For some people, a kitchen is just a functional space for preparing quick meals. For others, it’s the heart of a happy home, and a place to linger over food with family and friends.
If you belong firmly in the second group, it’s good to make your kitchen look as welcoming and comfortable as possible. But at the same time, it still needs to be a room where cooking comes as easily as entertaining. Using glass jars for storage is a great way to bridge this gap, creating atmosphere and decoration while also increasing utility.
What to Put in Jars
The opportunities for combining different styles of jars with different contents are endless, and your choices depend greatly on what you already keep in your kitchen. However, here are some practical ideas that may spark your imagination.
- Line your shelves with jars of dried goods, from grains to lentils to beans, to keep these staple ingredients handy while adding country character and charm to the room.
- Dried pasta comes in all shapes and sizes, and if you choose an appropriate jar for each kind you like to cook, you have ready-made variety and interest combined with convenience.
- Frosted or stained glass jars with decorative lids are perfect for storing less attractive ingredients, such as flour, sugar, or grains.
- Smaller jars of colorful spices and herbs add impactful decoration without being overwhelming. Stack them in a corner or keep in a wall-mounted rack for a concentrated splash of color and style.
- Large jars of cookies or candy look friendly and tempting, great for kids and older visitors alike.
- Clear, lidless jars make great containers for utensils, saving space but keeping them conveniently to hand for the cook.
- Wider, shallower jars make excellent table centerpieces when filled with colorful items like dried chili peppers, preserved fruits, or even edible flowers and herb sprigs from the garden.
- Keep your breakfast cereals in large jars on your counter tops or breakfast bar, presenting a varied range to perk up appetites in the mornings.
- Similarly, a line of portion-sized jars of preserved fruits is far more tempting and appetizing than hiding large jars in the fridge or cupboard.
- Old jelly jars can be washed out and used to grow small batches of kitchen herbs, looking much brighter and more attractive than regular plastic pots.
- Lastly, jars aren’t just great for storing edible goods. Cupcake liners, tealights, and even dishwasher tablets all look better in a glass jar than in a cardboard box or cluttering up a drawer.
It doesn’t need a full remodel to transform a kitchen. Attractive glass jars can be picked up from surprising places secondhand, or bought very inexpensively new. Start collecting them now, filling them when inspiration strikes, and in no time your kitchen will have a fresh new look without the expense.
