With one year coming to a close and a new year ready to begin, I find myself looking back wanting to hold onto all of the little moments that made me smile. The funny things my kids said and the spur of the moment fun we had. Already some of those memories are fading so I decided to come up with a new way to keep track of the precious little moments — a New Year Memory Jar. UPDATED for 2020.
This New Year Memory Jar is sponsored by Waverly Inspirations.
Inspired by this month’s second Waverly Inspirations challenge, these New Year Memory Jars are not just for my family. Instead I created several of them to use as New Year’s Eve party favors. I love to send guests home with a little something, and what better to send them home with than a gift to help them preserve their family memories.
These were the materials I received for this month’s New Year’s challenge. As you can see, they are the perfect combination of colors for New Year’s Eve. I just LOVE the Waverly Inspirations metallic and glitter paints.
In case you aren’t familiar with a memory jar, the idea is simple. The jar is intended to be kept in a central location, and then any time something happens that someone wants to remember they can jot it down on a slip of paper and add it to the jar. Then on New Year’s Eve the following year, the family can take turns reading through all of the memories from the previous year.
After reading the memories, they can either be stored in the jar like a time capsule or glued into a scrapbook as a permanent record of the memories. And then, a new jar can begin.
Before kids, I loved to journal, and I still chronicle their lives in a ridiculous number of photos. But I like the memory jar concept because the whole family can participate — it isn’t just mom doing all of the record-keeping.
New Year Memory Jar
Materials
- Waverly Inspirations black and white fabric
- Waverly Inspirations ribbon
- Waverly Inspirations Metallic paint in Rose Gold
- Large Mason Jars
- Memory Jar printable label (below)
- Cardstock paper
- Double-sided tape
- 2.5 inch round punch (optional)
You can find Waverly Inspirations products and all of the materials needed for this project at Walmart. Look for Waverly Inspirations for all of your crafting needs.
Directions
In order to make this memory jar a success for my family, it is important to make it easy to use. So I started by making a simple drawstring bag to hold the slips of paper and a pen. This way no one has to go searching for a pen and paper to write down memories, everything is together.
I cut the fabric to 5 inches wide by 14 inches long. After folding the fabric in half lengthwise, I sewed down one side (patterned sides facing in). Then I folded the top down and sewed and encasement for the drawstring. Finally, I sewed down the other side to finish the bag.
After sewing the bags, I fed the 1/2 inch ribbon through the encasement with a safety pin to form the drawstring.
For the slips of paper, I cut 8.5 x 11 white cardstock paper in half width-wise. And then I cut strips of varying widths. (I figure some stories will need more room, while others will be short.) Then I filled each bag with the slips of paper and a metallic pen.
To give the jars a more finished look, I painted the Mason Jar lids with the Waverly Inspirations metallic paint. You will need a good two-three coats to cover well. Be sure to allow lid to dry fully before adding the next layer.
After designing a simple memory jar printable label, I printed these on cardstock as well and punched them out.
Download the free 2020 new year memory jar printable labels HERE.
I used double-sided tape to wrap the jar with the striped ribbon and attached the memory jar printable label on the front of the jar.
After adding the lids and tying the bags around the necks of the mason jars, my DIY memory jars were complete.
Outside of paint drying time, it is a quick and inexpensive party favor to make for friends and family.
I can’t wait to read my family’s memories at the end of 2020. I know it will be filled with lots of great memories!!!
Other Waverly Inspirations Projects
For more Waverly Inspiration fabric craft ideas, check out my prior projects:
Nina Lewis says
I saw this on Twitter and had to come to your site to read about it. What a fabulous idea! I’m thinking about doing this for my kids and their families! Thanks for being so creative and sharing this idea.
jen says
So glad you like it. I can’t wait to start mine with my family!!! 🙂
Robin says
Hi. What size jar did you use? I have some quart jars, but am wondering if those would be too small. I’m making them as gifts. Thanks.
jen says
You could use any size jar, but I used the BIG jar – the half gallon size. It would depend how many memories they filled into the jar. And if you didn’t fold the memories, just slipped them in side-by-side a quart wouldn’t be too bad. I wouldn’t go smaller than that though.
Mary says
Will you be updating the memory jar label for 2021? Pretty please?
jen says
Yes, I meant to in December, but the month got away from me. The download is now updated for 2021.