Sentimental Gift Jar Notes Idea- Step-by-Step
Sentimental Gift Jar Notes Idea – Step-by-Step Guide to this Fun & Caring Idea
Here is a sentimental gift jar notes idea that I made to give to a loved one. And so, this post is based on the one I made (in the pictures)!
It includes little notes inside. And so it makes a great gift for someone to provide little daily notes to show you care. Since this is an easy and low-cost gift (which you can keep adding to with new notes), I wanted to share!
So, here are the steps to recreating this sentimental gift jar notes idea for someone you love.
Steps to Making this Sentimental Gift Jar Notes Idea
First, here is a little background on why I wanted to make this. So, I wanted to provide a family member with little notes that she could pull out each day as daily reminders of how we care about her, how we admire her, and what she has provided to our lives. And it also included inspirational quotes as well, as this person is going through some health issues.
Then I got the idea that a little jar with a daily reminder of us caring, qualities about her we loved, and inspirational quotes could be nice. Both it is something you can look at daily, and so something to look forward to. But also, we all can keep adding more notes to it!
So let’s dig in on this sentimental gift jar notes idea for a caring gift that you can keep adding to and use things you may already have!
Steps
1. Pick out a Jar
For me, I was first thinking of a mason jar. However, I ended up using a salsa jar. I removed as much of the label as I could before soaking it in a plastic bowl of dishwasher detergent and water. This helped remove some more of the label. (And note that some labels do come off jars really easy – and as for the sticky part that may remain…I will get to that).
Then I washed it in my dishwasher. You may not need to do this. I wanted it thoroughly cleaned. But this is possible if you clean it with soap and water. And, if you have a jar with just writing on it, versus a paper or plastic label, then you can really skip this step. Do not worry about what the lid says. And also, some sticky residue is okay.
My suggestion: Reuse a jar you have. So it could be an empty salsa jar, sauce jar, or a mason jar. Just one that is the right size for how many notes you want to add.
2. Paint the Jar
I spray-painted my jar with red spray paint. For me, I find that spray paint is the easiest to stick to glass. But, you could probably do acrylic paint if you are using a plastic jar.
Also, I spray-painted the lid with red paint – the same as the jar. But, this is a matter of preference. Since you may be putting a sticker over it, if the lid color fits your color scheme, then you can just leave it as is!
Here is the red spray paint (Krylon K05210807 ColorMaster Paint + Primer, Gloss, Banner Red, 12 oz) I used:
Finally, for the painting, I added a layer of Rust-Oleum 249117 Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover, 12 Oz, Gloss Clear, 12 Ounce spray paint – as a sealant which I show below:
*NOTE: Spray-painting needs to be done outside!!! Let it dry outside for at least a day.
3. Add Little Extra Touches to the Jar
For my jar, I added some craft tape (Washi Tapes Decorative Masking Tapes) around the jar.
So between this and the spray paint, the fact I had some sticky residue left over from pulling off the salsa jar’s label. Honestly, the paint itself made that a non-issue. But if it is a lot for you, then I would suggest trying to remove it first.
For the lid, I added a sticker label and wrote on it with a marker “Caring Jar – Little reminders from us”.
4. Write out or Print out the Notes!
So here is where you need to get creative and very sentimental. As I mentioned, my family and I wrote nice notes for another family member. And I also included inspirational quotes. The idea was to have the notes fortune cookie size. This is really a two-part step. First, you need to come up with the notes. Then, you write them out or print them out. I chose the latter.
Second Part
So, once I printed the notes out (and adjusted the font size if need be), then I folded each one three ways – so fold each side into the middle, and then fold that into half.
For reference: in the one shown pictured, there were about 50 little notes in this jar. And, since some came from a few members of my family, I signed each note that each person wrote with the first letter of our names. Here is an example!
And sent by the person it was given to 🥰.
5. (Optional) – Include Something Inside the Jar as a Liner (or Buffer) before Adding the Notes.
So, I wanted to add some gift wrap tissue paper to serve as a little liner before putting the notes in. Why? I did not want this person reaching into a jar without a little buffer. But if you use a different sized jar then this may not be needed. Also, using fabric would be a neat idea.
6. Add the Notes into your Sentimental Gift Jar Notes Idea!
This part can be a little tricky I found out. I was lucky in that they fit perfectly. Also, I mixed the notes up as they were from different people. But if you have too many, you may need to be crafty in how you place the notes in. And you do not want them to get tied up together.
BUT, if you have too many, the great thing about this sentimental gift jar idea is that you can keep on adding new notes later. And so you can save any that do not fit for later down the road. That’s it! (Although, you can always add more if need be)
7. Later Notes
So, you can add notes to this jar later on once the person has already pulled out and read the notes you first began with. I love this because it can become a fun part of their life and whoever creates the notes with you (which can definitely be inspirational ones too!!).
Final Thoughts
This sentimental gift jar notes idea was such a fun gift to make. It was low cost, let me reuse materials (during times when costs are high), or use materials I already had – and was just a very caring gift. Also, the jar itself can continue to be refilled with new notes, which makes it a long-lasting gift for a loved one. But, most importantly, this person loves it! And she will be getting more notes in it in the future.
Main takeaway: you can make a very thoughtful gift using the materials you have. And it may really help someone during these times. Even if you are saving money, your gift may not reflect that if you put the thought into it.
