Old Mason Jars Aren't Trash: 16 Genius Ways To Turn Them Into Home Treasures

Not into preserving your own foods? Mason jars are still a must-grab, whether you buy them new or snag them at an estate sale or thrift store. Not only are they relatively inexpensive, but they also have that charming nostalgia about them that blends perfectly into DIY decor pieces. Plus, the glass construction creates a sturdy decoration or storage container that looks a little more upscale than plastic. Even better, the traditional canning jars are versatile enough to work for varied projects.

There are old Mason jars of rare colors that are highly sought after, so you may not want to use those valuable pieces for these projects. Other than that, you can use all types of Mason jars. Choose the size based on what you're creating or how much space you need if you're using it for storage. Wide-mouth jars offer a larger opening that might be more appealing visually while also making it easier to decorate inside the container as well.

Most of the projects require additional craft supplies to decorate or modify the container. Paint is a common tool for updating the glass, and decoupage glue can also come in handy. And while you're creating, hold onto the tops — the are genius ways to reuse old Mason jar lids in your home and garden. Of course, all of the projects are easy to personalize by changing the theme, materials, or other details about them.

Use old Mason jars to create the prettiest countertop decor with this simple project. Creator She So CraftDee paints the jars a rich blue with white paint accenting the raised designs (but you can choose a different color scheme). The unique arrangement inside the jar consists of faux greenery and lemons — it's the perfect warm-weather look for your space, especially the kitchen with the fruit theme. You can change it up with different plastic fruits or other seasonal objects that you can glue onto skewers to stick into the arrangement.

It's quite easy to transform old Mason jars into a one-of-a-kind home decor piece by making a kid-friendly aquarium project. The original uses colorful aquarium gravel, plastic fish, and brilliantly colored faux water plants. However, you can make this a little more upscale by choosing neutral rocks and using real seashells and driftwood inside as the decorations. Or, glue small seashells around the lid to reinforce the theme.

Need more storage but don't want to take up counter or cabinet real estate? Turn old Mason jars into floating storage by attaching the lids to the bottom of a cabinet or shelf with screws and washers. It's a common strategy used in garage workshops, but you can use the same idea in the kitchen or bathroom. With the lid secured, you can screw the jar off and on when you need it. Not only does it utilize vertical storage space, but it also creates a unique floating effect.

Mason jars work as the container portion of a bird feeder with several different variations possible. This one from creator @HeartoftheHome1 uses a wooden spoon as the perch with the jar on its side to hold the food. You can also upcycle Mason jars into bird feeders with thrifted bowls by elevating an upside-down jar over the bowl to let the seed spill out into it, so birds can easily get to them.

This idea from Simmply Sheetal is more about the decoration than the use. You'll glue thin twine onto the jar to create a macrame-style design on the exterior. Wrapping twine horizontally at the top and bottom gives those spots a finished look. You can also paint the jar first or add beads and other embellishments on the twine accent. The original creator uses the jar as a propagation station, but you can also use it as a vase or storage container.

Ditch the boring tissue boxes and tuck them into an embellished Mason jar instead. Start by decorating the outside of the jar with paint, decoupaged designs, or other ideas that make the glass opaque. Then, remove the tissues from their original container and put them inside the jar — tissues from a tall, cylindrical container, like these Kleenex Perfect Fit Tissues, work well. Cut a cardboard round and cut slits in it to create a dispenser. Glue it inside the ring, screw it on, and pull the first tissue out.

Transform old Mason jars into gorgeous countertop storage with vintage doilies as a decorative lid topper. This idea from CreArtive By Nature is super easy — simply glue a small vintage doily to the lid. This works best with a solid Mason jar lid, or glue the flat lid to the ring to make it a one-piece topper. Choose a doily that covers the lid completely and hangs down a bit. Then, tie a ribbon or twine around the lid to finish it off. The lid looks cute and still screws on and off like normal.

Mason jars are the perfect size to make charming snow globes with the raised designs on the jar's body adding extra detailing. While they're usually a winter decor piece, you can create a more generic scene that you can leave out year-round. Use a solid lid or glue the flat piece to the ring. Then, super glue your three-dimensional decorations to the lid. Add glitter, water, and a bit of glycerine to make the glitter fall slowly. Screw the lid on tightly and turn the jar over. You can tie a ribbon around the bottom or add other embellishments.

You can use a plain Mason jar as a candleholder, but adding glass marbles on the outside makes it extra special. Simply hot glue the flat glass marbles or stones all over the outside of the jar. It works best to apply them in rows to avoid large gaps. Then, put a tea light candle inside — battery powered versions are safe to use anywhere. You can also add a wire hanger around the neck of the jar if you want to suspend the mini lanterns on your outdoor deck.

Skip the plastic soap dispensers that hand soap comes in. Instead, grab a larger refill container and pour it into DIY dispensers made from Mason jars. You can purchase just the dispenser part online (like these GAQWOK Gold Soap Pumps). Make a hole in the lid to accommodate the pump and it's ready to go. Of course, you can decorate the jar with paint, ribbon, twine, and other materials to fit the theme of the room.

Another use for a Mason jar in the bathroom is as a makeup brush holder. Simply pour in some coffee beans, rocks, marbles, or similar filler in the bottom of the jar to keep the brushes from sliding around. Shorter jars work well, as you want the tops of the makeup brushes to stick out above the top. You can still use a taller jar if you put more filler in it. Add ribbon around the neck or other embellishments to dress up the display.

Decorate luminaries for any season using Mason jars as the container. An easy way to create the luminary effect is by decoupaging thin napkin designs onto the jar. The paper is thin enough to let the candlelight shine through and illuminate the design. You can also tint the jar with food coloring and decoupage glue. Add decorative elements along the top edge to add more dimension to the design.

Display keepsakes from your beach trip inside of a Mason jar. An inch or so of sand from the beach creates the bottom filler. Then, arrange shells and pieces of driftwood that you collected (following the local beach regulations, of course). You can also print a photo from the trip and curve it to fit inside the jar and act as the background. To personalize it, add a tag or paint the trip information, including the date and destination on the jar.

To create a wall sconce with a Mason jar, start with one or more planks of wood to create a back piece. You can make it as wide and tall as you want. Add a hook that sticks out far enough to accommodate the jar. Then, wrap wire around the neck of the jar and make a hanger. You can add filler in the bottom and a battery-powered tea light candle or bunch a string of battery-powered fairy lights inside.

Instead of hanging a lighted sconce, create a hanging flower display. First have a wood plank background painted or stained to your desired color. Then, paint your Mason jar and decorate it how you want. Add a wire hanger around the neck and attach it to a hook on the wood background. Now you can arrange your favorite faux flowers or greenery inside the jar. Faux vines draping down the sides add texture to the display.

Clear up space on your bathroom countertops with this wall organizer idea from Angie Holden. She uses a wood plank background and attaches plain Mason jars to the front using pipe clamps. You can customize the size of this board to fit your needs and adjust how many jars you attach to the wood. If you want to personalize this idea, decorate the jars with names of each person in the family to make it easy to remember whose items are in each jar.