First of all… before I get to the mason jars, let me just say that I’m crazy. I know this. I’m whacko. Contrary to my usual M.O. of doing these things at 3:00 in the morning, I decided (on this past Tuesday at 1:00 p.m.) to randomly finish doing the complete blog overhaul in ONE DAY. And I should also say that I was nowhere near being done- so I basically did everything in 3 hours. Yup. 3 HOURS. It was a massive pain in my ass, but it’s done. Everything is working, everything is fine, & I’m DONE. Hopefully never to read the word ‘widget’ again.
It’s totally different looking than it used to be. More content focused & streamlined. With the new layout, you’ll see that everything is over there to the right →
All the blog pages, the archives, the search form, the categories & even the link to the recipe index…. they’re all over there now. If you’re on a mobile device, then they’re probably at the bottom- keep scrolling down! The blog posts are no longer separated & you don’t have to click on them individually anymore; now they’re all here just like you’re reading a newspaper, just keep scrolling down. The comments link can be found at the bottom of the blog post. The ‘Pin It’, Facebook/Twitter/e-mail sharing buttons are still down there too, as well as the ‘print’ button. Other than the obvious, everything is the same.
Okay! On to the craft of the day:
Lately, I’ve been really taking notice of the small details. I was always the kind of person who was uber observant; I’d notice when someone’s shoes were a different shade of black than the dress they had on, I’d see that tiny little stain on a tablecloth no one else could see, etc. I was always like that. But nowadays I’m really noticing that the little things are sometimes what makes the biggest impression; in a positive way. Those little things that go unnoticed by most people make a giant impression on me!
For example, the above photo. Most people wouldn’t even notice the gold dots on the jar.
But I do notice these things. And they make me smile. So when I happened upon this post a few months ago, I knew I had to re-create it for myself. Unfortunately my quilted 8 oz. jars were all being used for jams & jellies or in the possession of other folks (return the jars, guys, and nobody gets hurt!), so I had to use a 16 oz. or pint-sized jar. Turns out I really love the way it looks on the smooth glass.
Note: I used a Golden Harvest mason jar, which (unlike Ball/Kerr) has an entirely smooth side. You can buy them at Dollar Tree or Walmart.
I don’t have to tell you how big mason jars are right now. They’re everywhere! I’ve seen them for sale in stores that never carried them before, and you can’t swing a cupcake on Pinterest without hitting a how-to on some kind of mason jar craft or recipe. And if you’re not using them for food preservation, why not spice ’em up a bit.
It’s not difficult.
Anyone can do it.
It just involves drawing dots on a jar. Any pattern of dots you want.
Or stripes. Or zig zags. Or your initials. Whatever. (I like dots)
Cost breakdown: for me, it cost me nothing. I had the Sharpies & the jars already. For you, one gold Sharpie costs about $1.99 and you can get a single jar in a craft store for around $1.00 or $2.00 depending on size. You can also buy a set of 4 metallic Sharpies for around $5.00 and an entire case of jars for anywhere from $9.99 to $15.99 (again depending on size)- they come in handy for lots of things, I promise.
You can see the swirls in the marker in this shot due to the lighting, but trust me you won’t notice when you’re using the jar!
So you get your jar(s) & your Sharpie(s) & you get to work. Just draw dots…. draw dots ’til your hearts content. It looks crazy cute, it’s simple, it’s fun & it makes a great project for kids. Or grown-ups who like to get crafty. It does make a great rainy day craft for bored kids in the summer, though: stick a Sharpie in one of their hands & a jar in the other & let them doodle away. And if you’re having a DIY wedding/engagement/birthday party, maybe use the blue Ball®jars & a silver Sharpie to create centerpieces. Write the date along with a cute little polka dot pattern & fill it with some pretty flowers & you’re good to go.
And you can use the jars for just about anything: drinking vessels, pen holders (or Sharpie holders!), to keep your spare change in, a jar to stash miscellaneous items like spare buttons, a holder for matching gold-handled wooden spoons… or, my favorite: as vases!
To have two or three lined up on a counter or dresser, each one with flowers in it seems like such a simple yet beautiful idea to me.
And you don’t have to use gold, obviously. The metallic Sharpies come in silver & bronze as well, and you could also just use regular colored Sharpies. Make a rainbow-dotted jar if that floats your boat. Spray paint the lids & bands to match, & you’ve got a really cute looking multipurpose container, ready to hold whatever you want!
*Thank you to withlovely.com for the idea.
I'm Marilla. A 30-something artist, hobby baker, home canning enthusiast, gardener, DIY-er, wife, mommy of a baby boy and dog mom (to another baby boy) from New York. 
Uber cute!!! Simple and cheap, I like!
It’s such a cute way to dress up a jar! You wouldn’t think little dots would make a difference, but they do.
I love the new blog and I love this idea! I’m definitely going to try and make some of these. The blue pint jars would look so cute with polka dots mixed with snowflakes for a wintery gift 🙂
Thank you Hillary 🙂 And yes! They would! Super cute!
Nice re-do of the blog, Marilla! And I *heart* this idea. I have several mayo jars I refused to throw into the recycle bin because they are completely smooth. But instead of Sharpie marker, I’m going to try metallic paint (MS for glass) and cure it. I’ll let you know how it turns out 🙂
That’s another great idea! I might have to do that too. I have a few sauce & pickle jars I won’t throw away but I have nothing in them.
Ok, here’s my take:
http://junkandglue.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/lovin-jarful/
Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
So adorable!
Hi! My question for you is where so you get your jars? I’m looking to do some canning and thought you would know te cheapest place to buy/ order them in bulk!? Thanks!!
Brianna- I don’t know where you live but I get MOST of my jars from Ace Hardware. They have a fairly large selection in terms of size. Other than that: Walmart or Target. I’d rather not buy them at Walmart for many reasons but sometimes they have what I need when I need it (when Ace doesn’t). And all the Target’s by me have the basic pint size but not usually much else. So all in all I recommend Ace Hardware if you have one. They even let you order online & ship directly to a store near you so you can pick them up & not pay shipping- you just pay what the jars cost.
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