Non-Food Gifts in a Jar

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Looking for some different ways to use mason jars? Here are some different ideas on how to use those jars you have lying around to create some fun gifts in a jar that aren’t food items.

Looking for some different ways to use mason jars? Here are some different ideas on how to use those jars you have lying around to create some fun gifts in a jar that aren't food items.

Mason Jar Gift Ideas

Thanks to Kailyn for this article!

I do a lot of canning, which means I have a lot of mason jars. Like tons of mason jars, it really is becoming a problem. Now, along with canning, I also like to reuse things as much as possible, so Mason jars have become my new wrapping paper.

They make the perfect little containers for small trinkets and gifts, and when tied with a bow and cute handmade gift tag, they look downright adorable.

Survival Kits in a Jar

This year, for Christmas, I am creating mason jar “survival kits”. Themed jars for my friends and family filled with handy tools and travel-sized items.

I was able to find most of the items at a local dollar store, making these cute kits a really affordable gift. I’m still brainstorming, but so far I’ve come up with the following themes:

Teacher Survival Kit

  • Mini hand sanitizer
  • A few colorful pens
  • A sheet of stickers (gold stars anyone?)
  • A stain remover stick
  • Stress ball
  • Hand cream or lotion
masonjargift

Tip: Find more Easy Homemade Lotion Recipes

Handy Man Survival Kit

  • A small multi-tool
  • Band-aids (just in case)
  • Zip-ties
  • A couple of bungee cords
  • Bottle of super glue
  • Earplugs

Tip: Check out this list of Homesteading Supplies You Can Get at the Dollar Store for more frugal ideas

You could do a Wedding Day Survival jar. It could have a package of tissues, safety pins, clear nail polish, small lint roller, mints, lip gloss/chapstick, Tide pen, bobby pins, small mirror, etc.

Terri, Little House Living reader

Winter Survival Kit

Tip: Find more ideas for Creating a Winter Emergency Survival Kit

Bakers Survival Kit

You could also do a gift jar with fishing stuff for the fisherman in your life!

Denette, Little House Living reader

Crafts Using a Mason Jar

Mason Jar Bird Feeder

Mason Jar Bird Feeders

These Mason Jar Bird Feeders are a cute gift to give to anyone who loves nature and bird watching. Add in a bag of feed so they can put it up right away and start enjoying all of the new visitors in their yard.

Tinted Mason Jar Craft

Tinted Mason Jars

Give someone tinted mason jars in their favorite color as a gift to use around their home (these would make a beautiful vase) or make one of the projects in this post using tinted jars to give it an extra special touch with this simple project.

Try a spa mason jar:
Mason jar , lavender essential oil, homemade
Lavender sachets, pure natural lavender bar from England, or France
Sprinkle purple confetti and fake snowflakes in bottom
Of jar
Tie bow on jar w winter white- lace, glue on the a silver snowflake!
On front of jar…:) carol up on the mountain!

Carol, Little House Living reader

Other Simple Gift Ideas Using a Mason Jar

Homemade Body Scrub Recipe

Body Scrubs 

Fill a mason jar of any size with some Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Homemade Body Scrub. Tie a little bow around the top or wrap it with burlap to make the perfect gift.

Tip: Check out these Simple Body Scrub Recipes for Gifts.

I gave a mason jar to a friend who gardened all the time.
put seeds of all kinds…flowers and vegis. then added other things that fit from the garden store, a nice soap, a fingernail brush, a couple of markers for the garden and a sharpie.

Janet, Little House Living reader

Bath Bombs

Put a few Homemade Fizzy Bath Bombs into a mason jar to give to friends or family so they can have

Candles

Mason Jars make beautiful candle holders that would be a perfect gift idea. You can put something in them to hold candles like these beautiful taper candle holders, or you can make candles right in the jar.

Try making different-sized candles or giving a set of multiple sizes for an extra special gift.

You can make Soy CandlesBeeswax Candles, or even Olive Oil Candles in your jars.

I do make a spa in a jar with my products: In a wide mouth quart jar, I add 1 lavender body butter, 1 sugar scrub, a small tea blend, a bath tea pouch and a lip balm. Tie it all with a big bow.

Anne-Marie, Little House Living reader
sugar cookies in a jar

More Gifts in a Jar

Homemade Pantry Mixes Ebook Promo

What are your favorite gifts in a jar to give?

My name is Kailyn and I am a teacher, a wife, a mother, and a wanna-be farmer. I like to get my hands dirty in the garden and explorer my inner artist with DIY projects…some of which actually work. I’m raising my little girl, a flock of chickens and an energetic beagle in the woods of New England. I blog about our homesteading adventures and journey to a more natural lifestyle at Our New England Home.

This post on Non-Food Gifts in a Jar was originally published on Little House Living in November 2015. It has been updated as of December 2023.

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24 Comments

  1. You could do a Wedding Day Survival jar. It could have a package of tissues, safety pins, clear nail polish, small lint roller, mints, lip gloss/chapstick, Tide pen, bobby pins, small mirror, etc.

      1. I do this for our girls and friends. But I make a bag for it all and also add pads and tampax. WHite thread and thread to match bride maids dresses, gum and what ever else I think of.

  2. I love mason jars. With more and more people having specialty diets it is nice to have ideas that are non-food related. These are some nice ideas.

  3. Try a spa mason jar:
    Mason jar , lavender essential oil, homemade
    Lavender sachets, pure natural lavender bar
    Of soup from England, or France
    Sprinkle purple confetti and fake snowflakes in bottom
    Of jar
    Tie bow on jar w winter white- lace, glue on the a silver snowflake!
    On front of jar…:) carol up on the mountain!

  4. Great ideas! I like how easy this would be to apply to all kinds of things, depending on the person and their interests. Must put my thinking cap on!

  5. These are fantastic ideas! Thanks for sharing with our Creative Spark party; we’re featuring your Mason jar gift ideas this week! Hope you’ll stop by and link up with us again!

  6. How about a power outage survival kit with emergency candle or a handful of tea lights and matches, and a game that can be played in dim light. Instructions added to place the candle in the jar and light it for better safety and better light. I do this at home during outages to keep candles from getting knocked over.

  7. Another thought I had was a Car Emergency Survival Kit. I would use a plastic jar and add some hand warmers, a mini crank flashlight for light and signaling help, granola bars, or snack packs. Maybe a bottle of orange juice because it doesn’t freeze as solid as water so can be sipped on for liquid. I know this one has some food items, but that could be an issue in a car emergency.

  8. Cute ideas! I made a few survival jars in years past.. I’ve also thought of making nail polish/ manicure jars together.

  9. i gave a mason jar to a friend who gardened all the time.
    put seeds of all kinds…flowers and vegis. then added other things that fit from the garden store, a nice soap, a fingernail brush, a couple of markers for the garden and a sharpie.

  10. So many great ideas in the post and in the comments. Wow, thanks so much. We also have a ton of them in the garage, it would be lovely to give them as gifts this year

  11. Wow!!! Really great ideas and your readers have really awesome ideas .. thank you for sharing your ideas and I want to thank each of the other readers for sharing there ideas God bless and wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas

  12. I love all of these ideas!! I do make a spa in a jar with my products: In a wide mouth quart jar, I add 1 lavender body butter, 1 sugar scrub, a small tea blend, a bath tea pouch and a lip balm. Tie it all with a big bow.
    Thank you Merissa for posting cool stuff as always!