Memory Jars

Last year for Christmas I made probably about 24 Memory Jars. I have had really good feedback from everyone I gave them too and they all seem to love them and are enjoying capturing memories. The idea is taking little slips of paper and writing down a memory and stuffing them in the jar. At the end of the year, you and your loved ones pull them out to celebrate the end of the year and share in those moments were created throughout the year.

I found the idea on Pinterest, but it was just a plain jar with scraps of paper. I wanted it a little more personalized for the people I was giving them too. I looked through all my craft supplies and gathered paper, beads, stickers, tags, charms, ribbon, wire, clips, rubber stamps and anything else I could find for embellishments. I will say a scrapbooking roller adhesive saved me so much time and mess.  Like this one sold at Hobby Lobby.

Before wrapping I took miniature clothes pins and clipped together a bunch of little slips of paper that said things like: enjoying life, memories, celebrating, today..., and then just little clip art of hearts, snowflakes, tropical drinks with umbrellas, sea shells and so on - so that memories could be wrote on them, folded and stuffed in the jar.   I also clipped a little tag to a bundle of those slips that said:

The Memory Jar

A family gathering, an afternoon with a good friend, just a moment in the day that made you smile or feel good... memories that mean a great deal to us, but maybe get lost with the passage of time. The memory jar holds onto those memories for us. Throughout the year, write down just a few words about that special moment in time on a piece of paper and stick it in the jar. Then - this time next year - open the memory jar and pull out your special memories to enjoy with your loved ones.

You can download the slips and the tag that I used in my jars here:  Memory Jar Slips  and  Memory Jar Tags

They are a fun gift to make - easy and inexpensive. You can give them to not only family, but friends, teachers, neighbors, clergy, and so many others.