How to Make Crayon-Covered Jars for Party Favors & Gifts

Decorate a Jar With Crayons for a Gift, Centerpiece, or Party Favor

These colorful, decorative jars make wonderful teacher appreciation gifts, party favors, or table decorations for a variety of occasions and events. They're easy to assemble, and they're a great way to repurpose and recycle old jars!

In This Article

• Ideas for Using Crayon-Covered Jars
• Ideas for Filling and Displaying Crayon-Covered Jars
• Basic Materials for Making a Crayon-Covered Jar
• How to Remove the Labels From Your Jars
• How to Plan Your Color Groupings
• Step-by-Step Instructions for the Crayon-Covered Jar
• Double-Sided Tape Method
• Hot Glue Method With a Fabric Background

Ideas for Using Crayon-Covered Jars

These handy jars can be used for:

• art activity at a children's party or family event
• party favors and/or table decorations for a child's birthday party, baby shower, art event, or school fundraiser
• a charming gift for a teacher, tutor, camp counselor, or babysitter
• a handy pen holder for craft fairs or art exhibitions
• a bright pick-me-up for anyone and everyone!

Ideas for Filling and Displaying Crayon-Covered Jars

These colorful jars are great for holding a variety of things, and they can be filled or topped off with whatever you choose. Here are some ideas to design and complete your gift or table decoration:

• fresh flowers in water or a pretty arrangement of artificial flowers
• individually wrapped candies like colorful Life Savers or lollipops
• a small, desk-sized plant like an African violet, some ivy, or a succulent
• school or art supplies such as pens, markers, pencils, and paintbrushes

Basic Materials for Making a Crayon-Covered Jar

• Clean, empty jars: These can be plastic or glass and of any size. Mason jars, jam jars, and condiment jars are all good choices.
• Crayons: How many you need depends on the colors you choose and the size (circumference) of your jar.
• Double stick tape or hot glue, depending on how you want to attach your crayons (see below)
• Ribbon for tying bows
• (optional) Fabric or decorative paper for wrapping around your jar
• Items to fill your completed jar

Helpful Hints

• It's best to buy new crayons with unused tips and clean labels for this project.
• When buying your crayons, look inside the box to make sure none of the crayons are broken or have lost their tips.
• How many crayons you need will depend on the size of your jar. I used about 30 to cover a relish jar and about 40 to cover a spaghetti sauce container.

How to Remove the Labels From Your Jars

You want to be sure that your jars are washed and cleaned before beginning this project. You do not need to remove the labels from your jars, but it does make a nicer presentation. There are some easy ways to remove the paper labels from most jars.

1. Soak in a pan of water with your label completely covered. Most paper labels will come off completely if left overnight, or you can scratch them off after they've softened in the water.
2. If #1 doesn't work or leaves behind some remnants, run the jar through your dishwasher. This usually removes any bits of the paper.
3. For stubborn labels, take a cotton swab doused with a product like Goo Gone and rub it over the label until the paper comes off, then wash your jar completely.

If your jar has a silk-screened label or some other type of label on it, you can always just cover it up with decorative fabric or paper.

How to Plan Your Color Groupings

These jars can use a lot of crayons, particularly if you are covering many jars for table decorations or a special event. To use the crayons in your box most efficiently, you may want to choose and group your crayons by color family. By grouping your crayons, you can use all your pastel crayons on one jar and all your bold colors on another. Check out the images below for some sample color groupings.

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Crayon-Covered Jar

There are a couple of ways to assemble your crayon-covered jars. I'll cover the following options below:

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• Double-Sided Tape: This option allows you to later remove the crayons if you like.
• Hot Glue: If you glue the crayons to the jar, they will not be removable, but you can incorporate a colorful fabric background with this method.

Double-Sided Tape Method

If you want to be able to use the crayons off of your jars, for instance, as a child's art activity or for party favors, I would use double-stick tape as your adhesive. The crayons will peel off your jars with only minimal if any, damage to their paper wrapping.

1. Wrap two lines of double-stick tape around your jar. One line should be close to the top of where your crayons will line up on the jar surface, and the other should be towards the bottom.

