Regifting Jars

This year, Stephen and I made our first batch of holiday caramels, and based on the feedback, it seems they'll become a yearly gift-giving tradition. I used my collection of upcycled jars for containers, but I ended up needing two more. If you haven't seen my blogs on upcycling jars, you can read one by clicking the button below. Additionally, if you're searching for something specific, you can always click on 'All Posts' on my homepage, where all blogs are organized alphabetically for easy access.

As always, I start with clean, bare jars. I especially value these jars that once held artichoke hearts. They're the perfect size, and I like that they have four flat sides rather than being completely round. This design makes it much easier to attach flat embellishments, and they adhere much better.

I applied gesso before painting as it offers a great surface for the paint to stick to. I painted one jar a deep purple and the other a dark rose. As you can see, the purple jar has a very textured surface. Nowadays, there are many products available to create this look and texture, but I'll share a little secret with you. Save yourself some money and simply add baking soda to your acrylic paint and mix it well before applying it to the jar.

The lid of the purple jar was all scratched and the paint was chipped. So, I just lightly sanded both pieces and applied a new coat of gold paint. I wasn't fond of the lid being two separate pieces, so I added a thin layer of glue to the mouth lid and attached it to the band, creating a single piece. Much better! 😉

Starting with the dark rose-colored jar, I repurposed a beautiful piece of ribbon and glued it around it.

It already appeared quite festive, but I decided to enhance it by applying some sealer. Look how it intensified the lighter color at the bottom, giving it a more dramatic effect.

I sifted through a shoebox containing broken costume jewelry and selected the two pieces that I thought would complement this jar. They were once both earrings. I applied a touch of green paint to the gold-colored section of the earring on the left. I also found a small iridescent bead that I also added on top of the earring on the right. Sorry, I forgot to add it to the photo below.

Here it is before I glued the other earring on the lid. I am in love with the vibrant colors!!! 😍

These are what I picked out of the same shoebox for the deep purple jar: an old finial, another half of a pair of earrings, and the rest of the gold trim that I used on last week's blog titled A Tale of Two Lamps.

And here is the deep purple jar, fully adorned! Sooo regal looking.

Here they are both, side by side, fully dressed to the nines. Who wouldn't like one of these jars filled with homemade buttery caramels? Who wouldn't like one empty? 😎

Here are a couple of the other jars that I decorated this summer and used for the caramels.

This Week’s Tea Spilling

Regifting is something that some people have strong opinions about, but I don't. I've regifted items and don't feel guilty about it. If it's new, unused, and I think someone else would appreciate and use it more, why not? I'd prefer the item to find a good home rather than remain unused. So, when considering regifting and upcycling, I certainly hope that the recipients of my jars will regift them if they don't wish to keep them. They can fill them with whatever they like and pass them on to friends and family. Imagine receiving a unique jar filled with wrapped candies, nuts, popcorn kernels, sunflower seeds, dog treats for your fur baby, etc. The possibilities are endless. Once again, you'll be helping to save our planet, and you'll truly be giving the gift of future giving.

Just a note that I will be taking the next two weeks off from publishing a blog due to the holidays falling on Wednesdays. However, I will be posting on Facebook and Instagram, so check them out. I’ll be back the second Wednesday in 2025 to show you what I’ve been working on. Hope you’ll stop by again for a visit.

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