Vintage Look Ball Mason Jars

I collect vintage mason jars.. You know, those pretty blue green ones they used to use for canning.. I'm not sure why the canning industry stopped making the colored jars since preserved food  kept in a darker jar would actually be better for it... But anyhoo....they did and I now treasure the few vintage jars I have...

Anyone who likes those jars and has wanted to collect them know they can get quite pricey! It's crazy! If our grandparents had only known...they could have stowed away a few dozen for their grandchildren!

I have 9 vintage jars.. I'm going to make a lamp out of one of the tallest ones, I use one for a candle, refilling it over and over again, and keep the rest up on a shelf in my candle making room...

I think the one I use for a candle is really pretty, so I've wanted to be able to offer them on my website filled with creamy soy... But alas....if I were to use the real vintage jars, the price would end up being ridiculously high to cover the cost of the jar..

I've been trying to figure out a way to paint clear mason jars to look like the old fashioned vintage jars for awhile now.. I've seen a lot of tutorials on the Internet about it and I've tried them all... First I tried Mod Podge with food coloring.. I really liked the way those jars turned out, until I realized the color isn't water proof.. I really wanted jars that would remain colored.. So I did more research, played around with a couple of different glass paints and came up with a pretty good solution.. Most people color their jars from the inside, pouring the color in and letting it coat the sides while it sits upside down on a cloth to drain the excess.. This really is a great idea and makes beautiful jars, but it wont' work for candles, so I had to figure out a way to add permanent color to the outside of the jar..

Here's one I think I finally mastered! This has gone through the dishwasher and no color came off... I just have to fill it with soy and give it a test drive to know how it will work for sure... 

Once I know it works, I'll be adding a tutorial on how I finally achieved this look. 

But until then, I am so excited I'm beside myself!!! Note to self: What the heck does that saying actually mean?? 

I was searching the Internet for I don't even remember what when I found a blog where someone had a picture of Ball's newest vintage look canning jars.. Say WHAT?? 

I started searching to find out what is up with that and discovered that Ball has created a line of Heritage Collection canning jars to celebrate 100 years in business...  

I used the Ball website to find out where they can be purchased, but unfortunately, no one in our area carry them.. I found them on Amazon but the feedback was not good because jars were arriving broken, plus with the price and shipping, they would pretty  much cost as much as buying real vintage ones.. 

I kept looking on the Internet for solutions and found that ACE hardware has them, at the best price I've seen, and they offer free ship to store shipping.. YAHOO.... So I ordered 2 dozen and had them within a few days.. I love them so much, I ordered more, but haven't been called to say they've arrived, so I am a bit worried that they may have sold out of them.. crossing my fingers I get a call tomorrow ;o)

These are a bit more blue than the old vintage jars (mine at least).. My vintage ones are a blue/green color.. But these jars are really are a beautiful blue.. Even my husband looked at them and said how beautiful they are. 

I'm going to keep a dozen of these to can with and use the rest for candles, which I'll be adding to the website as soon as I get a chance.. I think they'll make beautiful candle jars and the customer will have a Ball collector's anniversary jar to keep when they get done burning the candle!

I'm so excited about having found these!!! 

It's the little things in life that make my world go round!!  

Aroma Beads

So, what the heck are aroma beads? They're plastic beads that absorb 30% fragrance oil. Unlike smelly jelly's, they aren't wet and do not evaporate.. They hold their fragrance for up to 6 months... I scent mine with the same great oils I use for my soy candles.. 

I offer them in two different jar styles.. The style shown above are the prettiest little vintage style jars I've ever seen with a wire mesh top.. They hold 4 oz of Aroma Beads in your choice of 9 scents. 

These pretty little jars cost $9 each and can be purchased on this page: 

http://www.karenskottage.org/candleshop14.html

I love candles, but there are certain places where it's really just not safe to have candles burning. These aroma beads make the perfect alternative.. I keep one in my sewing room next to my sewing machine and I can smell it the minute I open the door.. I also have a jar sitting in my closets.. It keeps my closets smelling so pretty!

They work great in spaces like the office, cubicles, dorm rooms, lockers, closets, drawers, small bathrooms, etc.. They work great for any place you would normally place an air freshener, only they last a lot longer and smell much better!

These pretty containers are quilted jars with a fluted top to release the pretty scents.. All you need to do when you receive it is remove the cardboard liner inside the cap and set it where you want to smell something nice. This style Aroma beads can be purchased for $8 on this page: 

http://www.karenskottage.org/candleshop13.html

Unlike candles, aroma beads do not have a "scent throw", which is the scent you smell when burning a candle. Aroma beads have a more concentrated scent, so the smell is very strong where the jar sits, just like all air fresheners.. The advantage to Aroma beads is that they keep their scent for up to 6 months. Once they've lost their scent, you can reuse the jar for something else, or purchase a fresh 4oz bag of aroma beads for $6.00... 

When you think about it, that's a pretty good deal for air fresheners! If you replace the beads once every 6 months, that's only $12 for the year... Cool beans!