How to Decorate Mason Jars for Christmas Gifts
Mason jar gifts are my favorite way to create a unique present for everyone on my shopping list. There are so many different things you can put inside your mason jars to turn them into amazing presents for your loved ones! But the best way to create a unique gift for everyone on your list is to decorate your jars. Here’s how to decorate mason jars for Christmas gifts to transform a plain jar into an amazing holiday present.
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What to Put in Mason Jars for Christmas Gifts
Creating your own mason jar gifts is one of the best ways to create customized gifts for everyone on your shopping list. But the best part about gifts in a jar is that you can decorating them in so many fun ways! But before you can start decorating your gifts, you’ll need to come up with some great mason jar gift ideas for each person on your list.
When you’re thinking about creating your own DIY gift ideas, there are several routes you can go to put together amazing gifts for all your loved ones:
- Food gifts in a jar. With so many different delicious holiday foods, there are several great ways to package food gifts in a jar for the Christmas. From holiday cookies in a jar to Christmas candy in a jar, you can prepare a different delicious treat for everyone on your shopping list.
- Decorated jars. You don’t have to focus soley on what’s inside the jar! Why not decorate the jar with a Christmas theme and make it the gift instead?
- Mason jar vases and planters. Flowers are always a popular gift! Use your mason jar as a vase or planter for your holiday flowers this year.
- Homemade bath and body gifts in a jar. Make your own bath and body recipes, like sugar scrub or bath bombs, then package them in the a jar to create a personalized gift.
- Jars as gift containers. You can easy add some farmhouse charm to your gift packaging by putting small gifts inside a jar instead of using wrapping paper for your Christmas gifts.
Mason jars are a great container for displaying a variety of small gifts! And since jars come in so many shapes and sizes, you can easily put together some amazing gifts for your loved ones! Try these ideas for filling your jars before you start adding your decorations.
- Recipes in a jar, like cookie mix, brownie mix, or soup mix
- Gift cards
- Money
- Sauces, jams, and jellies
- Seasoning mixes, like ranch seasoning or BBQ rub
- Small games and toys
- Slime or playdough
- Homemade christmas cookies
- Hot chocolate
- Flavored coffee
- Tea bags or loose tea leaves
- Drink mixes
- Cocktail mixes
- Candles, decorate the jar and add a tea light or make your own homemade candles in a jar
- Bath and body products
- Makeup
- Haircare products
- Homemade scrubs and bath salts
- Homemade treats, like snack mix, nuts, pretzels, popcorn, or baked goods
- Christmas candy
How to Decorate Mason Jars for Christmas Gifts
Once you have your gift ideas decided on, you can start decorating each of your jars! Try these mason jar decorating ideas to create some amazing gifts in a jar for each person on your Christmas list this year.
Add a Gift Tag
One of the easiest ways to transform a plain jar into a beautiful Christmas gift is to add a gift tag! You can add store-bought tags for a simple gift idea. Or print out custom tags for each of your gifts.
If you’re creative, use a free design program like Canva to make your own gift tags for each of your presents. You can also download free printable gift tags to decorate your jars.
Grab these free printable gift tags to make some quick and easy mason jar gifts:
- Merry Chexmas Christmas Gift Tag
- Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas Gift Tags
- Monster Cookies in a Jar Printable Gift Tag
Paint the Jars
Adding paint to your mason jars is the perfect way to quickly and easily give your gift in a jar a pop of color or cool design. Learn how to paint mason jars, then come up with creative ways to use paint to dress up your gifts.

There are a variety of amazing ways to use paint to decorate your jarred gifts, including:
- Distressing the jars. Add a rustic look to your painted jars by using sandpaper to distress the jars.
- Paint part of the jar. Instead of adding a full coat of paint to your mason jar, try leaving a section of the jar clear. Use painter’s tape to block off the sections of the jar you want to keep clear, then add your paint.
- Add some stripes. Painting stripes on your mason jars is another simple way to decorate the jars without going to too much trouble. With the help of painter’s tape, you can create some beautiful Christmas mason jars to package your gifts.
- Paint decorations on the jars. In addition to adding a solid coat or stripes, you can also get creative by painting other decorations on your jars, like snowflakes or santa hats.
