Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Glass Apothecary Jar Uses

Lidded, glass apothecary jars can be used for storage, decoration and gift-giving.


An apothecary is the historical term for a pharmacist used in Europe, especially in England and Ireland. Apothecary jars are lidded, glass containers that were traditionally used to hold medicines and tinctures, but today the term is used to describe any lidded glass jar, bottle, dish or canister. From decorative stemmed jars to plain canisters, apothecary jars can be used in nearly every room of the house for storage and organization, the preparation or plating of food or for the making of handmade gifts.


Storage and Organization








Use metal, lidded apothecary jars in a bathroom for storing cotton balls and swabs.


From the bathroom to a home office, apothecary jars can be used to store and organize small household items. A set of three jars in the bathroom can be used to store decorative soaps, cotton balls and cotton swabs, while another set in a craft area or room can be used for sorting and storing different colored beads and buttons. Apothecary jars can also be used to store paper clips, thumbtacks and pens and pencils on a desk in an office.


Decorative Uses


Fill an apothecary jar with candy canes for a decorative holiday centerpiece.








Although apothecary jars can be decorative on their own, there are creative ways the jars can be used to dress up a room. A set of jars can be filled with various objects for use as a centerpiece for a dinner party. Add pine cones, dried leaves or cranberries for autumn celebrations, or small glass ornaments, tinsel or candy canes during the holidays. Smaller, wide-mouthed jars can also be used to hold candles. Brace long, tapered candles at the bottom by filling the jar with decorative stones, marbles or beach glass.


Food Uses


Use different types of apothecary jars for storing your favorite herbs and spices.


Apothecary jars can be used in the kitchen for a number of purposes, including the storage, preparation and serving of food. For an effect that is both functional and decorative, store dry goods such as flour, coffee and sugar. Other uses for the kitchen are preparing herb-infused oils by steeping your favorite herbs in cork-topped bottles or creating your own flavors by preparing and storing homemade marinades or dry-rub spice mixtures. For fun individual desserts at your next dinner party, use stemmed apothecary jars for serving a layered trifle or parfait.


Gift Uses


Add an apothecary jar filled with heart candies to a Valentine's Day gift basket.


A wonderful use for apothecary jars is creating homemade gift baskets for nearly every occasion. For a sweet gifts at Christmas and Valentine's Day, fill jars with an assortment of candies, cookies and confections, using decorative ribbon to embellish the jars. Other basket ideas include filling jars with bath beads, salts and soaps or different types of flavored teas and coffee for birthdays or Mother's Day.

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