Simple Christmas ~ Decorative Jars for Food Gifts

Since some of the gifts we gave at Christmas were homemade food items, I wanted to make sure they were packaged beautifully.  This may have presented a problem budget-wise, but I have Pinterest to thank for this idea!

Original idea from Pinterest:  Click here to go to the link

Items Needed

Mod Podge - matte finish
foam brush
various glass jars, thoroughly cleaned and dried
scrapbook paper -- the thinner kind, not the cardstock quality; most patterned paper will work

First, I set the jar lid on the back side of the scrapbook paper--and I used leftover scrap scrapbook paper--and traced around the jar lid with a pencil.  Then, I free-hand sketched a circle about an inch or so wider than the first circle.  I cut out each piece around the wider circle.

Then, I snipped into the circle at about 1/4" widths, cutting up to the inner circle and stopping, all the way around the circle.  No need to measure here!

This is the Mod Podge I bought below.  I had no idea there were so many varieties!  I brushed the Mod Podge (no need to go heavy) in the inner circle, covering it with a thin layer.  Then I set the lid on, picked it up, and smoothed the paper over the lid.  The paper shifted every now and then, so I did this carefully.  Pretty soon it began to set and I could really work on smoothing the paper, pushing it into the crevices around the lid.  (Sorry I don't have a picture of that step!)

I set one lid aside to really dry, then repeated the above step with the next lids, one by one.  Then it was time to fold over all those little strips cut around the circle.  First, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to maybe three or four strips, then work them up and over the edge of the lid, pressing them in, over, under, and around the edge.

Once I worked all the way around, I set the lid on a piece of waxed paper to dry, then repeated the process with the next lid.

Once all my lids were dry, I carefully held one lid with my fingers from underneath, and spread a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top and around the sides of the lid.  It looks pretty much like glue.  Try not to apply too thick a coat--you may get bubbles which will dry into it.  I did get a few bubbles, but they didn't seem to matter.

Once the entire lid and sides are coated, carefully set it down on the waxed paper to thoroughly dry.  Each drying process takes maybe 15 minutes or so, but for this final step--coating the tops and sides--I let the glue dry overnight.  Below is one finished, dried-overnight lid!

I had made some maple-sugared almonds, which went into a few of the jars.

Isn't it the prettiest thing?  I almost didn't want to give it away.  For the label, I created a chart in Microsoft Word with a triple border, chose the Nauvoo font for the writing, centered it, printed it out on printer paper, cut it out, and taped it to the jar with clear packing tape.

This was just one of the food items we packed in gift baskets for two very special people whom two of us had picked in our family grab bag.


Back to life,
Christine

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