Updated date:

Feb 24, 2016

Baby Food Jars: Crafts, Ideas, and Projects

Author:

Rose is a full-time freelance writer who frequently writes about education, special education, DIY projects, food, Milwaukee, and more.

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This is one of those article ideas that came to me while I was browsing Pinterest researching other article topics. I came across enough baby food jar ideas without even looking to know that there was great potential for an article. My further research did not disappoint. There are a number of simple storage solutions out there as well as more involved craft projects. Many of these ideas are kid friendly and make great gifts for just about any occasion. Additionally, make of these projects are ideal for parties, showers, weddings, and more.

I have included as many baby jar specific tutorials and ideas as I could find. I have also included a number of other jar projects that can be easily customized for baby food jar sizes.

One of the tutorials I found recommends using Doom bug spray for stubborn jar labels that leave a lot of sticky residue. If you have this problem with any of your jars, give it a try.

Please respect artist copyrights. All ideas and tutorials are for personal use only unless it is indicated otherwise. If you're interested in selling your creations, contact the artists directly to work out agreements. Thank you and happy creating!

Spice Storage

One of the most popular options for baby food jars is spice storage. If you are looking for a uniform, compact way to store your spices, you may want to give this a try. Popular methods for labeling the jars include chalk board paint and sticky labels (i.e. address labels). Baby food jars will fit in a variety of spice racks and other kitchen storage areas, such as drawers. Keep in mind that it's ideal to have jars that are all the same size for this storage option. Additionally, some people choose to attach magnets to the bottoms of the jars and then stick them on the side of the fridge.

Small Craft Supply Storage: Buttons, Thread, Etc.

Another popular storage option for baby food jars is craft supply storage. Most tutorials involve refinishing or repurposing a shelf that will hold the jars or finding a place to attach the lids under a shelf. You may want to label your jars, but unless they will be in a drawer where you can only see the tops, most likely this is not a necessity.

Desk/Office Supply Storage

You can use any of the spice and craft supply storage suggestions above to store your small desk and office supplies. The under shelf storage is a great solution for smaller work areas that don't have a lot of drawers and/or desk space. If you do have drawers or shelf space to store the jars, you can still use one or more of the labeling or organizing suggestions.

Pincushion

If you are need of a new pincushion or are brainstorming a unique gift for a crafty friend, a baby jar pincushion is an inexpensive, easy option. Most likely you will have the majority of the materials that you need at home already and can acquire the rest at any sewing store. Keep in mind that you will be gluing the top of jar shut so the buttons or other items of your choosing in the bottle are for décor purposes only.

CraftPudding: tutorial - baby food jar pincushion

Cupcake Holders

Instead of serving cupcakes from a platter or packaging them up for gifts in little baggies, you can put them in little jars. This is sure to wow the recipients at any function. Cupcakes in jars are perfect for birthdays, baby showers, and wedding showers. They could even make a fun way to serve dessert for a wedding if you want to have cupcakes instead of a traditional cake. Don't feel limited to the cupcake recipes in these tutorials.

Candle Holders/Lighting

There are a variety of baby jar candle/lighting projects from simple votive holders to large chandeliers. Some tutorials involve placing votives in the jars while others involve pouring wax. If you don't have experience with making candles, make sure to read all of the wax directions carefully. You can create festive décor for an outdoor garden party or wedding reception or you can get ambitious and construct a new permanent light fixture for your living room or dining room.

Planters

Baby food jars are an excellent size for little planters. Use them grow small indoor plants, start outdoor plants, or create vases for centerpieces or other table decorations.

Treat Jars

Baby food jars are a nice size to fill with little treats for just about any occasion. I found the most ideas for Halloween, but don't feel limited to this. You can customize your jars any way that you like. Use them as a way to serve treats at the party or have guests take home little party favor goodies.

Do it yourself wedding favor decorations for candy jars!

