It’s no wonder why mason jars seem to be popping up everywhere! They are so easy to incorporate into daily activities, gift ideas, foods, drinks and even décor. Try these fun and creative mason jar crafts and ideas.

Dessert in a mason jar: Smaller sized mason jars are perfect for individual desserts. Instead of using a boring bowl, layer the dessert in a jar. Try a pie with the crust at the bottom, filling in between and whipped cream on top. Add fruit for a colorful touch. Or, you can even measure raw ingredients (dry ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, for example), layer them in the mason jar and share it with the recipe attached.

Cool Drinks: These drinks are cool because of the way they look and feel. Fill up a mason jar with some refreshing iced tea, lemonade or  fruit smoothie. Did you know that some blenders can even be used with a mason jar as an attachment? Less mess!

Kitchen Organizing: Do you like a place for everything and everything in its place? Mason jars are perfect for organizing. Fill them up with ingredients like flour, sugar and spices and label them. Utensils like forks, knives, tongs and wooden spoons will look great in a decorated mason jar. Even snacks like cookies and popcorn kernels can be kept in mason jars for easy access.

Bathroom Essentials: Mason jars with q-tips, cotton balls and even makeup brushes can be placed on the sink counter or placed on a shelf. Mason jars are also easily turned into liquid soap dispensers.

Snow Globes: Try a DIY mason jar snow globe. Glue mini plastic toys like animals and dolls to the lid with waterproof glue and let it dry. Fill the jar with water, glitter and glycerin so the glitter falls at the right speed. Secure the lid tightly. Shake!

Ghost Jars: Create awesome Halloween decorations with mason jars. On the outside of the jar, glue tissue paper all over it, including the bottom. Stencil, glue or draw on faces. Place a tea light inside and you get the effect of a jack-o-lantern.

Kids Room Décor: Kids can decorate mason jars anyway they like on the outside to create fantastic piggy banks. Don’t forget a slit in the lid to place the money in. Memory mason jars are a really unique decoration. Label the mason jar with the year and have your child place meaningful things in it like movie ticket stubs, a shell from a beach trip, a ribbon from a sports competition and so on.

Terrariums or Shell Gardens: First, pick a theme. Do you want a beach scene? Fill a mason jar with items like sand, shells, and a starfish. How about a forest theme? Layer rocks, dirt, moss, and even plants. These will look great as decorations or even centerpieces.

Lights: Light up the night with your own personal touch. Hang mason jars filled with Christmas lights and tea lights. You can even hang them in certain ways to create a chandelier. Check out tutorials on our pinterest page (link below). Cheap solar lights can also be used as well. Just place the light in the jar, detach the bottom of the light and you have a glowing jar.

Give the Best Gifts: Don’t use a plain, boring bag or wrapping paper. Decorate amason  jar with ribbons, labels and paint, and fill them with goodies. Give a spa gift by filling a mason jar with things like nail polish, files, hand cream, etc. Who doesn’t want a mason jar full of candy? Make a mommy survival mason jar kit with band-aids, sewing items, scissors, sanitizer and whatever else you think is useful. Try flowers in a beautifully decorated mason jar instead of a vase.

For even more mason jar crafts and ideas, visit our Pinterest page here

Jennifer Hanrahan is an intern with Boston Parents Paper.