Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Make Your Own ~ Decorative Apothecary Jars {DIY}


“Style isn't what you have---it's what you do with what you have.” 

When we first started our Create Your Own Home Pharmacy ~ Art of the Apothecary Series, I had mentioned there would also be some crafting projects. Without further adieu, may I present this make-your -own-apothecary-jar tutorial. The possibilities are endless with these fun and useful jars! They can store herbs, favorite tea blends, laundry room sundries (such as soap, clothespins, etc), decorative items from nature (like sea glass, pinecones and such) and dry goods in the bathroom. Whatever you desire! And they are so easy and practically free to make!


To begin with, you will need some jars (recycle, recycle). If you want to make a set of three, it is nice to have three different sizes. I also tried to use three different kinds. The first jar was used because of its larger size (quart size) and the second jar had a wider opening than the first to give it an identity. The third jar was chosen because of its hexagon style while also being a bit shorter than the rest. You could also use the exact same kind of jar and line them all up, nice and neat, for an apothecary store look. 


1. You will need some cast-off drawer/cabinet knobs. I used some old ones that came with our house which were dull, rusted and quite ugly. Some glass ones would be divine (but I was after thriftiness)!

2. Using a thick nail and a hammer, drive the nail through the center of your jar lid to make a hole (sorry I don't have better step-by-step photos, I made these with my daughter and didn't want to drop everything to get good pictures).

3. Once hole has been created, place knob through the hole and firmly screw them onto the jar lid to keep it in place. If you are handy, you could probably use a tool to cut off the excess screw. Note: A shorter screw would be better (and invisible) but I just used what I had on hand! :)

4. Paint your refurbished lids to match your decor and let dry. 

5. All finished, just place on your jar! 


There are many ways you can decorate these sets (Think pink lids and sparkles for a girls room while holding rubber bands, hair clips and ribbons)! You can also leave your jars plain or attach some pretty labels like we did. 


If you want to use the same antique set that we used, you will find our free printable below. Thank you to the Graphics Fairy for the antique images! We affixed our labels with a good old fashioned glue stick (you could also use decoupage). 


We placed cotton balls, bandaids and q-tips inside our jars making them a bit of a first aid station and beauty area in the bathroom.


The best part about this project is that it didn't cost us a dime. The jars are recycled and the knobs were cast off from our cabinets. The paint was found in our homeschool craft area. The only thing that costed a few cents was the printer ink and swipe of glue. 



These are so versatile, frugal and fun. You can prepare something for the schoolroom such as a jar set for markers, glue sticks and crayons. In the sewing room you can feature buttons, threads and ribbons. In the bathroom, you can store your homemade bath salts and bath powders. And in your home apothecary, you can simply store your dried herbs. Can you see yourself making something like this and to what purpose? To use these vintage perfume labels, simply visit HERE! You can either print them out on plain paper, cut to size and affix to your containers with glue (or decoupage) or print them out on sticker paper and cut to size. Happy creating! 
All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making MondaysModest Mom Monday'sMonday's MusingsMake Your Home Sing MondayGood Morning Mondays,  The ScoopTitus 2 TuesdaysTuesdays with a TwistRaising HomemakersWise Woman Link UpHomestead Blog Hop Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and ConversationHomemaking ThursdaysHome Sweet HomeOur Simple HomesteadFrom the Farm Blog HopAwesome Life Friday Link UpFive Star Frou Frou FridayShabbilicious FridaySimply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

47 comments:

  1. I could hardly read this post for those pretty vintage labels staring at me so I stared back. O.O
    Did you hear my squeal of joy when I scrolled down and found them free for the taking? They are perfect; Thank you so much. Love the knobs on the lids, too.
    Have a great Tuesday!

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    1. Thank you! I fell in love with the vintage labels too. Glad you like them ;)

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  2. I second what magnoliasntea said!!!! Thank you for being so generous.

    Blessings,
    Angela

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    1. And thank you for taking the time to comment so kindly! :)

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  3. I love the handle on the lid and the labels -everything is just so cute. Thanks for the idea. I can't wait to make them!

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    1. It is fun to make something useful and pretty from scraps, isn't it? Happy Tuesday to you!

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  4. Oh JES, I love, love, LOVE these! Did I mention that I love these jars? :) These are definitely going on my list of things to make! Thank you, sweet friend!

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    1. I am sure you can really make a creative set!! :)

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  5. You make the cutest things, Jes. I'm always inspired by your blog.

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    1. Thanks Laura. It is a nice little project to spruce up an area of the home without spending $. Just our style, right ?:)

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  6. The labels are jars are so nice Jes!

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    1. Thank you Julie, I fell in love with the French labels too!

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  7. Just love the vintage look you created out of old jars, and the beautiful labels really add that special touch!

