Mason Mania
The following blog is from San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles’ summer intern.
Striding blearily into my bathroom one morning, up at the crack of dawn for a rousing 7 a.m. Spanish course, I noticed that there was a gradual takeover in occurrence. Slowly, my roommate was replacing all of our bathroom containers with the rustic relic known commonly as the Mason jar.
My previous experience with these ubiquitous, 16 oz. glass containers could be summed up in two words: strawberry jam — my grandmother’s to be exact, the tangy ruby substance cooling in rows of shiny glass prisons on the seeming monolith of the kitchen counter. But other than fond childhood recollections, I never had much use for the containers myself.
So imagine my surprise upon observing the medley of uses that my roommate, Jessie, had concocted for them. We were now the proud owners of a Mason jar toothbrush holder, dyed green (by way of Elmer’s Glue and food coloring) and bedecked with a lacy bow, a soap dispenser of the same make (this one left with its original coloring) and a wall organizer consisting of a plank of wood with several Mason jars attached via pipe clamps.
Scouring the rest of our small home for these interlopers, I discovered that she had placed some in the living room as well — vases and candleholders galore! Before me were the many varied faces of the Mason jar, a parade of containers in all colors and adornments: glittered, painted, chalked, dyed and cozied (covered in tea cozy-like sheaths).
Our new home décor peaked my curiosity. Was this an isolated incident or a global phenomenon?
I turned to the resource known to answer all of life’s most important questions: Google. I discovered that, in the age of DIY home improvement, the Mason jar has become one of America’s favorite canvases. The Internet’s collection of Mason paraphernalia far outshines the apparently meager collection in our home — from tacky (the Mason jar goblet aka “Redneck Wine Glass”) to trendy (Mason jar terrariums [gnomes optional]).
Soon I was noticing them everywhere:
My hip friend Sam transporting his morning green juice in a Mason jar in his backpack, an accident waiting to happen in my eyes (kale splattered textbooks anyone?).
Chic cafés claiming them as the perfect medium to serve a blueberry mojito, with charming twine adornment about the rim, or as light casings for their chandeliers.
As the new favored manner to give a gift, among collegiate girls and mothers alike, filling cutely decorated Mason jars with all manner of goodies (though most popularly desert mixes complete with baking instructions).
Even one of my birthday presents, a set of miniature Mason jar shot glasses, from Jessie of course.
Conspiracy theorists are worrying about the wrong takeover; the only Masonic uprising I see is of the glass variety. I just hope that Mason jar urns are nowhere in our immediate future; not even Pinterest could make that endearing.
Regardless, the majority of Mason jar-related objects are delightful and have crafters everywhere saying, “I can do it!”
To join the Rustic Revolution, check out Pinterest’s never-ending list of DIY Mason jar crafts!
