Instantly Upgrade Any Glass Jar With These Simple Lid Swap Ideas

Glass mason jars are some of the most adaptable items in your home. Many rely on them for their intended purpose of food storage, even more innovative DIYers use them for all sorts of interesting projects, from decorative items to functional containers for daily use. While the internet is full of craft projects that turn ordinary mason jars into home décor, there are also a number of great ready-made products that allow you to turn a jar into another kind of container altogether simply by swapping out the lid. These adapted jars are perfect for holding and dispensing materials in your kitchen or bathroom, as well as numerous decorative purposes. 

Even better, mason jars are inexpensive, with cases averaging well under a dollar per jar when purchased at farm supply and hardware stores. Thrift stores often sell jars for pennies, and they can be found at Dollar Tree and other discount outlets for about a dollar. You may already have some in your home leftover from canning projects or saved up for recycling. With the addition of inexpensive toppers available from retailers like Amazon, you can adapt mason jars for a number of fun and stylish uses.

Glass mason jars make for beautiful outdoor décor when illuminated by candles and LED lights. For a polished version of ordinary jar lights, you can swap out the existing lid for this Black Star Cut-Out Lid from Amazon, which holds the votive light aloft when the top is screwed on, preventing it from rattling around inside. Or switch your lid for one of these awesome Solar Lantern Lights, which come with strings of LED fairy lights.

Mason jars also make beautiful vases. This Mesh Frog Lid helps you create the perfect floral arrangement every time by keeping flowers in place. Other lids with holes, like these Daisy Flower Cut Lids, are perfect for using your mason jars for scent, including gel air fresheners and handmade candles. 

Turn your mason jars into pretty cannisters by swapping the original screw-on lids for these Acacia Wood Airtight Lids. For more of a cute cottage style accent, top the usual lids with these adorable Fabric Jar Cover Cloths, which add a dose of pattern and color.

Specialty lids can also be used to turn mason jars into functional dishware and kitchen items too. It's more space-friendly to keep mason jars and various toppers on hand than to store multiple different containers that have specific uses. Turn a large mason jar into a pitcher for iced tea or juice by adding a Pour Spout Lid that features a handle for easy use. Or use mason jars as drinking glasses with these popular Bamboo Mason Jar Lids or metal Polka-Dot Lids that have a hole in the middle for a straw. 

Outfit a mason jar with a Cruet Lid to keep oils or sauces on your counter, or a Syrup Dispenser Pump Lid for sweeteners and flavored syrups (you can also add a pump to repurpose a jar as a soap dispenser). You can even turn a jar into a multi-use shaker for seasoning, parmesan cheese, or powdered sugar by installing a Shaker Lid.