The Glass String Jar | Family Economics

By Cathe

As a crafter, I have loads of cute string. Colorful bakers twine is a very popular staple for many things from creating cards and scrapbooking to tying up supplies neatly and embellishing a gift wrapped present. String is also great to have handy in the kitchen for tying opened food bags closed, such as frozen peas or loaves of bread.

There are a lot of ways to store string, but I have found that storing spools in jars works best for me. The string stays clean and I can easily access it through a hole in the top of the jar, pulling off and cutting it just the right amount with one hand.

To make a string jar for bakers twine you will need the following:

•    Metal lidded glass jar (large enough to hold your spool of string)
•    Eyelet (or Grommet) kit, which includes 1/8-inch eyelets (can be found at your local craft and fabric stores for under $5)
•     Hammer
•    Large nail or a power drill with a 1/16-inch drill bit

I found a case of vintage glass peanut butter jars at our local recycle center and after I ran them through a wash cycle in the dishwasher, I organized all my spools in each. It’s important to create a smooth hole in the lid using an eyelet to avoid snagging the string as it is pulled from the jar.

Here’s how you can create your own:

1.    Place the lid upside-down on a work surface such as a piece of scrap wood.

2.    Using either a drill or a hammer and nail, create a hole through the center of the lid.

3.    Once a hole is punched, glide the nail through the metal lid to create a larger, smooth hole that is big enough for the grommet to fit.

4.    Turn the lid over onto its top and place the eyelet under the lid with the eyelet backing sticking up through the hole in the metal. Use the eyelet tool and hammer to spread the back of the grommet flat.

5.    Thread the string end through the lid hole from the back and replace the lid onto the jar.

Keep your collection of string on a shelf as a display. For baking string, store it with your baking supplies in the cupboard. Modify the eyelet and jar for keeping twine and other string in the potting shed or on the workbench.

Do you like to keep a collection of strings or ribbons handy? If so, what are some of the ways you like to organize and store them?