Mason jars are some of the most durable and useful items in your preparedness pantry. While Philadelphia’s John Landis Mason first patented the jar in 1858 for home food storage, the jar has now found multiple uses including cleaning, gardening, housing emergency supplies and more.

Check out these ideas on what to do with your Mason jars and comment below to add your input.

Add a Spout
Most cardboard salt containers have a metalized spout on the top that folds out. You can add these to any mason jar. After you’ve finished with the old salt container, cut the whole top off of the salt container. It will likely be too wide to fit inside the mason jar sealing ring. Simply measure how large it needs to be by tracing the ring on the lid and cutting out the excess. Place the spout in the ring and start pouring. This will allow you to divide out those large bags of food storage staples into manageable mason jar sizes.

Oil Lamp
Cut a small x in the top of the mason jar lid. It should only be a few centimeters wide. You can then push a candle wick through the top and pull it through. Fill the mason jar with canola oil and let the wick soak up the oil before you light it up.

Flower Vase
Find a taller mason jar and fill it with water. It adds a bit of a rustic feel to any flower arrangement.

Soap Dispenser
You’ll need to grab a pump from a lotion bottle. Cut a hole in the top of a mason jar lid that’s about 1.5 cm wide (or as wide as the straw in the pump). Slide the pump through the hole and glue add a layer of hot glue on the inside of the lid to secure it in place. You may need to trim the straw after you place it into the jar. Fill the jar with liquid soap and you’re set to go!

Salad in a Jar
Salads in a jar are a great lunch option. They’re filling, durable and easy to grab on the go. The lettuce takes longer to brown when vacuum sealed in a mason jar too. The thing that I love is that you can make it into a salad shaker by placing the lid and giving it a whirl.

Wall Planters
You’ll need a wooden board, 4-inch metal worm drive clamps, and a few screws. Place the clamps evenly across the board as desired. Secure the clamps to the board with the screws and then place the jars inside. Tighten the clamps around the jar so that they won’t fall down when filled and turned upright. You can then add soil and seeds inside the dirt and hand them on the walls or wherever you want.

Match Holder
Find some fine sandpaper and cut out enough to place on top of your mason jar lid. Secure the sandpaper down with the lid ring. Store the matches inside the jar and when you need to strike them, use the sandpaper.

Self-Contained Sewing Kit
You’ll need a small mason jar, fabric, glue gun, stuffing, a pencil and hot glue gun. Place the mason jar lid (circle not the ring) on the fabric and outline a circle 1-inch wider than the lid. Cut out the circle and lay the top side of the lid on top of the fabric. Begin to fold the fabric over the edge of the lid and glue the edges to bottom of the lid. Leave an opening in order to place your stuffing inside between the fabric and lid. The mason jar lid ring should be able to pull over the fabric. You should be able to toss in needles, string and other sewing material inside the jar and screw the pin cushion on top. Full instructions (with photos) can be seen here.

What do you have to say?
How have you used mason jars? Comment below and share the knowledge.