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    1. Thank you! And the best part is that you probably have these items lying around somewhere!

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  8. I love your jars! I like that you have the knob attached. Much easier to take the lid off. The labels are so Victorian! Very nice Jes! I've pinned to refer back to. Have a wonderful week! Diane

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    1. Thank you Diane! They were fun to make! :)

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  9. These are wonderful! Thanks for sharing your lovely work ;)

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    1. You are welcome. They were fun to make but I am sure someone as creative as you can really doll them up! :)

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    2. I love your jars, lids, knobs on top and your beautiful labels. However, as a woodworker of many years, I wondered what those 'things' are that are hanging down into your jars? My husband walked in, looked at the computer, and said, "Nice jars, but what in the world are those things hanging down into her jars?" He said that you can buy a few screws for just pennies that would be short enough to screw up into your knob. Bev

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    3. Duh! :) That would solve my problem wouldn't it! :) Thank you for sharing. Sometimes the obvious is not so obvious. Those are the original knob screws that came with our old cabinets. Most knobs don't even work like that anymore! :) Thank you for the simple solution :)

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  10. These are so lovely! I need to get a new colour cartridge for my printer and then I want to make some of these. My bathroom was looking a bit bare and you have provided just the right touch. Your blog is just so inspiring - love it, love it!

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    1. That would be perfect Jayne! Ours are working out nicely in the bathroom too. In the end, there are also some pretty black/white labels out there that you could use if the color ink isn't in the budget. Here is a link ~

      http://blog.worldlabel.com/wp-content/myfiles/2011/04/bottle-labels.png

      Happy homemaking, JES :)

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  11. Jes I just love this! Loving jars as I do I see so much potential in them and these would be beautiful for so many things. Also as lovely gifts. Thank you so much! xx

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    1. Yes, much potential and much fun! :) Thank you for taking the time to visit!

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  12. Swoon! I love, love, love these! Why didn't I ever think to attach old knobs? You know what I'm doing today....

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    1. Would love to see what you come up with Katie! :)

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  13. I just love these great and useful jars and labels! So practical AND oh so vintage!

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    1. Thank you Debbie, they were a blast to make!

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  14. How pretty! And there's just a ton of things that they can be used for. I love it that they didn't cost anything to make. Great tutorial Jes!

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  15. These jars are very pretty! I love these type of do it yourself projects. So much fun!

    I hope you are doing well! Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs, Amy

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  16. Just wondering what is the purpose of using a long screw and leaving it down in the jar? Why not a shorter one, screwed in tight and out of view?

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    1. No purpose whatsoever! A shorter screw would be WAY better, I just used the hardware I had on hand :)

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  17. What a great idea, I love ways to recycle unique jars, Loved the idea of putting the knob on the lid
    cause that make all the difference in the look, cute labels as well.
    Thanks for sharing this. NIce to meet you here in blogland.
    Blessings, Nellie

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  18. I love that you added those labels. Thanks for posting. Hello from Simply Natural Saturdays.

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  19. Beautiful jars Jes. Following you from Stephanie's blog :).

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  20. i want to thank you for such beautiful labels. I printed them and used them on canning jars. I then put a little ribbon around the canning lid. They turned out so pretty. In each jar I put hair ties, barrettes, bobby pins, etc. I even put a label on a clean pickle bologna jar and used that for my hair brushes. Needless to say my bathroom looks very nice now!

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    1. Oh, how fun and exciting!!! Thank you for sharing that with me Vickie! :)

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    2. Just discovered your site and I think I'm in love! So many sweet, pretty, frugal ideas for home and family. Many thanks for sharing. Love, love, love the apothecary jars and will put your ideas to good use . Since printer ink runs when exposed to moisture I will cover the labels with clear contact paper. (Love that stuff and keep a roll on hand for projects like this. )

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    3. Hi Michele, that is a great idea! I will often cover labels with some packing tape as a protector as well. Thank you for taking the time to comment so kindly! :) Glad to have you visit here!

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  21. What a sweet project Jes. Thank you for sharing your apothecary jars DIY at Shabbilicious Friday. I'm delighted to be featuring them at tomorrows party.

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  22. Dear JES- truly beautiful things can be made from almost nothing! Love your ideas. Thank-you.

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    1. I am glad this is helpful! Thank you for commenting! 🌿

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  23. I'm going to have to try this; I'm reusing pasta sauce and Instant coffee jars so I can use them for storage instead of
    my canning jars, mostly dry items like salt and beans. I also like the idea of a pretty vanity set. I love your Cottage Rose labels - have you thought of making them in Lilac/lavender?

    DavetteB in AK

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    1. Oh that would be lovely too! It's all about time... sigh... 😔 ♥️

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