Use paint, labels, stencils, decoupage, and embellishments to make your jars look special. Match the gifts and decorations on the jars to the person receiving the gift. Then attach a matching gift card to your jar.

Use old-fashioned glass canning jars, glass bottles, wire jars, recycled jars, old jars, or plastic storage jars. The jars should have tight-fitting lids.

Sterilize food gift jars

The jars you use to package food gifts must be glass and sterilized before use.

1. Check all jars for chips and cracks. If it is chipped or cracked, do not use it for food. Use new caps.
2. Wash with hot soapy water; then rinse.
3. To sterilize jars, place them on a wire rack in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and allow to dry. The jars and lids can also be sterilized in your dishwasher.

Methods to decorate your jars

Decorate with paint

Always wash the carafe in hot soapy water to remove grease or residue.

Select a paint intended to be used on the surface you are decorating. Read the label on the paint container to determine the paint’s compatibility with its surface. This rule applies to paint on glass, metal lids, or plastic jars and lids.

Acrylic craft paints are not permanent and can be rubbed off or washed off.

1. Acrylic glass paints they are best for glass jars. They come in a wide variety of colors pre-mixed in convenient squeeze bottles to decorate your gift jars. These types of paints can be baked in a home oven to make them more durable and washable. (Read the label) To bake, let the paint dry in the jar for 48 hours. Place the glass jar in a conventional oven (not preheated) and heat to 325 degrees F. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the carafe to cool in the oven before removing it. After baking, the painted jars can be washed by hand. Dishwasher safe is not recommended.
2. Air Dried Enamel Paints for Glass are opaque glass paints that can be brushed on and air dried to a high gloss, waterproof finish. Choose a brand that is water-based and non-toxic.
3. Paints for plastic are specially formulated brush-on paints to adhere to plastic and dry to a durable, water-resistant finish. The water-based types allow you to clean brushes and spills with soap and water.
4. Paint pens They are available in craft stores and come in a wide selection of colors. They are ideal for detailing and decorating simple jars.
5. Fabric paints can be used for special effects like words or facial features. It can also be used to decorate tapas. They squeeze directly from the bottle.

Paint a design on the jar using pre-cut purchased stencils or a design that you cut yourself from freezer paper. You can also paint the design on your jar freehand. Draw the outline with a Sharpie Fine Point permanent marker or paint freehand. Be careful as the Sharpie marker will stain the glass.

Decorate with labels

Make paper labels created on your computer and then print, or draw a label on the paper of your choice.

To give your labels an aged look, sprinkle with brown acrylic paint diluted in water. Use an old toothbrush for splashing.

Lightly sponge the edges of the label with a dense foam sponge and splatter mixture.

Let the labels dry; then glue or decoupage the jar.

Decorate with Decoupage

Use Mod Podge Gloss Luster decoupage medium for your jars.

Decoupage is done in three basic steps: cut, paste, and seal.

1. Trim excess paper from the image or photo you want to use.
2. Using a foam brush, lightly coat the back of the image with decoupage medium. Place the image on the surface and smooth it with your fingers, removing wrinkles and air bubbles. Let it dry.
3. Apply two to three coats of decoupage medium over the image with a foam brush to seal the paper. Image appears cloudy when wet, but will dry crystal clear.

Decoupaged jars can be wiped with a damp cloth for cleaning, but cannot be washed in a

dishwasher or submerged in water.

You can create a paper collage jar using decoupage. A collage is a group of photographs or images overlaid and overlaid to form a screen. Use printed photos, interesting paper, stamps, and stickers. Arrange images by overlaying them for a decorative display. Attach and seal with two to three coats of decoupage medium.

Decorate with Fabric

If you prefer not to decorate the outside of the glass or plastic jar, add decoration to the lid.

