Linda Z. Braden - Mason Jar Crafts for Kids: More Than 25 Cool, Crafty Projects to Make for Your Friends, Your Family, and Yourself!

For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Sky Pony Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or . Sky Pony is a registered trademark of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.skyponypress.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Manufactured in China, December 2014 This product conforms to CPSIA 2008 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Braden, Linda Z. Mason jar crafts for kids : more than 25 cool, crafty projects to make for your friends, your family, and yourself! / Linda Z. pages cm Summary: "Accompanied by photo tutorials and helpful step-by-step instructions, these projects are kid-friendly and offer a variety of options for both beginning and more advanced DIY fans. pages cm Summary: "Accompanied by photo tutorials and helpful step-by-step instructions, these projects are kid-friendly and offer a variety of options for both beginning and more advanced DIY fans.

Be inspired and discover the endless possibilities with the world's most famous jar!"-- Provided by publisher. Audience: 7+. Audience: Grades 4 to 6. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-63220-413-4 (pb : alk. paper) 1.

Storage jarsJuvenile literature. 2. HandicraftJuvenile literature. 3. Glass painting and stainingJuvenile literature. 4.

Decoration and ornamentJuvenile literature. I. Title. TT157.B727 2015 745.5dc23 2014040035 Cover and interior design by Erin Seaward-Hiatt Cover photo credit Linda Z. Braden Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-830-9 While this book aims to accurately describe what steps a child should be able to perform reasonably independently when crafting, a supervising adult should be present at all times. The author and the publisher take no responsibility for any injury caused while making a project from this book.

CONTENTS Sharing the Mason Jar Love: Gift Ideas Introduction Welcome to Mason Jar Crafts for Kids! This is a book written just for you kids! and filled with fun, creative, and unconventional craft ideas using Mason jars. Now crafting is not the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Mason jars. No, most would think of canning and preserving foods. Thats because Mason jars were originally created to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables. Most likely, thats how your mother or your grandmother or your great-great-grandmother used Mason jars. But that was then, and this is now.

And Mason jars arent just for canning anymore. They have emerged from behind closed pantry doors and basement shelves with a new identifyand a new purpose. Plentiful and affordable, Mason jars have been popping up in craft rooms where they are being painted and primped for a repurposed life as vases and drinking glasses and gifts and storage containers. In fact, the ideas for crafting with Mason jars are only limited to your imagination! A WALK DOWN MASON JAR MEMORY LANE... The Mason jars long history can be dated back to Napoleon Bonaparte. Turns out the infamous nineteenth-century French emperor and European conqueror had more than battle plans on his mind.

He was also concerned about feeding his troops. He offered 12,000 francswhich translates to close to $13,500 in US dollars todayto anyone who could come up with a new way to preserve food. In 1810, a confectioner named Nicolas Appert rose to the challenge and created the earliest Mason jar predecessor. His revolutionary system involved heating and cooling foods in a glass jar, and then sealing it with a messy wax and wire lid. Then, in 1812, Thomas Kensett created the first airtight seal. He first used this method on glass jars, but then moved on to tin because, at that time, it was more affordable.

But the true birth of the official Mason jar came in 1858. Thats when John Mason patented his unique canning jar design that used a glass jar and a threaded jar lid and cap that formed a tight seal. The greatest innovation was that the parts were reusable, making the Mason jar not only functional, but also affordable. A decade later, Mason further improved his design with a removable rubber ring to create a more effective seal. When Masons patent expired in 1879, a number of new players entered the Mason jar arena, including the Ball and Kerr brands that continue to be popular today. Each manufacturer made adjustments and improvements to the original design, but the most notable came in 1915, when Alexander H.

Kerr introduced a two-part lid. By separating the metal lid and the screw band, Kerr helped to improve the seal by preventing bacteria and moisture from spoiling the jars contents. Close to one hundred years later, this same basic lid design is still in use today. HOW OLD IS THAT MASON JAR? After the introduction of home refrigerators in the 1950s, canning and Mason jars fell out of fashion. Until recently, that is. Today, there is a new resurgence in all things Mason jarsfrom crafting to canning to collecting.

In fact, collectors are visiting yard sales and thrift markets looking for as many sizes and as many colors of Mason jars that they can find. Some of the oldest and most rare ones have sold for hundreds of dollars. Regardless of the age of your jar, the original and iconic pint-size Ball Mason jar shape has remained virtually unchanged. Over the years, though, newer sizes and shapes have been introduced to address the needs of those who use mason jars to preserve fresh produce. Mason Jar Styles, Sizes & Suggested Canning Uses

JAR	SIZE & STYLE	SUGGESTED USES FOR PRESERVING, SERVING & RECIPES
	Quart size/32 oz regular mouth	Sauces, salsas, syrups, fruits, and vegetables
	Quart size/32 oz wide mouth	Whole fruits and vegetables such as peaches and green beans; ideal for making pickles
	1 pint size/24 oz wide mouth	Longer vegetables like asparagus, cucumbers, and green beans as well as soups and stews
	Pint size/16 oz regular mouth	Salsas, sauces, relishes, and pie fillings
	Pint size/16 oz wide mouth