By Noreen Doll.
A Christmas card gift jar is a useful way to re-purpose Christmas cards.
Use your old canning jars, or buy a bunch at the end of the summer when they are on clearance. You can also find them at yard sales or thrift stores.
Canning jars can be used for so many gifts, from foods to anything else that will fit inside. You could even roll up a tee shirt and fit it inside a quart jar.
There are 2 sizes of jars, and either one makes a great gift holder.
If you are giving jams, pickles, salsa or other prepared foods, these card circles are a great way to decorate them.
Canning jars come with screw top and lid. Or you can purchase just the screw tops and lids.
Materials.
Canning Jar with Screw Top and Lid
Christmas Card or other Greeting Card
Pencil
Scissors
Ribbon or Twine
How to Make a Christmas Card Gift Jar.
1. Be sure the jar and lid pieces are clean.
2. Turn the screw top upside down and place it on the card you want to use.
You can see through the center of the screw top to find the part of the card you want to cut out.
Draw a circle around the outside of the screw top.
3. Cut out the picture, just inside the line you drew.
When cutting, turn the card instead of the scissors – it makes cutting a circle easier.
If the circle is too snug to fit inside the screw top, trim a little off until it fits.
4. Put the cut out picture inside the screw top with the picture showing on the outside.
Place the lid on the jar and put the screw top with the picture over the lid. Tighten.
Make lots of Christmas card circles to have handy for when you need a gift. It doesn’t take much room to store several of them, and you can keep them in one of the jars.
How to Use the Christmas Card Gift Jar.
* I like using mine as a button jar, but I don’t leave the ribbon on it.
* Fill the canning jar with whatever you want to store or give and then put the Christmas card cover on.
* If you already have canned food in the jar, just remove the screw top and add the Christmas card picture on top of the lid before replacing the screw top.
* If you want to conceal the gift you are adding to the jar, line it with tissue paper before putting the gift inside. Once the lid is on the gift will be hidden.
Tie ribbon or twine around the jar just below the top to finish embellishing it.
© Noreen Doll
Amy Perdew says
Noreen, you are just brilliant. This is a wonderful way to repurpose cards! I love after holiday sales. Christmas cards have the best graphics! <3 it!!
Lenore says
Hi Noreen,
I love this idea. I always feel guilty about disposing of Christmas cards, a tree’s life was taken after all and the sender took their time and money to send you some holiday cheer. By doing this project the tree goes a little further , bringing another form of its beauty to another person and the original sender’s money goes a bit further too and so does the holiday cheer.
Pam @Threading My Way says
Very clever, Noreen and a great way to reuse Christmas cards.