Cover the top of the jar lid with cloth or a small lace fabric or a paper doily. Use cut Christmas or gingham fabric with pinking sheers. Add three to four inches to the diameter dimension of the jar lid for topping and garnish. A circular piece of batting can be used under the fabric for a padded look. A counted cross stitch design can also be used on the top of the jar. Place the cloth over the lid of the jar or place it over the seal on the lid and then add the screw band. Lace or braid can be glued around the band.

Ornaments

A variety of items can be used to adorn your decorated jar. Make your ornament complement the content. If your gift jar contains a gingerbread cookie mix, attach a gingerbread man cookie cutter. Add a Christmas cookie cutter to a sugar cookie mix. Place a tea ball or infuser in a tea jar. Attach a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or wire whisk to other mixes.

Make a label or card to coordinate with the decoration or the contents of the jar and attach it with a ribbon or raffia.

Embellishments include ribbons, Christmas garlands, gold braids or cords, raffia, lace, buttons, beads, charms, tassels, or bandanas.

Choose queues

To stick items in jars, silicone based glue because glass works better. It also works well for gluing wood to glass, metal to glass, or plastic to glass. It can also be used to attach items to metal or wooden lids. Silicone-based glue dries slowly, so you’ll need to gently support the jar until the glue is dry.

FOR glue gun Can be used to attach lightweight objects such as tape to the jar for instant hold.

White craft glue used to glue unbaked polymer chunks to a jar or lid before baking in the oven.

Gift jar content

Use your imagination and consider who the gift is for when deciding on content. Food mixes are very popular. Gift jars may also contain sewing notions, garnishes, games, snacks such as trail mix, walnut and pecan or chex mix, candied walnuts, candied popcorn, Christmas candy or jelly beans, coffee, tea, flavored vinegars and oils in glass. bottles, potpourri or fragrance gel, bath salts and a baked cake in a jar.

If you plan to give a mixture of foods, first choose the recipe and ingredients. Food mixes often look best when the ingredients in the mix are layered in the jar. The recipient can mix the ingredients before using them.

If you plan to give a mixture, you will need:

1. A small bottle to tamp down the ingredients as you layer them or in the jar.
2. A canning funnel or construction paper to make a simple funnel for filling jars.
3. Paper towels to clean the powdered ingredients inside the jar.

Tips for packaging food ingredients

1. Layer ingredients into jar in order listed in recipe.
2. Wipe the sides of the jar with a clean paper towel after adding powdered ingredients like sugar, cocoa, or flour before adding the next ingredient for the best appearance.
3. Pack all ingredients tightly as they are added. If you don’t, you won’t have enough space to put all the ingredients. Generally, a quart holds 6 cups of packaged ingredients; A half-liter jar holds 3 cups of packaged ingredients.
4. If the ingredients don’t make it to the top of the jar, fill the space with wrinkled plastic wrap or wax paper to keep the ingredients from shifting and mixing.
5. After packing the ingredients in the jar, seal it with the lid. Attach a recipe card, directions, a list of additional ingredients, and a Christmas greeting.

Baked cake in a jar

Use a pint-size wide-mouth mason jar with a two-part lid (flat seal and screw-on band) when baking a cake in a jar. The wide mouth allows the cake to slip out of the jar. Choose a cake in a jar recipe or adjust your favorite cake recipe to make in jars. Place one cup of the prepared cake mix in a half-liter jar. Bake according to instructions. The jars and lids must be sterilized before use. (Use new lids) Bake the cake and add the lid as soon as you remove the cake from the oven. Carefully place the flat seal on top of the jar and then the screwed band. The jar is very hot, so don’t burn yourself. Let the jar cool and then taste to make sure it is sealed. If the cake doesn’t seal properly, eat it, refrigerate it, or freeze it until ready to eat. Sealed cake jars can be stored without refrigeration for up to two months. Attach a label with the name of the cake that says: “Better to eat earlier (two months from the date the cake was baked).”

Take enough time to decorate your gift jars and plan the contents for each person on your Christmas list. Fill the jars, then sit back and relax. Drink a cup of spicy cider and enjoy the holidays.