Getting organized is one of the biggest challenges in scrapbooking. If you can get organized and recycled items from around your house at the same time then you have tackled the challenge and also saved money. Jars with screw-on lids come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are perfect for organizing everything from chipboard letters to silk flowers in your scrapbook room or work area. The steps below will show you a way to hand those jars from the underside of wooden shelves to make the storage both convenient and space saving.
Supplies Needed to Get Started - Glass jars with lids, wooden shelves with space below for hanging the jars, a drill with bits, a small piece of foam or scrap wood, wood screws and washers (2 each per jar), bits or ribbon for decorating the lids (optional).
Supplies Needed to Get Started - Glass jars with lids, wooden shelves with space below for hanging the jars, a drill with bits, a small piece of foam or scrap wood, wood screws and washers (2 each per jar), bits or ribbon for decorating the lids (optional).
1. Selecting Jars
Rebecca Ludens
Once you start saving jars, you will begin to notice how many items come in really handy size jars that perhaps you have been simply putting out in your recycle bin. Spaghetti sauces, gravies, baby foods, jams and jellies, and so much more come in clear glass jars with screw on lids. I especially like baby food jars for tiny items such as brads and eyelets. Larger jars are perfect for flowers, ribbon, chipboard pieces, and embellishment collections. Select jars that have wide mouths so that it is easy to get items in and out of the jar. Be sure to clean the jars well and remove any labels. You may need to use some Un-Du Adhesive Remover to completely clean the outside of the jars.
2. Drilling Holes in Lids
Rebecca Ludens
Before you begin drilling holes in the lids, you will want to select the screws that you will be using. Be sure that the screws are not so long that they will go completely through the thickness of the wood shelf and damage items stored above. You will want to select a drill bit that is the same width as the screw so that the screw will fit easily through the hole. Place the lid on a scrap piece of foam or wood and carefully drill two holes in each lid. The photo shown here only has one hole per lid, however two is much better so that the lids won't spin as you are trying to attach the jars to them.
3. Pre-Drilling Pilot Holes in Shelves
Rebecca Ludens
Pre-drill pilot holes in the underside of the wooden shelves to make attaching the lids much easier. To do this, I held one of the lids in place and used a pen to mark on the wood where the holes in the lid were. Then I used a drill bit that was slightly smaller than the diameter of the screws to drill holes into the wood just about 1/2 the depth of the screw. By pre-drilling the holes, you could easily attach the lids with just a screw driver if you wish.
4. Attaching Lid to Underside of Shelf
Rebecca Ludens
I then attached each lid to the underside of the shelf using the screw. Notice that I added a washer to each hole for added strength and security since the glass jars will be hanging from the lids. Be sure that the lid is firmly secured to the wood.
5. Finished Jar Storage
Rebecca Ludens
To finish the jar storage, I screwed all of the lids to the shelf, leaving space between each one to be able to easily unscrew one and take it down as needed. I filled each of the jars with supplies and screwed the jar up on the lid. Finally, I added a piece of ribbon around one jar lid to show you that you can embellish the jars and lids if you want to make them match the theme of your work space. You can find more ideas for using recycled items for scrapbook storage that have been shared by About.com Readers in the article Recycling and Money Saving Tips for Scrapbookers.
