Lucy Collins
I remember the first time I saw vintage blue mason jars lined up on a shelf in someone’s kitchen. I hopped on eBay and found a “lot” of jars for hardly any money.
I’ve added a few more along the way, but that original group of jars is still the heart of my collection. A tinsmith by trade, he named the canning jars after himself, but sadly he never enjoyed the fruits of his labor. The top has a rubber airtight seal around the edge which creates the vacuum, and the outer band screws onto the jar. Mason jars are available in such a wide variety of sizes that they can be used for literally anything.
The openings come in two sizes: regular and wide mouth canning jars. I prefer the wide mouth jars because the bigger opening makes it easier to fill. Mason jars are made by several companies, in addition to the Ball Corporation. Good quality glass mason jars are made by Kerr, Anchor Hocking, Bormioli Rocco, and Libbey.
In this post, I’m not going to touch on the actual reason mason jars were invented…which is to can and preserve food. What I love the most about mason jars is that no matter what you put in them, they have a certain charm that’s undeniable.
Of course, in my opinion, mason jars make perfect vases. You’ve heard me say many times that grouping like items together makes more of a statement.
A collection of mason jars gathered on a dining room table definitely makes a statement. Either way, alone or grouped together, these charming containers are perfect for showing off your favorite flowers.
The newest additions to the Ball mason jar line are very nifty wooden lids. They come in both regular and wide mouth, and the lids pop on a jar with an airtight silicone seal.
My daughter was able to get them at her local Kroger, and the wide mouth lids are currently available on Amazon. I mix my vintage/farmhouse accessories, including mason jars, with my traditional furniture in our open-concept home.
