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50+ Fantastic Ways to Re-Use Baby Food Jars

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Last updated on March 29, 2022

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50+ baby food jar crafts and creative ways to re-use baby food jars so you don’t have to put throw them in the trash.

If you’ve had a baby in recent years, there’s a good chance you’ve acquired quite a collection of baby food jars. Baby food jars ares so cute and chubby, and such a great size. If you’re like me, you find it hard to thrown them away. If that’s the case, your baby food jar collection could be growing at an alarming rate, and you’re probably looking for things to make with all of those jars.

Well, you’re in luck! One of my Facebook followers recently asked for ways that she could re-purpose her baby food jars, and the HH community responded with dozens of great crafts made with baby food jars along with practical ways to use baby food jars in and around the home.

I’ve gathered up their best suggestions and added a few of my own favourite uses for baby food jars, and I’ve come up with this long list of ideas for you.

From the craft room to the classroom to the bathroom and beyond, here are over 50 ways for you to use leftover baby food jars so you don’t have to toss them out.

50+ Baby Food Jar Crafts

Click on the links below to see project details.

Ways to use baby food jars in the classroom or craft room:

Crayon Caddy: Paint several baby food jars and store co-ordinating, coloured crayons in them.
Fill baby food jars with water, and set on the art table to rinse paint brushes in.
Give each student in the class a baby food jar filled with cream, and make homemade butter together.
Make a mini “ocean in a jar” in a baby food jar. Pretty on classroom window sill or fun to play with.
Soak dried out markers in baby food jars to make liquid watercolour paint.
Make and store homemade finger paint in baby food jars.
Baby food jars make great paint and glue pots at the easel. Lids keep them from drying out between uses.
Punch holes in the lids (with a nail) and use jars to store and dispense glitter.
Make I-Spy Jars in baby food jars.
Make collection jars for the preschool classroom.
Fill with small amounts of water for syringe transfer work trays in preschool or kindergarten
Paint tall baby food jars with food coloring, water and glue for a frosted look. Store pens, pencils and paintbrushes in them.

Things to make for kids with baby food jars:

Play dough jars: fill several baby food jars with different colours of homemade play dough for a kids’ gift basket.
Set some baby food jars out in the rain and make this scented rain paint.
In the play kitchen: fill baby food jars with flour, rice, lentils etc. Glue the lids on, and kids can pretend-cook with them.
Bug Jars – wrap a pipe cleaner handle around the top, and go exploring in the yard.
Make these cute and quirky emoji jars for a kid’s dresser or desk.
Glue painted toy animals on baby food jar lids, use as party favours.
Fill with homemade slime or silly putty to put in loot bags.
Make a tooth fairy jar.
Teach kids how to manage their allowance with 3 tall baby food jars labeled SPEND, SAVE, BANK.
Make an advent or countdown calendar.
Fill baby food jars with layers of “coloured sand” (ground sidewalk chalk mixed with salt).
Use baby food jars to make mini lava-lamps.

Ways to re-use baby food jars in the kitchen:

Make magnetic spice jars to store on the refrigerator door
Organize your spice drawer with baby food jars.
Make Smore’s treats in baby food jars. Hand them out around the campfire or at a party.
Make a window-sill herb garden with baby food jars.
Fill baby food jars with condiments for camping or a bbq.
Sterilize jars and lids, and reuse baby food jars for homemade baby food. The serving sizes are perfect.

Gifts and party favours to make with baby food jars:

Baby food jars make great wedding favours. Decorate and place at each table setting.
These baby food jar lanterns were hung in a tree at an outdoor wedding.
Make Lego Head Jars as party favours for a Lego party.
Make mini calming jars for kids or co-workers
Make a wish jars or dream jars for your family and friends.
Give a gift of homemade bath salts or sugar scrub in a baby food jar.
Make these cupcakes in a jar to give to teachers, neighbours and friends.
Make a craft kit for a child by filling jars with pom poms, sequins, foam stickers, and beads.
Hot Cocoa in a baby food jar: layer hot chocolate, shaved chocolate and mini marshmallows in a jar. Cover the lid with a swatch of fabric tied with a ribbon.

