One of my favourite New Year traditions for the last few years has been to make a memory jar… it's a simple and powerful way to stay focused on the positive for the year ahead! You can make one too… here's how!
Cathy says:
My memory jar is a vintage cut-glass jar with a patterned tin lid, found in a junk shop long ago… but you can make a jar from any nicely shaped jam jar; just soak the jar in hot soapy water and scrub to remove labels. You can then make a new hand-drawn label for your jar, or simply write onto the jar using a black Sharpie pen. If you want to decorate your jar, go for it… paint on stars or flowers using acrylic paint or collage the jar with scraps of tissue paper and a scattering of glitter or stars all smoothed on with white PVA glue. Add a ribbon if you like! Use your imagination and make the jar look cool. Thanks to readers Charlotte and Piper who sent in these fab pics of their own versions of a memory jar - how cool?
To use your jar, prepare a little stash of paper squares and leave them close to the jar. When something cool, happy, unusual or just plain lovely happens, scribble it onto a scarp of paper and pop it into the jar. Even on the dullest of winter days, make yourself look for something good to record… whether it's a bar of chocolate eaten while watching your favourite TV show, a new pair of fluffy socks or the pattern of frost on the window on an icy day! Small, insignificant things can add up to lots of happy moments… and after a while you'll find you've got the habit of looking for the positives in life!
On New Year's Day next year, open up your memory jar and read through your happy memories… I guarantee it will put a smile on your face, and I bet you'll want to do the same again next year! Good luck - and go for it!
Have YOU ever made a memory jar? COMMENT BELOW to share one happy thing from your day below… go on, I dare you!
My memory jar is a vintage cut-glass jar with a patterned tin lid, found in a junk shop long ago… but you can make a jar from any nicely shaped jam jar; just soak the jar in hot soapy water and scrub to remove labels. You can then make a new hand-drawn label for your jar, or simply write onto the jar using a black Sharpie pen. If you want to decorate your jar, go for it… paint on stars or flowers using acrylic paint or collage the jar with scraps of tissue paper and a scattering of glitter or stars all smoothed on with white PVA glue. Add a ribbon if you like! Use your imagination and make the jar look cool. Thanks to readers Charlotte and Piper who sent in these fab pics of their own versions of a memory jar - how cool?
Have YOU ever made a memory jar? COMMENT BELOW to share one happy thing from your day below… go on, I dare you!
Last night, I started making one of these. I used and old jam jar with a curled ribbon round it and decorated it with sharpie. I used lots of different colours and drew on stars, flowers and hearts. I'm trying to write one thing a day and when I'm having a bad day, I can open it up and read the things that made me smile x
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful idea!
ReplyDeleteLovely idea and have made my own! Thx :)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to do this! I have a glass Coca-Cola bottle which I'm going to use and I also have a pastel colour jotter pad for the paper! Can't wait!!! :)
ReplyDelete