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Creative Decor Ideas for Vintage Glass Jars

By Rachel

published 05/23/2024

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These creative decor ideas for vintage glass jars will give you tangible tips for styling them all year round!

There is no doubt that these charming containers, with their intricate designs and bright colors, have found a special place in the hearts of DIY enthusiasts and home decor aficionados alike. Not only are they environmentally friendly but they also add whimsical character to any space. Follow along for some creative decor ideas for vintage glass jars!

Decorating with Thrifted Glass Jars

I’ve found many a glass jar at the thrift store for just a few dollars! They are so pretty and functional with a variety of uses.

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But, if you’re stuck on how to use these vintage gems in your home, fear not! In this post, we’ll explore some creative decor ideas for vintage glass jars that will elevate your interior design while reducing your carbon footprint.

From thrifty storage solutions to eye-catching centerpieces, get ready to transform those forgotten jars into stunning decor pieces!

Shop Vintage Jars

Where to Find Vintage Jars, Types of Vintage Jars, and Pricing

Vintage jars can be found relatively easily at thrift stores, antique shops, estate sales, and flea markets.

Old jars come in all colors of the rainbow including sought-after hues like blue, green, and purple!

Some popular styles of vintage jars include:

The brand, condition, and size of vintage jars will contribute to the price. You can find them as cheap as a few dollars at a thrift store to upwards of hundreds of dollars at an antique shop.

Ask yourself if the price is worth it to you before purchasing any jar. If it’s not, you will totally be able to find a similar one elsewhere…just be patient!

Creative Decor Ideas for Vintage Glass Jars

Below are 6 different ways to style vintage glass jars. These are tried and true methods that I use in my own home and truly love the character that each idea brings to a space. Let’s get into them!

1. Use Vintage Jars as a Vase.

First, and probably my most favorite way, is to use a vintage jar as a vase.

I recently found this green glass jar with the cutest little handle at a thrift store for just $4.00. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would make the prettiest vase for stems year round!

The green jar looks so pretty nestled amongst some of my milk glass pieces for Spring.

I’ve found a substantial amount of vintage blue ball jars over the years. My favorite way to use these vivid blue jars is to place fresh cut stems inside them!

Look how stunning the bright green fern fronds look against the blue! For a simple display, I placed a few jars together amongst a handful of vintage books in coordinating colors.

Lastly, in this coastal decor display, I utilized the height and long neck of a thrifted blue jug. I simply placed a faux stem of trailing greenery inside the jar and let it spill over the sides.

It truly doesn’t take much to turn a vintage glass jar into a vase! Less is more and simplicity is the key.

2. Group Vintage Jars Together for a Vignette.

Old jars make the prettiest vignettes when styled together as a grouping.

Here, I grouped my collection of vintage jars together on a table. For simple texture, I placed fresh fern stems here and there.

You don’t need to do much to create a big impact because the jars speak for themselves!

When grouping together a collection of jars, or anything really, an odd number of things makes the display as a whole feel more cohesive.

Here, I arranged five vintage jars on top of a wooden crate.

For some color, I decided to place some faux yellow flowers in the right-most jar.

In this early Summer vignette, I still used five items but in a different way.

Using coordinating colors, I pulled three vintage books from my collection and then paired them with two vintage glass jars. For texture and movement, a few ferns were added to the blue jar.

Another idea you could try in a vignette like this is to utilize vintage linens such as hankies or a lace linen. These can be used as a base or as an accent by sticking one out of a jar.

3. Utilize Vintage Jars for Height on a Shelf.

When decorating a shelf or any horizontal space in your home, it’s always important to incorporate tall elements.

Vintage jars are one of those items that can add immense height to any display, especially if you place a book or two underneath the jar.

When I’m styling a shelf, I like to anchor each end of the shelf with a tall piece of decor, such as this large blue ball jar. To get the most height out of it as I can, I like to place faux stems inside the jar, too.

If a display only needs a little height in a certain area, vintage glass jars can help with that, too.

Here, I needed a tad more height in the back of this display, so I simply used a medium-sized blue jar. But, instead of a book or stems with the jar, I set a small vintage plate underneath. When decorating in this manner, use your eyes.

If a shelf or display doesn’t look quite right, move things around, take things away, or add decor until it looks correct to you!

4. Style Vintage Jars in a Hutch.

Another one of my favorite ways to use vintage jars is to style them in a hutch display.

In a hutch, vintage jars can:

be grouped together
used as height
anchor the shelf
be turned into a vase
help to add color

In this patriotic hutch display, a few clear glass jars were used in the front for simple texture. The neutral aesthetic of them helps bring cohesion to this shelf.

The beauty of vintage glass jars is that they ‘go’ with any decor style or aesthetic.

As you can see below, this small snippet in my hutch has both vintage ironstone and enamelware paired with vintage glass jars.

Due to the simple nature of old jars, you can style them into any seasonal hutch vignette without worrying if they match or not!

5. Make a Centerpiece with Vintage Jars.

For a thrifty and statement-making centerpiece, line up a collection of vintage glass jars down the middle of a neutral table runner!

The mix-and-match look of this centerpiece creates such stunning table decor for any Summer occasion. To infuse color and really bring the jars to life, I clipped fresh ferns and zig-zagged them between the jars.

The look of aqua blue and vivid green is just stunning to me, especially for Summer!

And. You guys. This centerpiece was basically FREE to create because I already had all of the jars and the ferns came from my yard.

Centerpiece decor does NOT need to cost a fortune. From experience, thrift stores yield a variety of jar options and will only cost you a few dollars! A thrifty centerpiece can be especially helpful if you are hosting a bridal shower, baby shower, or graduation party.

6. Use Vintage Jars for Seasonal Decorating.

Seasonal decorating has never been so easy!

By utilizing vintage jars throughout the year, not only will you save money but you can re-use the things you already have, helping to alleviate the stress that sometimes accompanies seasonal decor changes.

For Summer decor with vintage glass jars, try:

blue, aqua, or green vintage jars
place flowers in jars
style jars with milk glass
use clear jars paired with green or blue vintage books

To use vintage glass jars for Winter decor, try:

blue or clear jars
pair blue jars with dark green accents
create a blue and white vignette
use faux pine stems in jars

For Spring decor with vintage glass jars, try:

vintage jars paired with floral hankies
create a basket vignette with a few jars inside
use clear jars with freshly clipped Lilac stems
display a collection of jars on a mantel

To use vintage glass jars for Fall decor, try:

a fall foliage arrangement
use clear, brown, or amber colored glass
mix jars with plaid accents
a Fall vignette with jars, coordinating decor accents, and natural elements

Other Ways of Up-Cycling Vintage Glass Jars

Of course there are a plethora of other uses for vintage jars. There is something for everyone!

A few more unique ideas include:

creating a terrarium in a jar
holding a collection such as buttons, rocks, or shells
as storage in a kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom
a container for starting seeds
pour a candle in a jar

Closing Tidbits on Creative Decor Ideas for Vintage Glass Jars

Vintage glass jars are not just practical items but also versatile and charming decorative pieces that add charm to any space. From using them as flower vases to creating unique candle holders, the possibilities are endless!

Let your mind run wild with these creative decor ideas for vintage glass jars. I truly hope that these tips are a jumping off point for you and will help give you some direction for what to do with your collection of vintage glass jars.

Be encouraged to see these old things in a new light, finding fresh perspective along the way.

Leave me a comment! Do you have a collection of old jars? What do you do with them? I love hearing from you!

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If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!