Mason jars are some of my favorite crafting items. They’re affordable, feel heavy in your hands and are so perfectly giftable, especially around the holidays.
This idea for Yarn-Bombed Drinking Jars is inspired by my great friend, Danielle from the kid-lit blog, This Picture Book Life. She authored her first book, Zinnia and the Bees, earlier this year and I couldn’t be prouder of her. Seriously, what an accomplishment!
I wasn’t familiar with the idea of yarn bombing until I read Zinnia and the Bees. In the opening scene of the book, we find Zinnia yarn bombing her school mascot (i.e. covering it completely with yarn!). Sounds fun, right? 
This little project is like a small-scale yarn bombing project–the perfect way for non-knitters to finally put those brilliant spools of yarn to good use! The craft starts with jam, jelly or mason jars which are basically wrapped tightly, row after row, in fluffy, colorful yarn.
Yarn Bombed Drinking Jars are especially great during winter months. Because we use heat-resistant glass jars with lids, these instantly become practical vessels for taking hot (or cold) tea on the go.
Like an arty version of your standard travel mug, the yarn provides a layer of insulation. For easy cleaning and drinking, we deliberately leave the mouth portion of the jars uncovered and yarn-free. Wrap the jars with care and your fingers will stay nice and cozy against the side of the cup–no burnt fingers!
Please check out my friend Danielle’s new book, Zinnia and the Bees by Capstone Young Readers. The book follows the story of a girl in middle school going through the challenges of growing up–family problems, being misunderstood, and, of all things, having a swarm of bees in her hair! An imaginative and charming read.
Yarn Bombed Drinking Jars
What You’ll Need:
spools of yarn, thick or thin, it’s up to you!
scissors
glue (I used Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue)
brush, to apply paint
mason jars, preferably with fitting lids
Step-by-Step:
1. Starting at the base of a mason jar, paint the circumference completely and evenly with the glue. Paint the bottom 1/3 of the jar, all around. Start the yarn bombing process by placing the end of a spool of yarn on a location flush to the bottom of the jar. Pull out the yarn from the spool so that there is no tension between the jar and the spool of yarn.
2. Place the jar upside down. Carefully guide the string of yarn around the bottom circumference of the jar until you form an “O” shape, encircling the base completely.
3. Turn the jar right side up. Rotate the jar with one hand (for me, my left hand), while the other hand guides the yarn into place. You will want the strings of yarn to lie snugly parallel against each other. Thicker yarn will be easier (and faster) to attach than thin yarn.
4. As needed, paint the middle and top 1/3 portions/circumference of the jar with the glue. You don’t want the glue to dry before the yarn is attached, which is why you apply 1/3 portions at a time.
5. Continue to rotate the jar with one hand while the other hand guides the yarn into place until you get a finished drinking jar. When the jar is completely covered, cut the yarn off the spool. Apply a small dollop of glue to fix the free end to the jar.
6. If you’d like, embellish the covered jar with extra bar patterns and shapes like flowers or doodles. Use the glue to affix these patterns to the first base layer of yarn. If you use the same type of glue that I did, you won’t see any marks after it dries! Let the drinking jars completely dry for 24 hours before using.