If your jar has any high edges that will connect with your crayons, be sure to put tape over these areas so your crayons will stick to the high points.

2. You may also need to add loops of tape to the center area of your jar's surface if your crayons are not sticking with just the wraps of tape.

3. When your tape is in place, start placing your chosen crayon colors in a line along the side of your jar. I would suggest lining them up, so the labels all face in the same direction. I had the Crayola logo show on each of my crayons, but you could also line them up, so each color's name is showing.

4. Once your crayons are in place, I would recommend placing an elastic around your crayons on your jar and leaving it for several hours. This will ensure a firm bond between the tape and the crayons.

5. Finish by tying a bow either at the top of your jar or around the center of your container. If you choose to tie your ribbon in the center, you can leave your elastic in place and put the ribbon over it.

Hot Glue Method With a Fabric Background

If you want to add more color to your jar, or if you want it to match your event décor, you can add a background to your crayon-covered jar. This is also a great way to cover up your label if you are unable to remove it. You can use a number of materials as a background on your jars, including:

• wide ribbon or lace trim
• fabric or burlap
• decorative paper
• paper or crocheted doilies

However, this process will involve hot gluing your crayons to your background.

1. Cut your background material to the height and width you need to wrap your jar. If you are using fabric, you may want to use pinking shears to cut it. If you are using a paper product, you may want to use decorative-edged scissors to give a pretty trim to your background material.

2. Use either hot glue or tacky glue to adhere your background material to your jar. Then let your container dry completely.

3. Working with just a couple of crayons at a time, glue them to your background material using a thin line of hot glue placed just in the center. If you are using a paper product as your background material, you may be able to use double-stick tape, as shown above.

4. When your crayons are in place and your glue is dry, complete your jar with a bow or any finishing touch you choose. Then fill and enjoy!

© 2015 Donna Herron

Comments

Donna Herron (author) from USA on December 23, 2017:

Hi Glenda- so glad your grandchildren will enjoy this project! Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Glenda Hyde on December 21, 2017:

This is AWESOME ! Thanks so much for sharing . Grandkids will love making these . They visit every 2 weeks and always wanting to do crafts .GOD BLESS & MERRY CHRISTMAS

Donna Herron (author) from USA on November 12, 2017:

Hi Lisa - So glad that this project has inspired you to make something special for your grandson's teachers. Special needs teachers really put in a lot of extra attention and effort. I'm sure they will appreciate your gifts and gratitude! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Lisa Barnes on November 12, 2017:

I’m making baskets for all my amazing special needs teachers that teach my grandson. I can’t wait to make this one for him main teacher who gives so much of herself to her students. What a great idea.

Donna Herron (author) from USA on March 07, 2017:

Yes, Selene, you can use pretty much any size jar to make these crayon-covered gifts. It's great for using lots of jars from your recycle bin. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!

selene on March 06, 2017:

this is a nice idea when you have a jar of any size

Donna Herron (author) from USA on June 21, 2015:

Thanks, pstraubie48! They are a fun project to make (and use!) for any age. I have mine on my desk holding colored pencils right now. It's so cheerful and handy :) Thank so much, as always, for your comments and support. Much appreciated!

Patricia Scott from North Central Florida on June 20, 2015:

What a great idea. This would be fun to do with friends ..sitting around chatting and creating...

I would have loved to have received one of these when I was teaching.

How cute they are.

Pinned, shared, g+ tweeted and Voted up up and away

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 17, 2015:

Thanks, torrilynn! So glad you like this idea. Thanks for your comments!

torrilynn on May 16, 2015:

I think the idea of decorating jars is a really fun idea and seems to be like a cool arts and craft project that you could do with your kids. thanks for the hub. Best of wishes.

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 15, 2015:

Hi Rebecca - Great to meet another crayon lover :) In retrospect, I wish I had placed these crayons with the names showing instead of the logo. Crayolas always have such wonderful names! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 15, 2015:

Thanks, Thelma! I had a hard time giving a few of these away. I wanted to keep them all for myself :) Thanks so much for your comments and vote up! I appreciate it!