Snow Globes

Make your own snow globes with baby food jars. Many craft stores and hardware stores sell a variety of plastic and ceramic figurines as well as evergreen trees around Christmas. If you are purchasing items specifically for your globes, make sure to double check the sizes before buying. Screw the lid on tightly when you're finished! Some tutorials recommend gluing it in place so it won't come undone, which I would do.

Christmas Ornaments

There are a handful of great tutorials out there for making Christmas tree ornaments out of either whole jars or jar lids. You can follow the directions in the tutorials or you can use these as inspiration to create your own ornaments. The possibilities are endless.

Baby Food Jar Christmas Trees - AJ's Craft Room

Photo Frames

This is one of the easiest photo frame ideas out there. One of the best parts about it is that if you cut your photos to fit the jars snugly, you don't need to glue the photos. This allows you to switch them out as frequently as you like. The jars in this tutorial are very plain, but of course you can customize them any way you like.

Glass Jar Photo Frames

Potpourri

I could not find any potpourri tutorials/ideas that specifically involved baby food jars, but it is easy enough to customize this concept with any type of small jar. There are a wide variety of potpourri recipes and numerous décor options out there. It is up to you to decide what will best fit the season/holiday and your personal preferences (or those of the recipients if you're giving gifts).

Purchasing pre-made potpourri and packaging it yourself can still be cheaper than buying ready made sets.

Animal Figures

The most popular method for making animal figures out of baby food jars is to turn the jars upside down and attach faces and ears. Googly eyes work well, and you can use any combination of paper, foam, fabric, etc. to create the other face pieces. Additionally, some people glue plastic animals on the tops of the jars and then spray paint the animals and tops.

Do you enjoy making crafts out of recycled materials? Check this out!

Junk Mail Crafts: How to Make Unique Projects With Recycled Paper
This article is about junk mail crafts. There are a wide variety of unique projects to make with recycled paper including stationery products, wall art, jewelry, and home décor. There are lots of photos and resources.
Uses for Wine Corks: Crafts, Home Décor Projects, Garden Ideas, and More
This article is about uses for wine corks. It includes a wide variety of photos, tutorials, and other resources for crafts, home décor projects, garden ideas, and much more. There is something here for everyone.
Ways to Reuse Empty Pill Bottles: Crafts, Ideas, and More
This article is about ways to reuse empty pill bottles. It includes basic ways to reuse and recycle them as well as craft projects with pill bottles. There are lots of photos, links, and other resources.

Comments

Celeste Wilson on September 25, 2018:

I really tried to choose a favorite idea but it was impossible. I love, love, love the chandelier ideas but then the kid's crafts, then ..... "0) My niece and nephew are visiting this holiday season and I have a ton of ideas to keep them busy now. Thank you so much. This is an awesome collection.

Susan Hazelton from Sunny Florida on June 19, 2018:

What a wonderful collections of ideas and information. Each one of the ideas are terrific.

peachy from Home Sweet Home on November 28, 2014:

i used baby food jars for coins, seasonings and spice, very useful.

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 29, 2013:

Thanks so much, agapsikap!

agapsikap from Philippines on May 29, 2013:

They're cute and ideas are lovely. Great hub!

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 24, 2013:

Thanks, IslandBites!

IslandBites from Puerto Rico on April 24, 2013:

Really cute.

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 21, 2013:

Thanks, FlourishAnyway! That's great.

FlourishAnyway from USA on April 21, 2013:

I especially like the planters and treat jar idea! Thanks for sharing.

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 23, 2013:

Yes, for sure, Cathleena! Thanks so much!

Cathleena Beams from Tennessee on March 23, 2013:

I never realized so much could be done with baby food jars. Your hub is as amazing as all the beautiful things you made. How creative, inspiring and gorgeous!

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 16, 2013:

That's great, Jmillis! I'm the same way.

Jmillis2006 from North Carolina on March 16, 2013:

I might try some of these, I love crafts that allow me to reuse old items that would otherwise end up in the trash.

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 05, 2013:

Thanks so much, Neinahpets! If you have lots of baby jars on hand, it can be fun to recycle some of them creatively.