Other ways to use baby food jars around the home and garden:

Store pony tail holders, Q-tips, and hair clips in baby food jars on the bathroom counter.
Make a spill proof nail-polish remover kit with a baby food jar.
Plant succulents in baby food jars to display on a porch or patio.
Hang these colourful baby food luminaries from a tree in your yard.
Baby food jars are great for storing seeds for the garden.
Make Photo Globes by placing your child’s photo inside a baby food jar.
Organize your spare change: each jar holds a different type of coin.
Use baby food jars to hold paper clips, thumb tacks etc. on a desk or in a drawer in an office.
Travel jewelry keeper for earrings and rings.
A Mini sewing kit in a baby food jar is great for travel or the office.
Fill baby food jars with Puffs, fishy crackers, Cheerios, nuts etc. Keep in the diaper bag for the kids.
Nail the lids of baby food jars to the underside of a shelf to store screws, nails and craft supplies.
Store several baby wipes in a baby food jar and keep in your purse or diaper bag.

Baby food jar Christmas crafts:

Turn a baby food jar into a snowman Christmas tree ornament.
Make festive holiday votive candle holders.
Make sparkly tea light luminaries in baby food jars.
Baby food jars make great miniature snow globes.
Make Reindeer food for Christmas Eve.

What if you STILL have leftover baby food jars?

If you have more baby food jars than you could possibly ever use, even after reviewing all of the ideas, please consider giving your collection to a teacher, a crafter or a daycare provider. Most will be happy to put your little glass jars to good use.

Looking for more crafts to make with your recyclables? Check out:

Re-purposed Denim Craft Aprons

Re-purposed Denim Bibs

25 Creative Ways to Re-use your Keurig’s K-Cups

22 Ways to Re-Use Cardboard Tubes

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Jackie Currie

Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.

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30 Different Ways To Use Baby Food Jars

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Instead of throwing out those little baby food jars, utilize them to their fullest! Clean then out and start getting creative. From tiny gifts to crafting and organizing, let’s see some spectacular ways of using these bits. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite 30 baby food jar crafts and hopefully, you’ll grab some inspiration and be creating something new out of your old jars.

1. Vintage Jars

At the Picket Fenceshows us how to turn those little glass jars into something fresh and unique for your kitchen or craft room. It’s quite the transformation, don’t you think?

2. Shower Favors

What better way to pass out the baby shower favors than using baby food jars? These princess cuties are quite the addition and thanks to The Diva Dish, you know how to make it happen.

3. Snow Globe

Craftaholics Anonymousshares an adorable DIY for all to see. Create these mini snow globes as decor for the house throughout the holidays or tiny gifts for friends and family.

4. Wall Vase & Candleholder

Used for either candles or flowers, this wall piece was made with some glass jars and a piece of wood. It’s rustic, it’s stylish and completely unique and thanks to Make Life Lovely, you can make it too!

5. Cheesecake

Use those jars as holders for some delicious treats. At I Am Baker you can learn how to create some no-bake cheesecake right inside for the perfect bite.

6. Topiarys

Sugar Tot Designs shows off a great way to utilize the jars as party favors but also a way to create small, topiary decor as well! It’s easy and festive!

7.Gift Packaging

Little Miss Mommafeatured such a beautiful, genius idea that we had to show it off too! Use those baby food jars as a way to wrap small gifts. And then have fun embellishing, of course.

8. Glitter Slime

We’re in absolute love with these family-friendly design fromThe 36th Avenue. Use them as fun, birthday party favors or just as an afternoon project!

9. Lemon Scrub

Use some jars to hold your homemade sugar scrub! At Cincy Shopperyou’ll learn not only how to create your own lemon scrub but also how to utilize a food jar for safe keeping.

10. Pencil Holder

Create something fun for the kid’s room or play area with some leftover food jars. From Lego-themed to barbie, you can use this tutorial from Handmade Charlotte for inspiration!

11. Bubble Jar

Here’s another charming idea to use as small gifts or party favors. These bubble jars from Chickabug Blog are too cute!

12. Lanterns

We snagged this idea from Jamie + Lorenand we’re in love. It’s romantic, it’s easy, it’s inexpensive and perfect for a variety of events.

13. Pin Cushions

This baby food jar pin cushion from Craft Pudding is charming and functional. Have fun creating this for your craft room or as a tiny gift for a friend.

14. Advent Calendar

Craftaholics Anonymous made this Christma advent calendar out of baby food jars and we were completely inspired. You could use for a variety of events from birthdays to Halloween!

15. Sand Art

Make your own sand art with some older baby food jars! This is a great family crafts and thanks to Kix Cereal we have the inspiration to get started.

