Earth Day Inspired by Bliss
Many of you already know that we sadly had to conclude our jar recycling program last year due to the ever changing situation with COVID. So, like myself, you've probably got a pile of empty Bliss Dough jars that you can't bring yourself to part with (because they're just so cute). In honour of Earth Day, I took it upon myself to make a list of ways that you can reuse your jars rather than just recycling them. If you want a creative project or some practical ideas, I think this should help you feel inspired.
Since our jars are glass, once you get the label off I think they are quite aesthetic as well as durable. Our newer labels are easier to peel off, though I recommend using Goo Gone or WD-40 to help lift off any glue left behind.
How to Reuse your Bliss Dough Jars:
- Start seedlings for your spring garden! The glass is a great way to watch the growth happening, and the size of the snack jar is ideal for larger bulbs or vegetables. Our owner, Jess, has begun to grow this baby lettuce by simply taking the stem from a whole head of romaine. All those leaves you see poking out are new! We also have a past blog post where we started some wildflower seeds in a jar which you can read here.
- These jars are seriously perfect for propagating, especially when you have more than one going at a time; look how nice it looks! Pictured we have a recovering pothos, and some baby spider plants. The glass allows for constant light and I find it easier to remember to top up the water because I can actually see the level. Both these propagations have amazing new roots now and will soon be ready for us to plant.
- Remember when you were in grade school and your friend's "craft mom" would make you a recipe jar? Well now it can be your turn! If you simply Google "recipes in a jar" you will be shocked at all the results there are to choose from. A common one I remember receiving was a cookie recipe jar; all the ingredients are pre-measured and layered into the jar, so that all you need to do is mix and bake! I've also seen this done with soups and even salads. This would be such a great way to reuse the jar and then gift it to someone else (very sustainable, we like it).
- Now it might get a little complicated to actually make a candle yourself from scratch, but there are so many instructional videos out there now that I have faith in you. If you have the ability or supply, melting your own wax and adding essential oils is a fairly simple process (and you have three size options with our jars to use). My friend likes to make candles at home (and she's super good at it) so the picture you see is one she made us in a Bliss jar! Pretty sure she even topped it with some shaved chocolate to fit the vibe. If you're not feeling that ambitious then throw a tealight in the jar... 10/10. This would look pretty magical in the summer time if you have a cozy outdoor spot, and you swap for a citronella tealight!
- Storage, storage, storage! It's never enough, especially when you're like me and collect pretty much everything that you find on a walk... I think these jars are perfect for showing off nature-y items, while keeping everything tidy. I have this collection of dried flowers and herbs that look so pretty in the jars (pictured below are my favorites). I just printed out those little labels and glued them on the side myself with mod podge. You could do this with sand from vacations, sea glass, shells... I could go on forever.
- The snack and regular jars are a nice size for craft storage. I personally work in the Waterloo store and we have 100+ pencil crayons here... so I shoved them in Bliss Jars haha! I prefer when my writing utensils are standing upright, especially if its pens and markers, and since it's glass I can always find the colour I need.
- If you wanna get the kids involved there's a few little things that you can turn the jars into! I enjoyed collecting some moss and other items outside for this little fairy terrarium. I used crystals, which I did not personally find, but rocks and stick would work just as well. You can often find little figurines like this fairy at a dollar store if you want to go all out. This past Christmas we made a snow globe with glitter inside, but seasonally you can make a galaxy jar. Again, Google knows everything and will explain how to put this together (it's essentially just water, glue, and a lot of glitter)! The inside or outside of the jar can also be painted or drawn on with sharpies, for even more creativity.
- You could make a "date jar" featuring items from time spent with your partner. A jar could be filled with tickets from events together, receipts, pictures and little knick-knacks you may have collected. Or, you could do the reverse and add a ton of date ideas to the jar, and take turns picking from the jar for some spontaneous date ideas.
- Though it can't necessarily be resealed, you can make jam in the jar or pickle something! I've been seeing a lot of TikToks with people pickling their own items at home, and I think the larger jars would be a great size for attempting this.
I have SO many more ideas but I'll leave you with these for now. I hope you've been inspired to be creative in reusing your own jars. You can share your creations with us on Instagram by tagging @blissdough and #reusebliss. We can't wait to see what you've created!
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