Rebecca Mealey from Northeastern Georgia, USA on May 15, 2015:

How nice! I have always loved a big ol' box of crayolas, and these projects take them to a "whole nuther level."

Thelma Alberts from Germany on May 15, 2015:

Wow! This looks beautiful. I could even imagine to have this on my writing table. Thanks for sharing the DIY. Well done! Voted up and useful.

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 15, 2015:

Thanks, Glimmer Twin Fan! I think these jars could appeal to many ages, and could be made more sophisticated by using a modern background material that suits the occasion or the recipient. Lots of options!! Thanks so much for your comments!

Claudia Porter on May 15, 2015:

Love love love this! I wish my daughter was young enough to still enjoy something like this for a party favor. Another awesome craft purl3!

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 15, 2015:

Hi Jackie - I never thought to buy crayons at the dollar store, but you're right - they don't need to be the best quality. I just used a coupon from my big box craft store, but your suggestion is very smart, particularly if you want to make a lot of these jars for an event or party. Thanks so much for your comments and ideas!

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 15, 2015:

Hi RTalloni - I love your balloons idea! That would be great for any kind of celebration. Thanks for your comments and for sharing your great idea!!

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 15, 2015:

Thanks, linfcor! So glad you like it :)

Jackie Lynnley from the beautiful south on May 14, 2015:

How very cute this is and the Dollar Tree crayons would be great to get not needing to be great quality, huh? I have to try this it is so cute; thank you for sharing! ^+

RTalloni on May 14, 2015:

Cute, cute, cute! I would go for the baby shower use hands down! A bouquets of balloons in one of these jars would make a great centerpiece. :)

Linda F Correa from Spring Hill Florida on May 14, 2015:

Very Cute

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 14, 2015:

Hi Heidi - Thanks so much! I always enjoy hearing from you and I appreciate your comments, shares, and support. So glad you like this project. Thank you!!

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 14, 2015:

Hi craftdrawer - Yes, I think this project would be quite fun for children to make as gifts or to use for themselves. Of course, I think this is a great project for adults too! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 14, 2015:

Hi Poetryman6969 - I know I might want to use these crayons too, so I don't always permanently attach them, just in case :) Thanks for your comments and support!

Heidi Thorne from Chicago Area on May 14, 2015:

Another winner from the creative and crafty purl3agony! This is adorable and I think I might even have time to complete a project like this. Voted up, awesome, beautiful and sharing!

craftdrawer on May 14, 2015:

What a great idea! I think this would be a fun gift for a child to make for a friend!

poetryman6969 on May 14, 2015:

I was wondering what would happen if a child wanted to use one of the crayons but I see one of your design choices takes care of that.

I like the way you always include nice, clear photos of your craftiness. Voted up.

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 14, 2015:

Hi Peggy W - Thanks! These jars really do brighten up any event, table, or day :) I made the fall colors jar for myself and have it on my desk. It definitely makes me smile. Thanks so much for your comments, pin, tweet, share, & everything else!!

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 14, 2015:

Hi Jill - So great to hear from you! I'm excited to see your gardening hubs for this summer. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! As always, I appreciate it.

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 14, 2015:

Hi Millionaire Tips - Thanks so much! These jars were quite easy and a lot of fun to make. Thanks so much for your comments and pin!!

Donna Herron (author) from USA on May 14, 2015:

Hi Sally - Thank you! I actually made these for some friends when we were having a girls art & fun night. They were really cute favors to share. So glad you like them and thanks, as always, for your very sweet comments :)

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on May 14, 2015:

What a colorful presentation these crayon covered jars make. I love it! Pinning this to my crafts board, tweeting and happy to share.

Jill Spencer from United States on May 14, 2015:

These are really cute! And as always, your hub is beautifully done.

Shasta Matova from USA on May 14, 2015:

These are really cute! What a clever idea! Pinned.

Sally Gulbrandsen from Norfolk on May 14, 2015:

purl3agony,

Hello Donna,

Those are gorgeous. This is a beautiful and a very useful hub. I will definitely use this idea when I next need a gift for some little ones. Very well done, you never disappoint.

Sally.