Apothecary Jars Ideas - Part 1
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Christmas Advent Apothecary Jar
I did this project two years ago, and I recently had an e-mail asking where the post went. Yeah. Good question. Since changing over my domain, I seem to have lost dozens of posts. They’re out there somewhere, but I figured it might be a good idea to refresh it.
This advent idea was made out of mini matchboxes. I bought a pack of them at the grocery store, painted the insert part white, and wrapped the outside with scrapbook paper. The outside is labeled with the countdown day, and it’s complete.
I try to remain really conscious of not letting the “I want that!” mentality overwhelm the spirit of Christmas at JaG’s house, so I tried to come up with advent ideas that were mostly about spending time together. Plus, they’re pretty much free. Santa’s on a budget this time of year.
Super Glue and a Pickle Jar Too
It's time for another fun tutorial. This is a super easy, super cute, super fun craft. (Are you getting that I think it's SUPER?) You can find this idea all over Pinterest. In fact, that's what prompted me to do this. I had done a variation of this project a long time back. Then I ran across this on Pinterest, and I had to give it a go, but with my own flare.
Are you wondering what it is yet, or have you already scrolled through the pictures to cheat? If you haven't peeked, I'll tell you. It's a pedestal candy jar, and yes I used super glue and a pickle jar too.
Here are the items I used:
~ black spray paint
~ 2 washers (different sizes)
~ pickle jar with lid
~ a finial
~ super glue
~ "Glass Metal and More" by Beacon
(Michael's calls it Mosaic Glue)
~ metal candle holder
(any candle holder with some weight to it will do)
The first thing you want to do is make sure the jar is spiffy clean. Wash the lid for the jar well if it held something stinky like pickles or salsa. I ran mine through the dishwasher many times, then I filled it with baking soda and let it sit on a shelf for about a week. If it's still smelly, replace the baking soda and leave it for a few more days. In the mean time you can get started on the steps below.
Spray paint the candle holder. I used a spray paint with a built-in primer, let it dry then turned it over and around for several more passes. Make sure to get it from all angles.
Next I super glued the washers to the lid. You can measure to find the center, but I just eye-balled it. I added the washers to add more dimension to the lid.
Then I added a great finial. A friend gave me a box of assorted finials, and I've found one use for them! You can find finials at a home improvement stores. Another idea is to use a cute knob drawer pull (Hobby Lobby has several options). See how the washers help give the finial a little extra umph.
Let the super glue dry for about an hour and spray paint. Be sure to turn it over and get the bottom lip of the lid, and don't forget to cover up the inside of the lid to keep it paint free!
Now for the fun part. I centered the jar onto the candle holder and glued it with Beacon's Glass Metal and More. Let the adhesive set-up and "cure" for several days before you use the dish. I left it for a week.
The last thing to do is to fill it with yummy, delicious goodness and enjoy!
It seems fitting to put chocolate, especially dark chocolate, on a pedestal. This particular jar went to my sweet friend Andrea. It fulfilled my end of the bargain to exchange homemade gifts this year. Now it's her turn!
Friday, July 18, 2014
10 Fantastic Fillers for Apothecary Jars
I really love apothecary jars. There is something so innocent – so refreshing – about an empty vessel just begging for a beautiful display. When I find apothecary jars at thrift stores for $3 or $4 each, I snap them up like crazy. You’ve probably seen me grab one in Goodwill and give a Tiger Woods fist pump because I’m so excited with my new score.
Because I know you love them as much as I do, I want to give you a little encouragement and a little push towards filling them with unique displays. People, it’s time to start thinking beyond pasta and pears, cotton balls and cotton swabs when it comes to filling your apothecary jars. Using your jars to showcase unique finds will give your vignettes much more personality than filling them with the lemons you bought for 5/$1 at the grocery store.
I’ve put together a list of 10 fantastic apothecary jar fillers that will hopefully guide you in the right direction to update those displays.
1. Vintage Spectacles – Just imagine the scenes that have been viewed through these lenses. Antique glasses are available at thrift stores, antique malls, estate sales, and even yard sales. Add two or three pairs to a simple jar, and you’ll have a display that everyone will want to “see.”
Because I know you love them as much as I do, I want to give you a little encouragement and a little push towards filling them with unique displays. People, it’s time to start thinking beyond pasta and pears, cotton balls and cotton swabs when it comes to filling your apothecary jars. Using your jars to showcase unique finds will give your vignettes much more personality than filling them with the lemons you bought for 5/$1 at the grocery store.
