50 Jar Gifts: idea #47 – Message in a bottle

Posted on December 30, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

thumbdrive in a bottle from Urban Outfitters

I think this thumbdrive would be such a fun way to share a history of historical photos and documents with family. There is no way it would get lost among all the other storage devices kicking around our houses these days. I wonder how hard it would be to recreate this with an inexpensive thumbdrive and small bottle from a craft store. I’ll have to keep this idea in mind for some future project.

If this idea inspires you, let me know. I’d love to share your project here too.

Want some more ideas? Visit my Pinterest board dedicated to jar gift ideas.

50 Jar Gifts: idea #23 – hanging vases

Posted on August 26, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

Mason Jar Hanger by Midwest Finds via MasonJarCraftsLove.com

When I think of my Grandma Jenson I often think of flowers too. We had a family reunion recently and when Grandma Jenson came up the conversation also included memories of her lilac bushes and hollyhocks. She was also very proud of her Amaryllis and other houseplants. I great way to share memories of Irene would be to put some lilacs in one of these great hanging jar vases and give them to a family member along with a story about Grandma either verbal or written or both. Tell the story and include a written copy along with the vase. Chances are every time that family member say that vase they would think of Irene. Do you have an ancestor or living relative who loves flowers? Here are several different ideas for hanging vase jars.

beaded jar vases from PrettyHandyGirl.com

tutorial by intimateweddings.com

this tutorial by 17apart.com includes a frog for the top of the jar

upcycled baby food jars from HGTV.com

If this idea inspires you, let me know. I’d love to share your project here too.

Want some more ideas? Visit my Pinterest board dedicated to jar gift ideas.

50 Jar Gifts: idea #21 – “I Love You” Jar

Posted on May 19, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

gift of love in a jar from New Nostalgia

I had visions of getting a bunch of jar gift ideas done for Mother’s Day but somehow other things took priority. So now I have a chance to do some Father’s Day focused ideas. I find dad’s harder to buy for and often resort to edible gifts for my Dad. I’ll resist that at least for a bit and see what else I can come up with first. This idea works equally well for Moms, Dads, Grandparents or anyone. It is super simple in concept. Just write the things you love and appreciate about the person on slips of paper and put them into a jar. By folding or even curling them it looks fun and helps the jar look full. You can decorate the jar any way you would like. Here are a few examples of what others have done.

photo via Pinterest via Squidoo.com

I love you jar from Debbie Hanley

image from Cool Mom Picks via Pinterest

If this idea inspires you, let me know. I’d love to share your project here too.

Want some more ideas? Visit my Pinterest board dedicated to jar gift ideas.

50 Jar Gifts: idea #14 – Playdough Jars

Posted on January 29, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

rainbow playdough photo from nicolehastings.com by cathryn via Pinterest

Here another idea geared for children. We know that kids can sit still longer if you can keep their hands busy. So how about handing out jars of colorful playdough when you want to tell them a family story? You could encourage them to be inspired by something in the story on what they create. If your story has something to do with making something with your hands that would be a perfect fit too.

I was amazed at all the different recipes for playdough out there now. You can make playdough using jello, with glitter or glow in the dark. It can even be edible or gluten-free. Jars are a natural fit for packaging and story playdough. It prevents it from drying out and it looks pretty too. Here are some ideas from Pinterest that I found intriguing.

DIY Jello-o playdough tutorial from Our Little Coop

Homemade Glow in the Dark Play Dough with instructions

How to Make Glitter Playdough

Homemade (edible) playdough party favors

Gingerbread Playdoh from Maddycakes muse

If this idea inspires you, let me know. I’d love to share your project here too.

Want some more ideas? Visit my Pinterest board dedicated to jar gift ideas.

50 Jar Gifts: idea #13 – I Spy Jars

Posted on January 22, 2014 by tellingfamilytales

image by Spell Outloud via Pinterest

I find I spy bottles fascinating. They are easy and inexpensive to make. I think it would be fun to make jars with objects that represent favorite family stories or things about a specific ancestor. I can just imagine a group of cousins with identical I spy jars gathered around listening to stories about their family while they try to find the item. Another option is to create an I spy jar to help in telling just one story. The items in the jar could represent different parts of the story. It would be awesome to make a story book to go along with the jar. How about a series of I spy jars with companion books waiting on the shelf for the grand-kids to come by?

Rice is the most common filler but lots of other things work like beads, bird seed, wheat or a mixture of small items. I hope the images below will get your creative juices going.