20 Fun Ways To Use A Mason Jar

Mason jars have become a trendy item to use for many reasons, in many different ways.

Instead of the traditional way of using mason jars (for canning vegetables), here are innovative and fun ways to use those mason jars around the house.

I found these ideas on Pinterest, and thought they were worth sharing on one blog page. 

1) Write on a mason jar with hot glue, then paint over it for a pretty vase look. 
Then fill with flowers or just use for decoration. 

2) Use a large mason jar as a lamp stand. 

Fill it up with little items! (Just not water or anything flammable..)

3) Hanging lights. Love this idea. 

4) Put labels on the jars and make it an easy way to organize your desk, work space, pantry, or craft/art closet. 

5) Hanging jars for bathroom accessory organization. 

This would be a good idea to hang on the wall. 

6) Screw a parmesan cheese shaker top on a mason jar and use for multiple purposes! Powdered sugar, seasoning, glitter, etc. 

7) Pop a hole in the top and make it a fun drinking jar with a straw. 

8) Pack a lunch to-go with a mason jar. 

9) Mason jars are a great and simple way to give gifts.

10) Hanging mason jars for growing indoor or outdoor herbs.

11) The perfect size for storing cupcake liners. 

And they won't get smashed in a drawer somewhere. 

12) Hanging mason jars for miscellaneous storage.

13) Hot glue a pin cushion on top of the lid and store buttons, needles, pins, and other sewing supplies inside. Perfect.

14) Hot glue the lid of the jar underneath a cabinet for space-saving storage in the kitchen or anywhere in the house,

15) Turn a mason jar into a more attractive soap dispenser.

16) Paint mason jars and turn it into a vase. 

17) Fill half way with water, put fresh cilantro inside, cover with a plastic bag, and put it in the fridge. 

This method will make cilantro last much longer.

18) A small mason jar is the perfect size for a DIY candle.

19) Mason jars are great for a snack on-the-go.

20) A more attractive salt dispenser, and works just as great.

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15 Must-Have, Affordable Kitchen Items

Honestly, I could have a list of at least 100 of my favorite kitchen gadgets...but not all of them are affordable, such as a Kitchen Aid mixer, Ninja blender, and DeLonghi espresso machine.

But I decided to only list my Top 15 Favorite Kitchen Gadgets that are most definitely affordable to purchase, as well as changing your life and kitchen experience. Of course, these are my personal interests and preferences in kitchen gadgets that I will forever continue to use them in my kitchen.




Wooden Food Masher Stick:

I love guacamole, but sometimes I buy avocados from the store and they aren't as ripe as I hoped they would be when I was ready to cut it up. Sometimes they are still too hard to mash up into guacamole when using a fork or spoon.

But then one day, I discovered this gadget in a drawer (must have been my sister's) and thought I would give it a try.

Despite the un-ripeness of the avocado, this gadget managed to mash it up very well and easily to make guacamole. I've been using it ever since...

This tool is especially great during sales of non-seasonal avocados (which are lower in quality and harder to find the perfect ripeness for guacamole).

Mini Food Processor:

For small, quick jobs, I love to use the mini processor. I use it to quickly chop up onions, peppers, or other vegetables.

I also use it to make a quick recipe of salsa, guacamole, hummus, pesto, and even smoothies.

Pampered Chef Ice Cream Scoop:

What's so special about this gadget? Aren't all ice cream scoops the same?

NO. This ice cream scoop melts ice cream as you scoop, which allows for easy scooping. How? As soon as your hand grabs the handle, it radiates and heats up the entire spoon. Essentially, your hand heat makes scooping hard ice-cream much easier and likable.

...and you wonder why most ice cream shops have these metal scoopers.

Mason Jars:

As cliche as they are becoming (in every wedding and all over Pinterest for crafts and gift ideas), they truly are still awesome.

Mason jars are great for multiple reasons. They are good for beverages, storage, organization, gifts, and decor...and on top of it all, they are a classic.

But the reason I love mason jars so much are because they keep food fresh much longer than the typical plastic containers, and they keep your fridge organized. Here's proof: http://bit.ly/1aYfcFU

Soy Milk:

"I actually prefer soy milk over regular milk," as the commercial says. And I agree. Now that I've tried it, there's no stopping.

It's not exactly the taste that won me over, either. The texture is a little thicker than regular milk, the taste is similar to regular milk (in cereal), and it is healthier than regular milk. But the reason I love it so much is that it LASTS LONGER. Much longer. There's nothing worse than opening up an expired gallon of milk and smelling it....

