Memory Jars

This post should have happened around New Year's, but to me summer vacation was always more of a fresh start than New Year's Day. My brain has always run on a school calendar, even when I wasn't taking classes, so I guess it's a good thing I became a teacher. But, even though this was my New Year's "resolution" I think it could be relevant any time of the year you wanted to start it. It started when HelloGiggles posted a BuzzFeed article on Facebook called "Here's What You Should Do Instead Of Making New Year's Resolutions."
The article talked about decorating a jar to fill full of memories throughout the year. The idea is that next New Year's Eve, you sit and read through all of the things you put in the jar throughout the year and feel proud.

So my friend and I set a day to decorate them for ourselves and our moms.

You start by buying a mason jar. Or, to be recycle friendly, you can reuse a spaghetti sauce jar. But if you want to buy some, they're pretty popular right now. Michael's and JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby will have multicolored and various sizes. Or, most grocery stores have them in the canning section. Walmart often does, too.

The other items you'll need include:
-scrapbook paper
-stickers
-glue/tap/Zots (zots are my favorite!)
-scissors
-embelishments

That's about it.

 

 

Then, just decorate to suit your style! I used scrapbook paper on the top of the lids and used Zots to stick the paper around the jar. 

 

For my mom I decorated it in the Shabby Chic style of her house. 

 

 My friend went simple country.

 

For myself, I used all my favorite papers with big bold colors and patterns. 

When I told my friend HolyCrapLiz about it, she made one of her own to commemorate their time living in their new state and sent me a picture!

To jazz mine up a little bit, I write all my memories on little strips of paper and fold them into stars, something I learned from the Japanese craze in high school. Here's a link to instructions on how to fold them if you want to learn!

 Now go make memories!