Over a year ago I saw some glass jars for kitchen storage at a discount store. The size and price varied but I think the smallest (and least expensive) was at least $6.00. I loved the look of them. I daydreamed about the things I’d put in jars like this. Oatmeal. Rice. Tootsie Rolls. Homemade granola. So many possibilities.
I never put one in my cart though. These are the type of purchases that used to put me over budget (not that I was really sticking to a budget back then) and ultimately had me overspending. I always felt justified in buying things for the house. “I don’t buy for me…it was for the house!”
Now I make do.
Shortly after I fell in love with the idea of these glass storage jars, I emptied a large applesauce jar. Hey…I could use that. Then I emptied a pickle jar. And a couple of cheese spread jars. After going over the lids with a couple of coats of black chalkboard spray paint, I had my own storage jars. One even held dog treats. I wrote little things on the lids with chalk too. Like “dog treats” with paw prints…no one wants to get confused as to what was in there!
I love my mismatched jars. I think the black lids give a bit of a unifying feeling. I always look twice at a jar before putting it in the recycling. You just never know what could be stored in it!
Check out Ann’s site on Mondays for more make do ideas!
10 Comments
May 11, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I too have started doing this — the peanut butter I buy comes in jars I really like, with metal lids…I’ve started just putting a lot of stuff in those. It somehow makes looking in the cupboard a little easier!
May 11, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Clever, clever–not only to make-do with the jars, but to paint the lids with chalkboard paint! That’s just brilliant!
So glad you’re participating–I really love hearing people’s stories and seeing their great solutions!
May 11, 2009 at 12:57 pm
[...] Small Town~ Simple Home (Glass Jars) [...]
May 11, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I love my glass jars. Many of them are as old as me. But you gave me a new idea of painting the lids and I wanted to say I LOVE that idea and thank you!
http://goddesshobbies.blogspot.com/2008/12/pantry-shelf.html
Val
May 11, 2009 at 6:27 pm
That is so cute! I love the mismatched jars AND the unifying effect of the black lids! I will surely keep this in mind…
I love canisters, but canisters you can SEE into are the best!
May 12, 2009 at 9:21 pm
I have always kept my larger glass jars. But I have never painted the lids- that is an awesome idea.
Thanks for sharing!!
May 13, 2009 at 5:49 am
Thanks so much for the comments! I have a little obsession with black chalkboard spray paint. It makes so many things look a little better.
May 13, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I’ve done this forever (married 26 years, and I did it from the beginning- see the link above for some of our jars), but it NEVER occurred to me to paint the lids! What a neat idea!
June 29, 2009 at 11:41 am
My mom and dad saved glass jars and used them for storage, so I started doing it when we got married and still do. Back in the 1970’s I worked at a local chain of movie theaters and got their gallon pickle jars when they were empty. I used them for my canisters: flour, sugar, oats, corn meal, macaroni, dried beans, rice, dried milk, etc… Smaller jars are good for left overs; marshmallow creme jars are good for cut onions and tomatoes because they have a wide mouth and are easy to get things in and out. Sometimes the shape or beauty of a jar will cause me to buy a different brand because I want the jar. I may have to pay a little more, but it’s still cheaper than buying an empty one at World Market. I have some plastic in my kitchen, but I don’t like it and if I have a choice I always choose to buy a food product that’s in glass. And of course, I accumulate too much, so the excess goes to recycling. But, oh, how I love those half gallon jars of pickles or jalapenos from Sam’s.
June 29, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Carla, you are a lucky girl with a collection of gallon jars. I’d love some bigger ones, so I’m on the look out all the time. I really like the smaller, wide mouth jars too…they are perfect for leftovers. With the lids sprayed with chalkboard paint, I can write the date on them too. Sometimes helps me remember just how long those things have been there.