Hi Frabee, Have you seen the neat totems Gotonenerveleft made out of the jars and terra cota pots? Here's a link (I hope)She posted them on the GJ forum. The title of the post was "how to make a casual totem".

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o185/Gotonenerveleft/totems.jpg

They are also great for patio lights if you put sand in the bottom and set votive candles in them. Some posters on the GJ forum have even hung them from tree branches by wrapping wire hangers around them.

Hope you post pics of whatever you decide to make with yours.

Luvs

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:137669}}

My DH made me some hanging lights out of some. I have a box full that I'm going to display some photographs in on a shelf in the living room(print out copies of pics,curl them around a rolling pin or something curved the fit in the jar).Those are older ones with zinc lids I used for that. newer ones I always grab up for Christmas gifts. I make soup in a jar. Try the "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" soup mix,it's excellent,( I don't know if I can put the link to that site here?? but I'll try)you can use up turkey or chicken,or use a can of chicken(which I give in the gift basket)everyone loves it.Besides a Christmas gift,it makes a great "get well" gift,too,with a rice bag to heat up in the microwave.

{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: ThatsMyHome.com soup in a jar mix

Those totems are neat! I can see a Christmas gift or two. A question, tho. What was used for the base? The very bottom piece...I can't figure it out. Thanks.

You can buy lamp attachments that fit the top of a mason jar and the jar can be filled with anything - buttons, pot pourri, beans, pasta - makes a nice little country/cottage theme lamp. Buy or make a shade for it. Probably a good idea to weight the jar if you are using pot pourri so it's not tippy.

I received a gift of a mason jar filled with pot pourri with a glass votive resting in the top and a ribbon tied around the top of the jar. Cute, useful, and inexpensive gift.

You can also buy, for under 2.50 plastic screw on lids so you can use the jars for storage. They come in regular and wide mouth.....8 to a package.

I totally forgot something great!!! My DH has been making birdfeeders from mason jars,lol! Don't tell HIM I forgot,but we bought one at a yard sale early this spring,and he went out and bought the stuff to make and sell more. It's a ceramic plate,and a mason jar,drilled with a glass bit,and has an eye and rubber washer,etc.,to hold the jar to the plate and an S-hook holds small chain to the eye hook,and another S-hook on the end of the chain to wrap it around a branch or whatever you plan to hang it from. We found the feeders at the local feed store,they're what you actually use to feed biddies-chickens with a mason jar. We found galvanized ones online really cheap,about $25 for a dozen. The ones at the feed store were about $2 each,but they're plastic and come in bright colors. He enjoyed making these!
My feeder is foggy,it's really hot outside,and really cold inside where the feeder was.

{{gwi:162297}}

For Christmas last year, I amassed jars and sewing notions, and made all of the girls sewing kits complete with all of the normal things plus safety pins, small rolls of double stick tape and replacement buttons of various sizes and shapes. I covered the lids with fabric scraps and tied a bow around the neck. I used stick on letters to label them with their name.
I also use them for dry good storage in my kitchen...beans, cornmeal, tapioca,wheat germ, brown sugar, herbs, powdered sugar, coffee, tea...etc.. I use great big glass jars for flour and sugar.
On the shelf, I have used mason jars to hold pictures (as Kudzukween suggested), candy and the little individual packets of Crystal light drink mixes.
At Christmas I use them for packaging choc. dipped peppermint sticks, beef and pork rub, spiced tea or fancy coffee mixes, homemade biscuit mix and Chex mix snacks.

Thanks, everyone, for all the great ideas! I'll never look at a mason jar the same again ;) Seriously, though, I can't wait to start using your ideas-- my only problem is which one to start first!