Hi there! I’m Sara from sincerely, sara d., and I’m honored to be a contributor on Unexpected Elegance.  Angela is so creative and a diva at DIY projects, and I always love seeing what she’s up to.

Years ago, I worked at a greeting card company in the creative department.  One of my coworkers made us creative jars, and I love the idea!  Not only was it adorable sitting on my desk, but it was filled with fun things to get my creative juices flowing again when I felt like I had hit a brick wall.

Fast forward to my life today – I still hit that brick wall at times.  Only now, it’s because of my three kids fighting, bored and/or getting on my last nerve…you get the picture!

Since I had the jars on hand, I only had to buy the supplies.  I bought everything to fill the three jars from the dollar store for $13!  This makes each jar less than $5 a piece!  Not only are these great things to keep on hand for rainy days (or God forbid another polar vortex!), but they make wonderful gifts.  And I promise, these are EASY to make!

First you buy the supplies and fill your jar(s).

I spray painted the caps and glued cute scrapbook paper on the top, but you absolutely do not need to do this step.  (However if you do, your jar(s) will be extra cute!)

I added a little “create” tag with a thin rope.

You can download the PDF for the tag here:

create tags

Then, I tested these jars out on my kids, and they LOVED them.  I heard things like, “You’re the best mom in the neighborhood” and “these things are awesome!”    My kids were occupied with these jars for a good solid hour until the screams started about someone stealing someone else’s beads.  It was good while it lasted… 🙂

 Thanks again to Angela for letting me hang out with you guys today.  It’s been fun!

 For more ways to inspire creativity, check out these posts:

Why I Took My Kids Electronics Away

Fun Summer Activities for Kids