By Abigail Abesamis

Mason jars have been making a comeback in popular culture. Though some still use mason jars to preserve fruits, with the increased popularity of the mason jar, people have been coming up with new, interesting ways of using them. Standard size mason jars can be found at your local craft store and are relatively inexpensive. At my local craft store they are less than a dollar.

So where do you come in, Savvy Auntie? Are you a little mason jar crazed? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. Share the love for mason jars with your nieces and nephews. Below are a few activities involving mason jars. Get inspired, and have fun.

Make your own lava lamp. Perform an at home mini science experiment and, if you wish, take the time to give your nieces and nephews a mini science lesson. Jill Dubien gives an excellent step by step tutorial of how to create these lava lamps in a jar.

Create a biosphere...in a mason jar! A fun activity for a free afternoon where by the end you will have created something that your nieces and nephews can enjoy for years to come. A helpful step by step video of how to create your own biosphere: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-1Fu4Bv1qg

Make gifts. Gather together dry ingredients and get layering! Your nieces and nephews can get in on the fun, and you can teach them about different measuring tools. Mixes in a Jar has over 250 recipes that would be perfect for your homemade gift.

Start a rainy day fund. Decorate the jar with your nieces and nephews and encourage them to put in spare coins instead of spending them. Decide what activity they would like to do once the jar is sufficiently full. Going to the movies, lunch at their favorite restaurant, or maybe picking out a new book to read at their local bookstore

Make snow globes. Snow globes don’t necessarily need to be holiday themed. Find small figurines or other objects around the house to make unique creations. Lara Housser wrote an informative tutorial on how to create beautiful snow globes in mason jars.

Photo: Richard Elzey via Flickr cc
Published: January 21, 2014