Decorate with Ribbon
Using twine and ribbon to dress up a mason jar is one of the easiest ways to add a decoration to your gift! Ribbon allows you to easily add color and pattern to a plain jar, giving you a chance to quickly add some style to your jarred gifts.
With the help of ribbon, you can add a variety of fun patterns and colors to your present without the need for paint at all! Try these ideas for decorating gifts with ribbon the next time you want to dress up your holiday presents:
- Use a piece or ribbon to create a stripe around the center of your jar. Cut a strip of ribbon to wrap around the jar, then position it in the center of the jar. Use hot glue to secure one end in place, then wrap the ribbon around the jar and glue the other end in place.
- Tie a bow around the top of the jar. Dress up the top of your gift with the help of a bow. Wrap the ribbon around the top of the jar and tie it in a bow. If you’re using a gift tag, thread the tag onto the ribbon before you tie the bow.
- Wrap the ribbon multiple times. Cut a long piece of string or twine and wrap it around the jar multiple times to easily create a unique look with your ribbon. To keep the ribbon in place, put a drop of glue on the back of the jar before you wrap.
- Decorate with twine for a more rustic look. Jute twine is a great way to add a rustic touch to your jarred presents. Wrap the twine around the top or center of the jar to easily add a farmhouse look to the gift.
Decorating Jars with Fabric
Fabric is another simple way to quickly add some decoration to your jars. You can use fabric to create a unique look by using different colors and patterns for each jar. Fabric can be used to cover your jars or dress up the top of the jar lid. Try these fabric decorating ideas as you’re putting your jarred gifts together:
- Wrap the jars with burlap. Using burlap is a great way to add some rustic charm to your mason jars. Use a full piece of burlap to wrap the jar or grab a piece of burlap ribbon to decorate the center or top.
- Decorate with Christmas fabric scraps. Fabric scraps can be used like ribbon to create a unique look on your jars. Wrap the jar with a strip of Christmas fabric and tie it in a bow or glue the fabric strips in place for a quick craft project.
- Cover the jar with holiday fabric. To quickly add a pattern or color to your jar, just wrap the jar in holiday themed fabric. Cut a square of Christmas fabric big enough to cover the jar, then place the jar in the center of the square. After that, pull each corner up and over the jar and tuck it into the top of the jar. You can secure the fabric in place with glue or tie a piece of ribbon or twine around the top to hold it.
Use Decoupage
Decoupage is a great way to add some holiday style to your mason jars without much effort! And there are a variety of different materials you could use to create some amazing Christmas gifts for your friends and family members. Try these decoupage jar ideas for your next DIY gift:
- Paper napkins. Thanks to the variety of holiday designs to choose from, you can create so many amazing decorated mason jars with the help paper napkins!
- Scrapbook paper. Add Christmas color or a holiday pattern to your jars with the help of scrapbook paper.
- Tissue paper. With the help of Christmas themed tissue paper, you can add some fun colors to your jarred gifts with ease.
How to Decorate Mason Jar Lids
On top of decorating the glass jars, you can also decorate mason jar lids as you’re putting your gifts together! When you want the gift inside your jar to be the star of the show, try these ideas for how to decorate mason jar lids to dress up your mason jars for Christmas gifts.

- Paper: Instead of topping your your gift in a jar with a plain lid, try adding some scrapbook paper to the top. Trace the jar lid on the back of your paper and cut out the circle. Glue or tape the paper to the top of the jar, then screw the lid ring on top.
- Paint: Add a coat of paint to your jar lid to instantly add a pop of color to your gift.
- Ribbon: Tie a bow with ribbon or twine around the top of the jar.
- Gift tag: Instead of tying the tag around the top of the jar with string, why not use the jar lid to hold your tag? Make a round tag and place it on top of the jar to decorate the lid.
- Fabric: Instantly add a pattern or pop of color to the top of your jar with a piece of fabric. Cut a square of fabric just big enough to cover the lid. Place the fabric over the top of the lid, the tie a bow around the lid to hold the fabric in place.
More Mason Jar Ideas:
42 Simple Mason Jar Decoration Ideas
25 Beautiful Mason Jar Christmas Crafts
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Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!



