Beautiful Jar Art

 While preserving foods and creating jam and jelly are fun and can stand alone as works of art, what do you do with your used jars when they can no longer be used for canning?  Jars can be used over and over again for canning, but after a certain point, if you notice nicks, scratches, chips, or clouding, you may want to find another use for your jars.  Here are some ideas for beautiful ways to recycle your used jars.  There are so many fun crafts you can do, but these were a few of my favorite ideas that I found as I searched the web for jar art.  Perhaps these will inspire you to create your own pretty art with jars.

These delicate knitted cozys above allow just enough light to shine through to create ambience perfect for a cocktail party or an outdoor soiree.  Since one of my NYE resolutions is to learn how to knit, perhaps by next year I'll be making my own Ball Jar votive-holder cozys!  Click here to purchase the knitting pattern on etsy.com

These blue-toned antique jars have a rustic, outdoorsy feel that I love for indoor decor.  This is being sold as a photograph (not the actual jars) on etsy.com - just go to etsy and type in Ball jars, and it pops up.  The direct link will also take you to other iterations of arrangements of these beautiful jars.  A 5X7 photograph is just $12.00 from the seller, Miss M Photography.  I may just buy some myself for my kitchen.

How beautiful is this pastel jar chandelier?  The colors, the creativity, the seemingly simple look of this...I LOVE this.  I want one.  And I can have one for just $130.00 - and so can you - by clicking here.

Anybody who's been in an out-of-the-way (or not so out of the way, as it may be) dive bar in Idaho has most likely drank a beer from a Mason jar.  Here is a whimsical, pretty take on using old canning jars for a similarly practical purpose (quenching thirst) while also looking perfectly pretty for a backyard barbecue or wedding reception - appropriate since a web search took me to yummyweddingfood.com, where I found the image.  They note under the same photo on their web site that they found it on yet another web site that didn't credit the owner of the photo or the creator of this wonderful idea!  So, I can't credit it, either, but I'm happy to be passing on this idea to you.

Do any of you have ideas on how to use canning jars for other purposes? I'm thinking this is going to be a future theme in my future kitchen that I hope to have some day. :) xo, AB