I’ve put together a list of 10 fantastic apothecary jar fillers that will hopefully guide you in the right direction to update those displays.
1. Vintage Spectacles – Just imagine the scenes that have been viewed through these lenses. Antique glasses are available at thrift stores, antique malls, estate sales, and even yard sales. Add two or three pairs to a simple jar, and you’ll have a display that everyone will want to “see.”
1. Vintage Spectacles – Just imagine the scenes that have been viewed through these lenses. Antique glasses are available at thrift stores, antique malls, estate sales, and even yard sales. Add two or three pairs to a simple jar, and you’ll have a display that everyone will want to “see.”
2. Soap - For an apothecary display in a bathroom, nothing beats a collection of beautiful soaps. Choose natural-colored soaps in the same hue, instead of in a color that matches your room. Find wonderful guest soaps at discount home stores, or use drugstore bargains, such as Aveeno or Ivory. Better yet, purchase monogrammed soaps to add a personal element to the display.
3. Vintage Photos – One of my favorite apothecary jar fillers is vintage photos. I have always loved the boxes of photographs I see in antique stores, and I decided that I wanted to replicate those displays myself. For my jar, pictured below, I found a selection of vintage photos online, printed them on cardstock paper, cut them out, and then tore the edges and creased the image until it looked appropriately worn.
Don’t you think they actually look like real photos? Because I knew that you’d love this idea, too, I assembled the photos into a .pdf file for you to use in your own displays. Find that document HERE. Am I the nicest person ever or what?
4. Vintage Hairbrushes and Combs – Along the same lines as the antique photographs, I would love a display featuring vintage hairbrushes and combs. You can find some really beautiful dressing sets in antique stores or online. Keep in mind that a child’s size set would probably fit into your jar easier than an adult’s size (unless you had a very tall jar).
5. Sea Shells and Starfish – A universal favorite apothecary jar filler is sea shells and starfish. Keep your shells in the same color scheme and only fill the jar halfway so that you don’t end up with too much of a good thing. Break the mindset that shells and starfish only belong in the bathroom. What’s with that anyway? Do we think shells can only be displayed where there’s water? Does the ocean remind us of the toilet? Weird, huh?
6. Knobs - Some of the most interesting (and cheap!) items to add to an apothecary jar are vintage knobs and drawer pulls. Find them for $0.25 a piece at places like the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store or yard sales. Your collection will be eclectic but will have a fantastic quality because the pieces are all variations of the same theme.
7. Rocks - Using natural elements in the home is very important, and nothing could be more natural than my son’s rock collection. Adding his treasures to an apothecary jar meant that I had a natural (and FREE) filler, and it is extra special to him because he got to use them to “decorate with Mama.”
8. Silver Cups – A few sterling silver baby cups displayed in a large apothecary jar would make such a sweet display. Stack them randomly on top of each other to create a tower. I’ve seen several of these little cups at Goodwill lately, so start hitting your thrift store in search for a few. They don’t even need to be in great shape – the more dings and scratches, the more personality they have.
9. Blown Eggs and Found Nests – What’s not to love about real birds’ eggs and nests displayed in a beautiful apothecary jar? In one of my jars, I used Spanish Moss in the bottom as a “nest” and then added 5 or 6 blown quail eggs on the top.
Check out these gorgeous egg displays – quail eggs on reindeer moss and Robin’s eggs on a found nest. I love them!
10. Indoor plants- Apothecary jars take on a whole new life when used as terrariums for indoor plants. Add plants purchased at home improvement stores or a local nursery.
You could even grow your own grass. Did you see Kimba’s wonderful wheat grass project?
A Soft Place to Land
Are you ready to find something unique and interesting to put in your apothecary jars? Little makes a jar more interesting than filling it with something completely unexpected. Tell me what you are going to add to yours!
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Make a Large Apothecary Jar Very Easy
I found a large apothecary jar at Ross Dress for Less for $13, which is a smokin' deal. But I made these large apothecary jars for a little less than $6 (not counting the E-6000 glue, which I had on hand). This apothecary jar is roughly the same size as Pottery Barn's medium Apothecary Jar which retails for $49.
You can use apothecary jars to hold just about anything! Place them in your bathroom to hold useful items like cotton swabs, extra soap, or washcloths. Use them around your home to hold decorative items (as shown here, Christmas ornaments and vase filler). Check this post at Living With Lindsay for more great ideas: Ten Fantastic Fillers for Apothecary Jars.
