Listen up, all you Mason jar lovers out there.
There are so many things you can do with old Mason jars — from food hacks to gift hacks to growing herbs.
You don’t wanna miss this.
1. Bake banana bread.
Once you try this, you’ll never go back to baking in loaf pans again! Divide your banana bread batter into well greased wide-mouth jars. With the jars filled halfway, place them on a baking sheet. Set your oven to the temperature required on the recipe, and bake the bread for 35-45 minutes.
Check that your bread is baked fully by inserting a knife or long shish kebab skewer, making sure to put it in the center of the bread, all the way to the bottom of the jar. When it comes out “clean” and not gooey, your bread is done!
Note: My recipe required 1 hour bake time in a normal loaf pan. In the Mason jars, the bread was fully cooked at 45 minutes.
2. Freshen your car with scented candle wax.
Use a hammer and large nail to punch holes into the lid of your Mason jar. Add wax to the jar and replace the lid. When the temperature in your car rises, the wax will melt, filling your car with fragrance.
3. Make DIY drink sets.
You can make these gifts non-alcoholic as well.
4. Start an herb garden.
Fill the bottom of your jar with rocks or gravel to allow for drainage. Add potting soil and your favorite herb plant to the jar. Water and enjoy!
5. Reuse Kraft Parmesan cheese caps on regular-mouth Mason jars.
6. Stash and light matches.
Using the lid of the jar, trace a circle onto the matchbox then cut out the circle using scissors. Punch a hole for easy access of matches.
Place the cutout box circle onto the top of your jar, and replace the jar ring.
7. Fill a Mason jar with favorite “man pampering” supplies for a Father’s Day gift.
RELATED:15 Inexpensive Gift Ideas from Target’s Dollar Spot
8. Pre-mix beverages for a backyard party.
9. Banish mosquitoes with summer Mason jar luminaries.
Fill jars with water, sliced lemons and limes, and fresh rosemary. Add 10-20 drops of clove, eucalyptus, lavender, and lemongrass essential oils. Place a floating candle in each jar, and enjoy a mosquito-free environment all summer long.
10. Reuse the spout from your salt container.
Trace the jar lid onto the top of the salt container then use an X-acto knife to cut out a circle to fit inside the ring on top of your jar. Fill your jar with salt, sugar, or other items you want to pour and voila!
11. Make a sewing kit jar complete with a pincushion.
Cut a piece of fabric 1½ inches larger than your Mason jar lid on all sides. Wad up a ball of batting, and place it directly onto the center of the lid.
Place the fabric over the ball of batting, and place the jar ring over it. Then, use hot glue to adhere the fabric to the bottom of the lid; trim off the excess fabric. Insert pins and you’re done!
12. Plant real or fake succulents in a Mason jar as home decor or a gift.
Spray paint any size Mason jar, then use sandpaper to give it a distressed look. Add rocks or gravel to the bottom of your jar for drainage, and plant succulents (or use fake ones).
Add a gift tag saying, “Thank you for helping me grow,” and give to your favorite teacher as an end-of-the-year gift.
13. Pack snacks in a wide-mouth Mason jar and snack-size fruit cup container.
RELATED: 16 Amazing Mason Jar Lid Hacks You’ve Never Heard Before
14. Turn a blender into a Magic Bullet by screwing the blades onto the Mason jar.
Fill a Mason jar with smoothie or milkshake ingredients, attach the blade, and blend as you normally would.
Wide-mouth Mason jars won’t work — only use standard Mason jars.
15. Store homemade slime.
To make the slime, mix one tablespoon of Elmer’s glue with one tablespoon of water. In another cup, mix two tablespoons of Borax and two tablespoons of water.
Pour the first solution and the Borax solution together then add some food coloring if you want a cool color. It won’t dye your hands at all if you stir it in well before you knead the slime.
Knead the slime with your hands. It may seem like it’s taking forever, but don’t give up — you’ll eventually get the perfect consistency.
16. Prevent muffin cups from being crushed.
17. Serve single portions of snacks in lidded Mason jars while traveling.
18. Create illuminating holiday jars with cranberries and floating candles.
Fill the Mason jars with sprigs of pine, cranberries and water. Top with a floating candle, light, and enjoy!
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