Autumn crafts with jam jars

The clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in, the temperature has dropped alarmingly, and the leaves are rapidly changing colour and falling to the ground. Yes, autumn is very definitely here. It’s a time to wrap up warm, enjoy hearty suppers, bake tasty treats, sit by the fire and find creative things to do indoors. In today’s blog post, we take a look at some fun craft projects involving glass jars. Simple to do, using everyday items you are sure to have around the house, these craft ideas are a great way of entertaining the kids when it’s too cold or rainy to be outside - and they’re great fun for adults too!

Wild bouquets in jam jars

One simple idea that can brighten up an indoor space is to create a bouquet in a jar to decorate a windowsill or dining table. Of course, most flowers are well and truly over now but there is still plenty of interest in most people’s gardens. Look for interesting evergreen foliage such as holly or eucalyptus, along with things like teasels with their architectural, and very spiky, seed heads.

Attach pine cones to a thin cane with florist’s wire and add them to the bouquet too. The more you look for interesting things to add to your bouquet, the more you’ll find, especially if you think outside the box. Pheasant tail feathers make a brilliant and interesting addition, as do the heads of bull rushes and pampas grass. For a variation on this theme, you could also make an autumn wreath for the front door, or a table decoration with a chunky candle in the centre.

Autumn lanterns in glass jars

With the nights getting darker, it’s fun to make some simple lanterns to position by the back door or to hang in trees, and jam jars are perfect for this. You could simply place a tea light in a jam jar and hang it from a branch with wire or twine, but it’s much more fun, and much more eye-catching to decorate the jar first. Find a handful of autumn leaves and some glass jars and grab a tub of Mod Podge and a paintbrush.

Cover the outside of the jar with Mod Podge, avoiding the base and the screw top area. Carefully position your dried leaves around the outside of the jar and paste over the top of them with Mod Podge to fix them in position. Once the first coat is dry, apply a second coat and then leave it to dry completely overnight. Finally, for a long-lasting finish, apply a coat of acrylic spray or clear varnish and again, allow to dry.

Once completely dry, pop a tealight inside and enjoy the colourful, shadowy effect that the leaves give to your lantern. You can use glass jars of all sizes for this project by simply using a bigger candle. Try half gallon glass jars with a large pillar candle and create a warm, welcoming effect.

Jam jars filled with autumn’s bounty

Our final project is great for teaching kids a little about the plants and wildlife around them, and it also creates an effective display to brighten a bookcase or alcove this autumn. Head out for a walk around the garden, the local park, or best of all, a local woodland trail. As you walk, look out for interesting items that would look great in a jam jar. Think of acorns and beech nuts, teasels, fir cones, moss and lichen, gnarly twigs, conkers, and so on.

Gather plenty of these, but do leave some acorns and nuts for the squirrels and birds and only ever take moss and lichen from fallen branches, never from a tree or hedgerow. At home, give your finds a wipe clean if necessary and then place each type of object in a separate jam jar - acorns in one jar, conkers in another and so on. Position in groups of three jars for best effect. If you have any tiny LED light strings, wind these around the base of the jars for the ultimate finishing touch.

Knitted jam jar covers

Now, this might sound a little wacky, but jam jars look amazing when covered with a little knitted jacket. If you’re a knitting fan, this project will take no time at all and if you’re a knitting novice, it’s a great beginner project. Simply knit a rectangle to size, sew up the seam, and slip it over a clean jam jar.

We hope that today’s post has given you some fresh ideas as to how to make use of some jam jars in a creative way this autumn. Why not give these ideas a try this weekend to see how they work for you? If you do have a go at any autumn craft projects like these, we’d love to see your photos. Get in touch via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to show us your own creative ideas and projects!