The only thing about Mason jars is that..well…they look all the same. Sure, they’re lovely enough, but so uniform! Fortunately, with a little fabric, some thread, and a bit of upcycled cardboard, you can package your Mason jar gifts for the holidays, personalizing them by gift or recipient or just making them look nicely festive. First, fill up your Mason jar in a way that looks pretty. Admittedly, there’s not a lot of flair in my homemade lavender and rosemary laundry soap (I know, I know–it doesn’t sound like such a super gift, but I swear that the recipient is going to love it!), and things like homemade spice mixes will already need to be blended before you fill your jars, but if you’re giving a gift like a homemade chocolate chip cookie kit, or a selection of freshly-cut herbs, layer them into your jars in a way that adds interest. Next » Find a piece of cardboard to upcycle into a gift tag. Use a piece that’s a little on the large side, because it’s also where you’re going to label the jar’s contents and write down any specific instructions for baking, washing, etc. If you’re giving a food item and thus will be including a lid with your Mason jar, you can also create a DIY Mason jar label for it, but you won’t always want to include a lid with your Mason jar gift. For gift tags, it can be fun to fussy cut cute images from cardboard packaging–a cartoon elf, say, or this trumpet-blowing angel that I’ve cut out from an old cardboard record album cover. Hole-punch one corner of the tag, and if you find my nice mini hole punch anywhere, please tell me where it is because I’m going nuts without it. Next » Remove the ring from your Mason jar (if you haven’t already). Do this even if you’re giving something canned–the seal is in the lid, not the ring. After you’ve written your niceties on the gift tag, use a piece of thread or twine, the thinner the better (as long as it won’t break), to tie the tag onto the ring. Next » Find a scrap of fabric that’s at least a quarter-inch wider than the ring on all sides; the piece that I’m using for this jar is 4.5″ square. Center the fabric on top of the Mason jar, and screw the ring onto the jar right over the fabric. It’ll be a little snug, but it will screw on. For a food item or a canned good, the fabric will go on top of the lid, but if you’re giving a dry good such as my homemade laundry soap, especially if it smells nice (which it does!), then consider excluding a lid altogether, since just the ring and the fabric will keep the insides contained.