Soy milk lasts longer and even if it's about a week overdue, it's still okay to drink. It doesn't spoil like regular milk does, and can tolerate not being refrigerated constantly. The only downside to soy milk is you can't really cook with it. It definitely doesn't give the same effectiveness in cooking, baking, or anything else. But it's a great alternative for smoothies, coffee creamer, chocolate milk, and of course, cereal.

Lawry's Seasoned Salt:

Not that this stuff is all that good for you (at least it has no MSG), but this stuff is the perfect seasoning for.....well, everything.

I use it to season meats, eggs, fries, vegetables, and almost anything I cook on the skillet.

You can't go wrong with this stuff.

Microfiber Towels:

These are amazing. No towel I own can dry a wet dish, counter, window, hair, or anything else better than a microfiber towel.

They aren't as cheap as regular dish towels, but a great investment....especially if you hand wash your own dishes.

You can thank me later.

Cookie Scoop:

I saw this gadget for super cheap at Michael's one day near Christmas and thought it would a good stocking stuffer. Turns out, this item is a life changing kitchen gadget that I will forever continue to use.

It's not that scooping cookies was ever time-consuming or annoying to do, but this cookie scoop makes the perfect size and shape of cookie dough onto the baking sheet every time. Plus, you don't get your hands sticky (or any germs mixed into the cookie batter).

Using the cookie scoop is also at least 2-3 times quicker than using a spoon or your hand...and allows for proportion control, which means more cookies get baked!

Best Wine Bottle Opener:

When it comes to opening a bottle of wine, you don't want to mess it up and 1) get cork grinds in the wine, 2) accidentally push the cork in the bottle, 3) have to try multiple times to get the cork out, 4) messing up the cork --if you save them for crafts, or 5) hurt yourself.

This type of cork screw is, in my opinion, the best of the best. Even the cheap ones. It's the best type for ease of use, effectiveness of getting the cork out, and price. It's great for even beginner wine openers, like me, who aren't pros at using a traditional cork screw.

Quesadilla Toaster:

If you like to eat a lot of quesadillas, like me, then you will love this.

I make quesadillas because it's an easy and delicious way to cook up a quick meal. And I'm all about low-maintenance, quick, and easy meals.

But the annoying part of making quesadillas on a skillet is when it's time to flip it over on the other side...and all the stuff in the inside starts to come out. So this quesadilla toaster will heat up both sides, without you having to flip it over, and will give you a nice toasted crust in half the time.

Cup Sponge: 

If you hand wash cups or have to wash out cups before you put them in the dishwasher, this is the best tool for making sure the hard-to-reach areas inside of the cup gets washed.

The sponge fits inside any size of cup.

If you hand dry cups, there are also tools just like this but with a microfiber surface for drying inside the cup (instead of sponge for cleaning).

Microwave Cover:

For all of those dishes that you microwave that can easily pop and splatter all over the inside walls, this is the perfect solution.

It's a microwaveable plastic cover that is large enough to fit over a dinner plate, and tall enough that it won't touch the food on your plate.

No more fear microwaving messy dishes, such as chili, tomato soup, and spaghetti.

Kitchen Trashcan with a Lid:

There's nothing grosser, in my opinion, than a trashcan that smells and proudly shows all of it's waste inside. I prefer to keep it hidden.

For me, having a trash can with a lid on it (with or without a stepping component) is a keeper.

Why? 1) It hides the nasty, rotten smell, 2) keeps fruit flies from swarming over the trash and vastly multiplying by the second, 3) keeps the cats out of it, and 4) hides all the waste so you don't have to look at it every time you walk by.

Onion Slicer Fork:

Cutting fruits or vegetables with a sharp knife always gives me the jitters. I'm not very good with knives.

This slicer / fork is great for onions, tomatoes, and any other items that you have to slice thinly using a sharp knife.

I feel much more confident slicing stuff with this thing, but it also allows for more accurate and thin slices.

Wet Swifter:

Wet swifters quickly clean up your kitchen floor after a days worth of preparing meals.

From spills,  to goo, to crumbs, to dirt marks, the wet swifter will wipe it up with ease.

The Money Saving Garden: 100+ Ways to Save $$ On A Tight Budget

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Groceries & Cooking: Tips, Hacks, and Useful Information

Grow Your Own Green Onions:

If you use green onions often, do this: Chop the green onions into "chives", fill a glass cup or jar half way with water, put the leftover green onion stalks into the cup, put the cup near a window, then watch it grow back into a new green onion for chopping up again!

This will take anywhere from 4-7 days to grow back into a full stalk. The quality may not be as good after the second cycle of doing this re-growth process, but it's worth a shot. Even though green onions are not expensive, having this conveniently available for using, especially when you realize a recipe requires green onion at the last minute, is nice to have so you don't have to make a trip to the grocery store for only a couple items.