16. Tissue Paper Candle Holders

Tinker Lab gave us another wonderful way to turn those jars into tiny candle holders. Cover them with tissue paper, ad some mod podge and have yourself a romantic scene.

17. Glitter Covered

Delicate Construction shows us how to upcycle those jars and make them into something a lot more stylish. Dip them in glitter, of course!

18. Pecan Parfait

Fill up those jars with a delicious treat for your next dinner party or shower. These pecan parfaits look delicious and can be found at Celebrations at Home.

19. Craft Rack

Crafty Nestshows us some great inspiration for your craft room. You can make an entire shelving space and fill it up with your odds and ends using baby food jars for easy organizing.

20. Ponytail Organization

Here’s a great way to keep your hair accessories organized and ready to grab. Tidy them up by color and use chalkboard paint to label them just like they did at Popsugar.

21. Rice Shaker

An easy toy to make for your baby that will keep them involved and stimulated for awhile …. a rice shaker! Thanks for the inspiration over at How We Montessori.

22. Gumball Favors

Fill them with gumballs and top them with embellishments of your choice – according to the party’s theme – as favors! That’s what Make It Lovely did and with love the simplicity and also the creativity.

23. Rainbow Cake

Make Life Lovely also gives us inspiration concerning baked good. These rainbow cakes are adorable but delicious too and can be used for a variety of occasions.

24. Crayon Storage

Monkey See Monkey Dogave us some colorful and festive organization idea for the kids playroom or our own craft rooms! Paint the jars and then tidy things up a bit!

25. Magnetic Jars

Used for spices or crafts storage, these magnetic jars are the perfect way to help organize small things in small spaces. Check it out at DAV.I.SON.

26. Hummingbird Feeder

Check out this awesome DIY from Birds & Blooms! Feed the hummingbirds you love out in the garden with these easy and adorable tutorial.

27. Dipped Vases

These gorgeous vases from Apples & Onions are, possibly, my personal favorite from the list. They’re inspired, they’re stylish and totaly doable at home.

28. Salt & Pepper Shaker

Add a bit of charm to your table with these baby food jar salt & pepper shakers from Dream A Little Bigger. This is such a great way to upcycle and give yourself another functional item.

29. Votive Holders

This photo from Flickr inspires us to create votive holders out of older jars. Paint a design and use them around the house for a pop of romance and warmth.

30. Spice Jars

Pinterest shows us how to use all of those old food jars for organizing the pantry. With a bit of chalkboard paint, you’ll have a great way to keep your spices easy-to-reach and tidy in a drawer.

Crafts from baby food jars

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The kid ate the puree with pleasure, smearing its contents on all surfaces. And the jar was carefully washed out and sent to the shelf to its fellows. What to do with her?

There are a lot of ideas for using glass baby food jars. Website "Mom can do anything!" collected the most interesting of them.

Needle cases. From glass jars it is easy to make such cute pincushions that can fit buttons and other small handicraft things.
Houses for fairies. If you are fond of modeling, then you should try to make such a delightful house for fairies.
Aquarium. A jar is a small aquarium for a toy fish. Pour soil inside, install algae - the craft is ready. You can also mold plasticine fish together with your child and place them in a jar.
Terrarium. Plant moss and other small, low-maintenance plants inside.
Decorations for the holiday. Decorate the jars with glitter, make holes in the lids and install decorative elements, letters and numbers. A very original decoration is ready.
Bird feeder. Few people realize that such delicious drinkers and bird feeders are obtained from an ordinary baby food can. In the sun, they will shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow and delight the eye.
Storage for small items. From cans, not only beautiful things are obtained, but also very practical. Screw the lids to a wooden surface and you will get very convenient containers for storing small things.
Candlesticks for the garden. Buy a lot of small candles, put each one in its own jar and hang them by ropes on tree branches. A beautiful setting for a romantic evening is ready.
Container for growing onions. Green onions are a storehouse of nutrients that are so lacking in the cold season. Growing such an onion is not difficult. Pour water into the jar, put the bulb on top, in a few days we will get the first shoots.
Pots for seedlings. It is convenient to plant parsley, dill and other herbs in small jars.
Crafts from baby food jars. Such beautiful flowers in pots are easy to make yourself with your children. We circle the palm on a green sheet of cardboard, cut it out, gluing a flower on each finger. We put it in a pot-jar - a beautiful craft is ready. Such flowers will be a great gift for mom or grandmother by March 8th.
Storage containers. In puree jars it is very convenient to store buttons, beads, beads.
Pencil holders.
Night lamps.
Snow globe. A can of baby food makes a delicious snow globe. Just stick the figurine on the lid. Pour the baby oil and glitter into the jar, close the lid tightly and shake.
Gift-treat for guests or children.
Original frames. Just place photos inside the jar.
Spice storage. Glass jars with screw-on lids keep spices fresh for a long time.
Vases for flowers. Just dip the jar in the paint and get unusual vases for small flowers.
Jelly mold. Small jars are great for making jelly. It looks beautiful and appetizing in them, one jar holds one serving, and the screw cap will help keep it in the refrigerator for a long time.
Portion desserts. In small jars it is convenient to make portioned desserts.
Refreshing cocktail in a jar.
Candles. You can read how to make these candles here.
Crafts. Small glass jars are a great base for crafts.
Rubber storage. The advantages of transparent jars are obvious - it's easy to find the right one.

