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Baby food jars are great for arts & crafts projects. The ideas here all come from our T2T mailing list, and many of them are great Mother's Day gift ideas.

When I taught third grade I used baby food jars to make candles for Mother's Day gifts. You take many colors of tissue paper that is cut or torn into small shapes. With a mixture of glue and water, you "paint" the glue onto the tissue paper, then layer onto side of jar. Completely cover the jar with tissue and let dry. You might have to glue down corners and edges if they weren't covered enough the first time. Then put in a small votive type candle, and there you have a great Mother's Day gift, or whatever else you want. If you get really ambitious, you can have the kids (or you) melt paraffin and make the candles inside the jar yourself. -Nikki
If you melt your own paraffin, add a few drops of oil such as lavender or a flower scent for a wonderful smelling candle.

You could also do the candle holder with pretty napkins and glue. Sort of like decoupage. I have done this with those tiny terra cotta plant pots from Walmart. The mothers will love this. Home made with love and very useful. They are too fun and so easy to make. -CJ
Be creative with the decoupage technique. Students could even draw a picture on a strip of paper cut to fit around the jar. Glue the drawing to the jar as directed above.

Baby food jars can be used to make "snow globes"--glue a small figurine in the lid using a hot glue gun. Fill the jar with water and some glitter (or some other neat shaped plastic confetti) and glue the lid on. -LClend

I have used baby food jars to put colored sand in to make paperweights and sand sculptures. They are a good size, and you can spray paint the lids. We are going to be studying the desert, so I think we will make them for Christmas gifts this year. -Nancy

You could purchase some potpourri and ribbon. You could put mesh over the top, tie a lace ribbon around it and place potpourri inside. This is a very pretty decoration and can easily be replaced when the smell goes away. Have fun!! -Jeana

You can use baby food jars to make an ocean scene. Put water in and blue/green food coloring. Add a little glitter and a small rubber fish attached to the jar lid with fishing string. It looks great. -Bonita

For more Mother's Day gift ideas see: Gifts That GROW

Contributions
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I teach Texas History and we use baby food jars to make a single serving of home-made butter when we study the pioneer unit. They absolutely love it! The PTO provides yeast rolls.
Tammy W
Sabine Middle
Gladewater,Texas


Quick & Easy Potpourri

What you need:
petals from fragrant flowers or herbs such as roses, lavender, sweet pea, thyme, mint, or rosemary

Dry petals on a piece of paper, if they are large, hang them from the ceiling or a coat hanger with string. When they are dry, grind them up in a blender, or with a mortar and pestle (or even two rocks), or tear into small pieces. Pour the dried pieces into your decorated baby food jar and cover with mesh, (as described at left.)

Thanks to T2T contributor, Iram, for the basis of the above recipe. Check out his website: CanTeach