Project Estimate:
- Large vase, $1
- Large glass candlestick, $1
- Small glass bowl, 3 for $1
- Small cut glass drawer pulls, 2 for $6.77 (at W-M)
- E-6000 glue, on hand
Total: $5.71
The secret to this project was a 3-pack of small glass bowls I found in the kitchen section at the dollar store. These glass bowls fit perfectly as lids on the top of the large glass vase from the dollar store. I just added a glass knob, and the apothecary jar lid was complete! I got the glass drawer pulls from the big blue store for about $6.77, or about $3.39 each. With some shopping around (at thrift or building thrift stores, garage sales, antique shops, etc.) , you might find a better deal on these knobs. I just wanted to get my project done as quick as I could so I could share it!
To Make:
1. Remove all price tags (I use Goo-Gone. Drip a bit of it on the tag, let it sit for a few minutes, and peel right off with no work). Clean all components with a damp paper towel and a bit of water, if needed. Let dry.
2. Glue large candlestick to vase with E-6000 glue.
3. Glue glass knob to bottom of small glass bowl with E-6000 glue.
4. Let everything dry and cure for 24 hours.
Depending on the fit of your lid on your vase, you might want to make another modification to the bowl. If the lid doesn't fit perfectly on your vase, put a small line of hot glue around the rim of the lid and let it dry. The dry glue will help correct the fit of the lid on the vase.
25 DIY Apothecary Jars- What to Fill?
Decorating with Apothecary Jars is beautiful for homes. You can fill all sorts of great things to decorate with them.
Whether at party or decorating living rooms. Organizing kitchen or making your bathroom look fabulous.
If you go buy Apothecary Jars. They are pretty expensive. I am sharing some cheap and inexpensive Apothecary Jars.
Simply out of thrift store finding, mason jars, candle holders and even simple bowls.
I am sharing 25 DIY Apothecary Jars.
And also showing you what to fill in Apothecary Jars to decorate.
Whether at party or decorating living rooms. Organizing kitchen or making your bathroom look fabulous.
If you go buy Apothecary Jars. They are pretty expensive. I am sharing some cheap and inexpensive Apothecary Jars.
Simply out of thrift store finding, mason jars, candle holders and even simple bowls.
I am sharing 25 DIY Apothecary Jars.
And also showing you what to fill in Apothecary Jars to decorate.
DIY Apothecary Jars
Check these out:
Make apothecary jars using Green Spray paint and mason jars.
Amazing! Green Apothecary Jars.
Superb Idea to change the simple look for every Holiday.
Simply decorate Apothecary Jars on various events to match the Holiday.
Vixen scored these Jars and Candle Holders at a thrift store. And made Apothecary Jars. Genius!
Bored of your jars. Paint them with Milk Glass Paint and revamp the look.
I am totally falling for these Apothecary Bottles from Ikea.
You can tint mason jars and bottles any color using mod podge and paint. Follow this tutorial.
Cute Snow Decorations in Apothecary Jars.
I love this cute Candy Bar Jars using pot and fish bowl.
Wrap ribbon around the candy buffet vases and jars. Match your party theme and fill them up with Candy.
Apothecary Candy Jars from Mason Jars. So cute!
These were some DIY Jar tutorials.
Now let’s get started with Great ways to Fill Jars to decorate.
Decorative Apothecary Jars
What To Fill in the Apothecary Jars!
Easter Eggs, nest and moss in the jars. Love!
Fill your apothecary jars with scented soaps, sea shells, sponges or colored beads to match your decor.
Floral arrangement for a warm decor in the jars.
Colorful party celebration with candies in the Jars.
Fall pine cones arrangement. Source.
Slice up some citrus and toss it in to the apothecary jar. Add your favorite beverages.
Great way to DIY drink dispenser. source.
Great way to organize food in the Kitchen.
Your kitchen will look amazing with these jars containing Italian food.
Dual use as containers and as decorative accents.
Love how the jars look in this double vanity scene.
source
source
Fun and Bright Apothecary Jars with Citrus. source.
Organize your bathroom supplies.
Fill the Jars with Cotton Products like Q-tips, cotton balls and round cotton pads. Silver Jars.
Love this beautiful wedding arrangement of Popcorn buffet.
Replace the candy buffet at the reception with this. source.
Superb Terrarium display in the jars. Etsy.
