You may have noticed I love jam jars! They’re such a cheap and easy way to store and present things. Here’s a quick little DIY idea for jazzing up your plain, glass jam jars with a few bits and pieces you may well find in your craft stash at home. It would make a bunch of flowers into an even sweeter gift or perhaps an idea for a wedding and party centre pieces. Just be careful not to get the paper wet if you fill it up for flowers. Soggy isn’t a good look. You'll need....
Wash out your jam jar and clean off any labels. Once dry attach the ripped paper with some double sided tape and wrap around the jar. Overlap the paper slightly and attach with another line of double side tape. Then do the same with your lace and wrap your string or twine round and round. Transfer a phrase onto your tag (I trimmed mine to make it even smaller) and thread this on to the twine/string. Finish it off with a bow and your vase is complete.
Here's how I made some of the bits and pieces for my party if you feel inspired to have a go.
1. The coloured jars are a cute way to display any flowers. They look really affective but what makes them even better is that they're super duper simple to make. Just use old jam jars in any sizes (washed and labels removed) and your choice of paint colour. I used the little decorating tester pots as they have every colour you could ever want but I think I've seen someone else do this with acrylic paint too. Use a long paintbrush to paint the inside using a dabbing motion. Let them dry and give them another coat if they are patchy. Now your flowers have a new pretty home.
2. These paper fans are a quick way to make a decorative backdrop. Use different papers to layer up colour. I think the first craft I ever learnt as a little kid was how to concertina into a fan. Who would have thought such a simple technique could create such good looking wall art. Here is a straight forward tutorial to get you going.
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And finally an easy way to make a table runner is just to paint it yourself. If you are after longevity then you could get your hands on some fabric paint but I just used the rest of my paint tester pots. Use a sturdy fabric like curtain lining, as this will make it easier to paint on. Simply stencil out your design with masking tape and get painting. It's a quick way to add a flash of colour to your table.
I hope everyone remembered Mother’s Day this year! I have to say I quite enjoy peeping into card shops the day before a national occasion just to see the last minute panic buyers, frantically scooping up the dregs and breathing a sigh of relief. It’s pretty funny. Well I think its funny anyway. I decided to make an edible gift for my Mum and Mum-in-law. You can’t go wrong with something pink and sweet for a lady. I tried adapting a cloud cake recipe I found by adding an extra layer and some extra decoration. I came up with the idea to make the puddings in old jam jars to see the full affect of all the sugary layers. The jars also make compact, sealable packages which are pretty handy if you're wanting to give it as a gift. All details of the recipe will be in my next post if you want to have a go.
