dressing on the bottom of the jar, then put in more sturdy ingredients that won’t wilt. Good examples are carrots, celery, tomatoes, or meat. Continue to layer ingredients, with your leafy greens being the last ones added to the jar so they don’t touch the dressing and get soggy. When you’re ready to eat the salad, tip the jar over and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes. The dressing will work its way down to coat all the ingredients so then a quick shake will help evenly disperse it and mix your ingredients. You can eat it straight from the jar or pour it in to a large bowl.
4.) Pantry Storage
This next idea came from a client who hired my organizing company to make-over her pantry. She had a whole bunch of large Mason jars in her pantry already, but didn’t really have a good use for them. She wanted to incorporate them into her pantry, and asked us how we thought they could best be used. While there are literally hundreds of ways they could be used, we decided to use them for her baking supplies, like flour, sugar, and even muffin liners. The large jars were a great option to store these panty staples, and a few cute labels made them equal parts storage and decoration.
5.) Snack Storage
Another option for food storage is to use glass jars to store individual candies and treats, cereals, or pourable snacks like pretzels. By removing these items from their bulky and unattractive packaging, you can more easily see if you are running low and keep your pantry looking much cuter. Keep in mind that this storage method is better for homes without small children. Kids are creative, and no matter how high of a shelf you store these treats, they will likely try and figure out a way to get to the treat jars. The last thing you want is a broken glass jar in your pantry when your child jumps off the chair to retrieve a piece of chocolate. Only use this option for treats if you have a house full of people who are old enough and coordinated enough to be able to safely open the treat jars.
6.) Vases
The next tip is one that is not at all food related, and it’s to use Mason jars as flower vases. There’s no need to buy expensive vases that just create clutter around your home. The same larger jars that are great for salads can also be used to display a bouquet of flowers. A few weeks ago I gave one of my employees a dozen roses for her 3 year anniversary with Moxie Girl. She is in the process of moving, so I didn’t give her a vase because I didn’t want to give her one more item to move. A few hours after I left the flowers with her, I received a picture of the roses in a glass jar and they were adorable! I know that she uses Mason jars for a whole lot of things around her house, so it was fun to see how she was able to reuse one to display the flowers. No need for expensive and bulky vases when you have a few Mason jars hanging around your home!
7.) Storing Small Stuff
The final way I like to use Mason jars in a home is to corral a bunch of small items that you are keeping around the home. A set of small jars on a bathroom counter can keep a supply of cotton balls, cotton pads, and cotton swabs within reach and still looking nice. Another small jar on the counter can contain bobby pins or safety pins, and yet another jar in your closet can collect all the extra buttons that come with every new dress shirt.
There are hundreds of ways to incorporate glass jars in to your daily routine and your home’s storage. These are just a few of my favorites, and hopefully they give you a few ideas to get you started. You can likely come up with a dozen more uses that will make your life easier or cuten up your current storage options.
Also, check out this fun fall mason jar craft from Mighty Mommy and another cool use for mason jars: outdoor lighting!
Until next time, I’m the Domestic CEO, helping you love your home.
Mason jar image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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