Stephanie from Canada on March 05, 2013:

Very cute crafts! I had never thought you could do this with baby jars, and with so many that pile up when you have a toddler. What a way to recycle!

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 02, 2013:

Thanks so much!

Jessica Salmon from Newcastle Upon Tyne on March 02, 2013:

Lots of lovely Ideas here!

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 09, 2012:

Yes, for sure! The Swarovski project sounds great!

talfonso from Tampa Bay, FL on July 09, 2012:

Oh gosh - a gazillion ways to use baby food jars! Those ideas sound so good! Maybe I'll buy some Swarovski flatbacks and glue them on to make them look like it cost hundreds!

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 04, 2012:

Thanks jpcmc! Even if you still end up recycling some of your jars, hopefully you'll be able to put some of them to use. Have fun. :)

JP Carlos from Quezon CIty, Phlippines on June 04, 2012:

WOW these are creative ways to use baby food jars. I have a 1 year old daughter and yes, we have lots of baby food jars. i hate to throw them away but they are becoming a huge clutter at home. At least now I have alternatives on how to use them.

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 28, 2012:

Thanks Ronna!

RonnaPennington from Arkansas on May 27, 2012:

LOVE the idea of painting the lids with chalkboard paint. How clever! Thanks for sharing!!

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 02, 2012:

Thanks WebsiteConfetti! If you know anyone who has babies, you can ask them to save jars for you. Otherwise you can look for deals in thrift stores or on eBay, Craigslist, or Freecycle.

Ness from Australia on May 02, 2012:

Very inspiring hub! I like the baby animal ones but I love the cupcake ones! How beautiful. I just wish I had a supply of baby jars!

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 01, 2012:

Thanks so much ytsenoh! I'm glad that the images help. You are definitely right about the measure of creativity.

Cathy from Louisiana, Idaho, Kauai, Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri on April 30, 2012:

What an incredible hub, again! Great ideas and the images help bring those ideas to life. You covered so much in this hub, it has to be thumbs up. The measure of creativity seems endless. Thanks much.

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 29, 2012:

Thanks so much!

lcbenefield on April 29, 2012:

So cool and fun to read. I can't wait to try some of these. What a great hub that you shared.

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 28, 2012:

Thanks so much Kelley!

kelleyward on April 28, 2012:

I really enjoyed reading this! You have so many great ideas that you have compiled here making it easy for the reader! Voted up! Take care, Kelley

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 27, 2012:

I think that it does. I can't vouch for every type of glass jar or canister, but there are a lot of tutorials out there like this:

http://mistergandmecrafts.blogspot.com/2012/02/cha...

So I think it's worth a shot!

Kristin Trapp from Illinois on April 27, 2012:

Do you know if the chalkboard paint adheres to the glass? I've seen glass canisters sold in the store this way but am not sure if I can do it myself. If it works it would be fun to do that on the larger sides of glass jars and label them with chalk. Just a thought.

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 27, 2012:

Thanks ktrapp! Many of these ideas will work well with larger jars. I'm glad that this is helpful for you.

Kristin Trapp from Illinois on April 27, 2012:

I love these ideas, especially the one with the chalkboard painted lids. I don't have a supply of baby food jars, but I think I may try it out with larger jars (i.e. spaghetti sauce jars). Thanks for the inspiration!

Rose Clearfield (author) from Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 27, 2012:

Thanks Beth! I appreciate the share.

lady rain, I bet that you'll be able to find someone!

Kris, thanks! Looks like you're in the same boat with the jars. If you don't know anyone with babies, you can always check Freecycle, Craigslist, or eBay for some cheap (or free) jars.

Kris Heeter from Indiana on April 27, 2012:

I love this ideas! Now I just have to find some moms with baby food jars to get rid of LOL :) Definitely bookmarking this for the future and sharing with friends!

lady rain from Australia on April 27, 2012:

This is so cool. Love the spice bottles and all the other cute stuffs. Now I have to find someone who has a baby and see if they have those empty jars :D

BethDW on April 26, 2012:

Love this! I especially like the office supply storage idea, and the snow globes! Voted up and shared :)