What Can I Use 16 Oz Mason Jars For?

Mason jars are a type of glass jar used for home canning and food preservation that were invented and patented by John Landis Mason in 1858 (source). They revolutionized food storage with their airtight seal created by screwing on a metal lid. Mason jars remain popular today not just for canning but for many other uses as well. Their versatile 16 oz size lends itself to a variety of purposes throughout the home.

16 oz mason jars have many uses beyond just food storage and canning. Their durability, sealable lids, transparency, and versatility make them handy to have around the house. This article will explore the many ways to use 16 oz mason jars, from storing drinks and craft supplies to creating decorations and kids’ projects.

Food Storage

Mason jars are a versatile option for food storage. Their airtight lids make them ideal for preserving fruits, vegetables, sauces, and more. Canning homemade jams, pickles, tomatoes, and other fresh produce in mason jars allows you to enjoy their flavor all year long. Wide-mouth jars work best for canning chunkier ingredients.

Mason jars are also handy for storing leftovers. Their glass construction allows you to quickly see contents. Smaller 8-16 oz jars are convenient sizes for freezing and refrigerating individual portions like soups, stews, and casseroles. Make sure to leave headspace at the top before sealing.

Pantry items like beans, rice, pasta, and other dry goods can be decanted into mason jars. This allows you to easily access the quantity needed for recipes. It also keeps things fresh by limiting air exposure. Label jars clearly with contents and best-by dates. 16 oz jars are a standard pantry size.

For more mason jar food storage ideas, check out this Pinterest board.

Drinks

Mason jars make convenient and attractive vessels for all kinds of beverages. Here are some tasty drink ideas to try in 16 oz mason jars:

Infused Water

Fill your mason jar with water and add slices of your favorite fruits, vegetables, or herbs to infuse delicious natural flavors. Popular options include lemon, lime, cucumber, strawberry, mint, ginger, and basil. Let it steep in the fridge for at least 2 hours before enjoying. Infused water is a great way to drink more water and add flavor without extra calories or sugar.

Juices and Smoothies

Make single serving juices, smoothies, fruit slushies, or protein shakes right in a 16 oz mason jar. Blend your ingredients until smooth, then pour into your mason jar and screw on the lid. You can even prep jars of dry ingredients like berries, greens, nut butters, or protein powder ahead of time, then just add liquid and shake when you’re ready for a quick and portable breakfast or snack.

Cocktails and Mixed Drinks

Mason jars are the perfect vessels for festive cocktails and mocktails. Try muddling fruit with alcohol or fruit juice at the bottom of your jar, then fill with ice and any other mixers. Or create layers of different colored juices and liquors for a showstopping presentation. You can also premix cocktails or cocktail ingredients in jars, and add ice and garnish at serving time. See these mason jar cocktail recipes and gift-worthy cocktails in jars for inspiration.

Crafts

Mason jars make great vases and containers for flower arrangements because of their classic, versatile shape (ModPodgerocksBlog). Fill a mason jar with water and add a fresh bouquet of flowers for a quick table centerpiece. For longer lasting arrangements, use floral foam soaked in water inside the jar before inserting flowers. Consider painting or decorating the outside of the jar to match your decor.

Turn mason jars into beautiful candles and lanterns by filling them with wax, adding a wick, and optionally decorating the outside. For a beachy look, cover the outside of the jar with seashells or sand before pouring wax inside (Pinterest). Add handles or hang jars from string to make hanging lanterns. Use clear jars or tinted wax to create different lighting effects.

Mason jars are ideal for making mini garden terrariums. Layer soil, moss, pebbles, and small plants inside the jar, then seal to create a self-contained ecosystem. Consider adding small figurines like fairies or miniatures to create a whimsical scene inside the jar.

Organization

Mason jars are extremely versatile for organizing all kinds of small items around the home. They are especially useful in the bathroom for storing cotton balls, q-tips, and other toiletries (Misty Hoover, “38 Best Mason jar storage ideas,” Pinterest, August 23, 2015, https://www.pinterest.com/mistyhoover/mason-jar-storage/). The jars allow you to neatly arrange these items while also displaying them in an aesthetically pleasing way.

For craft and art supplies like beads, buttons, ribbons, and more, mason jars keep everything visible yet contained (Robron02, “96 Best Jar storage ideas – Pinterest,” Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com.au/Robron02/jar-storage/). The clear glass allows you to easily identify what’s inside each jar.

Hardware items like nails, screws, nuts, and bolts can be organized in mason jars as well. The durable glass holds up well to the weight of these small metal objects. Labeling each jar makes it easy to grab exactly the size and type you need for projects.