You can also freeze green onions. First, make sure they are dry (or they can get freezer burn). Then place in a plastic container before putting it in the freezer.

Lastly, you can do this same re-growth process with other produce, such as Romaine lettuce stalks and herbs.























Healthy Baking Substitutes:

Do you like to cook, but want to use healthier ingredients? Check out these "Healthy Baking Substitutes." These alternatives can be used not just for healthy alternatives, but they can also save you a trip to the grocery store if you don't have one of the ingredients handy. 

Grilling Reference Guide:

Even if you're not a Grill Master, you can become one by referring to this cheat sheet when it comes to grilling certain meats. No more over-done or under-done meats.

Cake Serving Cheat Sheet:

Having a party? This cheat sheet will show you how much cake to bake for the number of guests that will be attending. 

Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables:

Have you always wondered which fruits and vegetables are actually "in season" when you buy them at the store? Seasonal fruits and vegetables are at it's best quality and taste during this time, and off-season produce is usually injected with an overdose of hormones or steroids to give it an in-season look. But they never taste the same. Refer to this list when grocery shopping to ensure you are getting the best quality produce during the right season.

To Refrigerate or Not To Refrigerate....

Good question. This is a common mistake or misconception on what produce you should refrigerate, and which produce to leave out or put in the pantry. Refer to this guide:

Cutting With Floss:

Floss? Yes. Floss will cut through cheese, cake, and others to give it a nice, smooth finish. No jagged edges. 

Bringing In The Groceries:

If you're like me, you'd rather cut off the circulation in your hands and arms so that you can carry in all of your groceries --in one trip. I will do anything to get it all in at once, instead of going back and forth to get a couple bags at a time. But here is a simpler, and better, way to bringing in multiple groceries (up to 50 lbs!) without sacrificing the comfort and blood flow of your arms.

Microwaving Food:

This is a daily dilemma for me. The middle section of my food takes forever to get warm! This is a great way to get all of the food evenly cooked at the same time. Another trick I've learned to do is cutting up the bulk of food into pieces (such as a burrito or enchilada) and spreading them out as much as possible on the plate so they will all be evenly cooked. 

Microwaving Water:

A glass or bowl of water in the microwave can do multiple things. First, it can help moisten food while microwaving to make it not as dry or chewy (see picture below). Second, water can steam up the inside of the microwave so it becomes easier to clean (especially after a splatter of food that had gone all over the walls and is hard to get off). Third, add water to your pasta mixture before microwaving so it will come out moist and creamy. 

Freezing Liquids:

There are some great ideas for freezing liquids such as coffee, koolaid, oil, and grease by pouring them into an ice tray. Coffee ice cubes are great for iced coffee because regular cubes would water down the drink. Koolaid ice cubes are great for kids to suck on (similar to popsicles) or for putting in drinks. You can also freeze oil and grease. Freeze oil and herbs in an ice tray and pop one out every time you want to cook with it on the skillet/pot. Grease is also the same process. If you freeze grease to cook with later on, use bacon grease. The leftover grease from cooking bacon in a skillet is great for using to flavor hash browns, scrambled eggs, and more. 

Toasting Bread for Sandwiches:

Put two slices of bread in a single toaster slot to have crispy outsides, and soft insides. This is great for any kind of toasted sandwich. 

Chip Clips:

Out of chip clips? Use leftover skirt/pant hangers and snap off the clips to use. 

Cooling Beverages Quickly:

In a hurry to get a drink cold? Wet a paper towel, wrap it around the drink, and stick it in the freezer. In my experience, it takes less than 15 minutes to cool it down. I say around 5-10 minutes. 

Stopping A Grease Fire:

DO NOT...I repeat...DO NOT PUT WATER ON A GREASE FIRE. It will essentially blow up and make the fire worse. To stop a grease fire, throw baking soda on it. Another alternative is getting a damp (not wet) kitchen towel and throwing it on top of the pan. 

Opening a Jar, Without a Jar Opener:

For those of us with weak hands, there's been countless times when we can't open a stubborn jar lid to save our lives. There's many ways to open a tight jar lid, but after using a towel, a rubber band, wearing rubber gloves, and still failing to open it, there is another great solution. Here's a trick that I have had personal success in when trying to open a tight jar lid:

Hit the very side of the jar lid on the edge of a counter. Don't hit the jar itself --it could break. But hit the actual lining of the jar lid on an edge of a counter a few times and then try opening it. The hits will loosen up the suction and allow for opening with ease. 

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