How do you use jars?

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How do I use empty baby food jars?

Are you a new mother? Then, probably, glass baby food jars appeared in your life, which the hand does not raise to throw away. There are already a lot of them in my house, so I propose to discuss how they can be useful to us.

I conducted a small survey of colleagues and girlfriends on this topic. The results are as follows:

Lena keeps her branded adjika in jars - it is convenient to take it in such a container for a picnic, for example.

Stores dried berries for tea.

He also arranges small tasty gifts for his friends - homemade jam. Arranges in jars, decorates them and gives them.

The last idea caught my eye - I love making homemade jams. I took note of such a sincere gift option.

Zhenya keeps medicinal ointments in jars. Also a great option, given the odor of such drugs, as well as their small volumes.

Anya uses the jars as a sugar bowl and salt shaker on long journeys. Or for a picnic. She also keeps beads for needlework in them.

I tried to use jars for leftover canned cod liver. And this, I tell you, is extremely convenient. Open canned food should not be stored for longer than a day, and it is imperative to transfer food to a container, preferably glass. And the baby food jars are perfect! Small, hermetically sealed (which is especially important in the case of products with the smell of fish), and then it is not a pity to throw them away.

I also put paper clips in one jar. There was an open package at home, now the paper clips are neatly stored in a jar.

Inspired by the opening horizons for the second life of jars, I began to look for other ways to use them. I searched websites and social networks. I confess, I am delighted with the fantasy of young mothers, and dads too!

How to use baby food jars

Use jar lids in children's educational games:

- stick pieces of colored paper on them and arrange them in containers by color,

- stick drawings with letters on them and add syllables and words,

- make a slot in the lid of a can of milk formula (or in a box of chips, for example) and put the lids into it, like in a piggy bank,

- make a fishing rod out of a pencil, string and magnet and arrange "fishing", collecting caps.

Use cans:

- for dipping the brush while painting with watercolors,

- for seedlings of flowers or greenery,

- as small vases for small wildflowers,

- for storing spices,

- as a home air freshener: put a piece of cotton wool into a jar and moisten the cotton wool with a drop of perfume or essential oil. If you decorate a jar - it's not a shame to replace the sachet and put it in a prominent place in the house,

- for needlewomen - to store small items such as buttons, beads, etc. in jars,

- use as a portion dish in candy bars that are so popular now at children's parties,

- colorize and turn the jar into a candlestick by putting a tablet candle into it,

I found candles-tablets. It's a sin not to try, I decided. I’m not friends with paints yet, I found a satin ribbon. Half a minute to tie it, and voila! Modest, but also an option.

But finally I was subdued by such decor of the can.

Using a jar as a photo frame is original, isn't it?

And also, I think, it may not even be interesting to search for the use of jars or lids, but the process of decorating itself. Space for imagination, yours and your child!

How to decorate jars

• Spray paint or decorate with acrylic or stained glass paint,

•Pay over the jar with double-sided tape and roll in sequins or beads,

• Use the decoupage technique (stick a beautiful napkin with a pattern on the jar), since there is an abundance of materials for needlework on sale now,

• Stick lace, ribbons, fabric on the jar,

• Paste clippings from magazines or newspapers - looks very interesting.

• Wrap the jar with threads or decorative straws.

And then, together with the child, come up with what you can put in a beautiful jar.