Gifts

Mason jars make creative, inexpensive, and thoughtful gifts for friends, family, co-workers, and teachers. Here are some ideas for gift-giving using mason jars:

Gift baskets with food items like cookies, candy, soup mixes, granola, trail mixes, spices, and holiday treats. Layer the ingredients beautifully in the jar for a cute presentation.

DIY bath and beauty products like bath salts, body scrubs, and lotions. These make pampering gifts when paired with jars of candles or bath bombs. Include instructions for how to use.

Holiday-themed jars filled with candy, cookies, cocoa mix, ornaments, confetti, and other small treats. Tie a ribbon around the lid and add a gift tag.

For more mason jar gift ideas, check out this guide from All Recipes: https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/mason-jar-gift-ideas/

Decor

Decorating empty mason jars is a popular and easy DIY project. Since the jars come in a standard shape and size, they provide a unique canvas for creativity. Some simple ways to decorate mason jars include:

Painted and decorated jars – Mason jars can be painted with acrylic paints and decorated with lace, burlap, stickers, and other embellishments. Distressing the jars or adding a faux finish like chalk paint creates a vintage, shabby chic look. Accent the designs with raffia, jute, or ribbon tied around the rim of the jar. Get creative with patterns, inspirational quotes, and colors.

Fairy jar lights – Turn a mason jar into a twinkling light by filling it with fairy lights, fake tealight candles, or strands of twinkle lights. Create a stunning centerpiece or decorate pathways and trees outdoors. Use clear craft glue to affix faux flowers, moss, gems or ribbon to the outside of the jar for added sparkle.

Rustic centerpieces – Fill a mason jar with flowers, greenery, rocks or sand to create a simple rustic centerpiece. Add burlap bows, scrabble letter initials, or raffia to customize. Cluster several jars together for a tablescape. Line walkways or decorate patios using mason jars as rustic lanterns. (Source)

Outdoors

Mason jars are perfect for outdoor activities like picnics, camping, hiking, and bug catching. Their versatility, durability, and sealing lids make them ideal for packing and transporting food and drinks safely.

For picnics and packed lunches, wide-mouth pint and quart jars are great for holding sides, salads, snacks, and sandwiches. Their clear glass lets you easily see the contents. Small 4 oz quilted jelly jars are perfect for dressings, sauces, and condiments. All seal tightly to prevent leaks and spills in transit.

When camping or hiking, use mason jars to carry trail mix, granola, cereals, or oatmeal conveniently. They’re durable enough to withstand being packed and unpacked frequently. Fill them with coffee, tea, juice, water, or wine and their lids ensure your drinks stay secure. They can even be used for one-pot camping meals. After eating, mason jars double as portable bowls for washing up.

For bug catching, poke holes in the lids of small 4-8 oz mason jars. This allows air flow while keeping the bugs contained. Decorate the jars and lids with stickers or duct tape to personalize them. Kids will have fun customizing their own bug catching jars for nature walks and exploring outdoors.

From picnics to camping meals to bug catching and collecting, mason jars are endlessly versatile for outdoor activities. Their durability, secure lids, and customizable sizes make them a staple for enjoying the great outdoors.

Kids Crafts

Mason jars can be used to create a variety of fun crafts and activities for kids. Here are some ideas:

Sensory Bins

Fill mason jars with items like dry beans, rice, glitter, pom poms, beads, water, and food coloring to create engaging sensory bins for toddlers and preschoolers. Sensory play helps develop fine motor skills and supports sensory processing development (source).

Science Experiments

Mason jars make great containers for science experiments. Try making a tornado in a jar, a water xylophone, a lava lamp, or colored play dough. These hands-on science activities allow kids to observe cause and effect relationships and make predictions (source).

Arts and Crafts

Decorate mason jars with paint, stickers, glitter, and other art supplies to make beautiful vases, pencil holders, or storage containers. Mason jars can also be used for projects like memory jars, DIY snow globes, etched glass, and more. Crafting with mason jars encourages creativity and fine motor development.

Conclusion

In summary, 16 ounce mason jars have a wide variety of uses. They can be used for food storage, drinks, crafts, organization, gifts, decor, outdoors, and kids crafts. The many benefits of using mason jars include that they are inexpensive, reusable, versatile, airtight, durable, eco-friendly, and allow for portion control. With so many creative ways to use them, consider trying some fun DIY projects like making layered salads in a jar, infused drinking water, painted and decorated jars, fairy jar lights, or outdoor luminaries.

Mason jars are an endlessly versatile item that every household should have on hand. Their usefulness for food prep, storage, crafts, decor, and more is only limited by your imagination. Their benefits for budget, organization, sustainability, and control over portions make mason jars a top choice for any home.