At the moment we’re all trying our best to reduce the amount of time we spend outside the home, which means making fewer trips to the shops for essentials like food and cleaning products. To minimise interactions with supermarkets, market stalls and greengrocers, many are keen to make what they do have at home go that little bit further, whether it’s freezer stocks, fresh produce or even cosmetics. Using a range of jars and bottles can help extend the shelf life of products and encourage economic use.

Food Control
Jars and bottles with lids offer a fantastic, airtight storage solution that doesn’t take up much shelf space. The insulating materials make them ideal for room temperature and cold storage and so a variety of foods can benefit from being stored in jars. Some of our top tips for making food go further is to create jam jar portions of breakfast items such as overnight oats, cereals or fruit pots which can keep in the fridge for up to 7 days. This can also be useful for lunchtimes, with salad pots and soup being an easy go-to for those home workers, not only will this help extend the life of fresh fruit but can also help limit aimless snacking!

Making the Best of The Freezer
When it comes to preserving food, the freezer is a godsend. Whether you’re looking to use up some frozen fruits and veggies to make a delicious pasta sauce, chutney or jam or you want to freeze some portions for use at a later date, glass jars and bottles will keep produce from being exposed to the harsh cold and will keep your meals in easy to defrost portion sizes. Not to mention, by sealing food off from the intrusion of air, both in and out of the freezer there is less chance of bacterial growth and so the jar can be safely defrosted while you’re out of the house.
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If you’re looking for jars and bottles to help preserve your stocks, take a look at our online store.

Spending time at home means looking for new ways to keep busy and indulging in some crafts using jam jars can make light of idle hands. Whether it’s ideas to keep the children occupied or the time has finally come to practice a new skill, our range of jam jars open up a world of possibility for crafters new and old! As avid jam jar enthusiasts, over the years we’ve turned our hand to a number of hobbies and we’re sharing some of the best so you can enjoy your time spent in the house.

Candle Crafting
Making candles is a rewarding and very wholesome craft that isn’t nearly as difficult as people think. Any jam jar can be used for this craft from miniature round jars through to large hexagonal jars and candles will look quirky and cute in all of them – just choose a style that you prefer. Other things you will need include wicks and wax and if you so desire colourings and scents. Start by sticking a wick into the bottom of the jar, holding it in place with a crocodile clip or pair of chopsticks across the top. Then melt down your wax with colourings and scents and poor in, leaving to set for at least 24 hours.

Cake Jars
One of the latest trends on the food scene is cake jars, delicious layered creations eaten out of a jam jar. Most recipes go for a trifle like effect using a sturdy cake or biscuit base, followed by a creamy layer and then finally a layer consisting of sweet treats, repeated as many times as the jar’s height will allow. The kitchen enthusiasts out there can spend time carefully baking, whipping and piping each layer into their jar, or for a quick and easy kids craft, simply buy the different elements and have the kids assemble them!

Cocktails
Staying in the house doesn’t have to be boring and this craft is one of the more adult ones that can be completed with a jam jar. Learning to make your favourite cocktail is a simple as a quick Google search, or if you’re more adventurous, simply make your own up from the supplies you have in the back of the cupboard. A jam jar cocktail can give the feel of being in your favourite bar and can instantly transport you to a tropical haven. A quran-tini if you will! 

Packaging and wrapping are never more in the spotlight than in December and whether you’re a business looking for some limited-edition festive packaging or just your average Joe looking to make an impression with your Christmas gifts, we’ve got some gorgeous gift wrap solutions!

Holiday Hampers
Nothing says ‘it’s Christmas’ quite like a holiday hamper filled with delicious festive treats, be it chutney, biscuits or mulled wine. Fill a festive reindeer tray with your chosen delicacies and wrap with clear cellophane, sealed tastefully with ribbon for a holiday hamper that is a treat for all of the senses. If you are a jam, chutney or food producer/manufacturer our trays come in small, medium and large sizes, so you can offer your range of products in several of arrangements.

Beautiful Boxes
If you’re looking for a more concealed packaging solution for your festive wares, our gift boxes are available in Christmas tree or mistletoe print and look divine with some shred inside. Boxes are perfect for gifts that are likely to sit under the tree before the big day, obscuring what is inside and increasing the satisfaction the receiver gets when they finally see what is inside. Fill with sentimental sweets, miniature bottles, smellies or cosmetics for a stocking filler that is bound to please.
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Sweet Cellophane
If you’ve got many a stocking to fill at Christmas, there’s no denying it can be an expensive period, but we’ve got just the ticket. Buying in bulk often works out to be a more financially viable option, so why not buy some smaller gifts in large quantities and divide them into individual gift bags? Our Made with Love Cellophane Bags have a little window showcasing what’s inside and even have a section to fill out as a gift tag – saving you even more money!

​Christmas is edging nearer, and excitement is filling the air! If you’ve grabbed the festive bull by the horns and are fully immersed in the holiday mood, then Christmas crafts are probably already scheduled into your calendar. If you’re not quite jingle belling away just yet, then cracking out the crafts is sure to get you in the spirit. We’ve got some family-friendly ideas as well as some alcoholic adult ones so the whole family can join in!
 
Snow Much Fun 
Snow globes are a classic Christmas decoration that evokes nostalgia no matter what your age. While traditional globes contain festive characters like snowmen, trees and robins, it’s simple and easy to make your own using whatever you like. The most important component of a home-made snow globe is a jam jar, globe-shaped works well but any shape will work. Start by glue-ing your chosen objects to the inside of the jam jar lid, it’s best to use Christmas cake decorations or old tree ornaments that are made from wood or plastic. Next, fill your jar about two thirds full of water and then add a few drops of glycerine to help you ‘snow’ float. Sprinkle some glitter or polystyrene balls into the water solution and once your lid scene is dry simply submerge it into the water and tightly screw on. Shake up and enjoy your new decoration!
 
Tipsy Tree Decorations 
If you’ve ever made biscuits or sweets to hang on your tree, it’s likely that the bulk of them ended up eaten within a few days, particularly if there are children in the house! Well, we think it’s about time that the adults got a look in on the tree decorations, with a tasteful tipple. Our miniature bottles can be filled with any store-bought liquor of your choosing and tied to a tree or if you’re bottling last year’s batch of sloe gin, why not show off the fruits of your labour in festive style!

While October is famed as pumpkin season, most people will only recognise this fleshy squash as a Jacko’ lantern, carved in spooky designs, displayed for Halloween and then discarded. But there are plenty of more tasty ways to use a pumpkin, whether you’ve got one leftover from Halloween or have cultivated one on the allotment. Why not try our spiced pumpkin jam recipe!
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Pumpkin and Ginger Jam Recipe
While jam is usually associated with summertime berries that are tangy yet sweet, pumpkins differ in size and colour, but they are actually relatively sweet, making them the perfect flavour base for a smooth and silky jam. With pumpkin spice all the rage you can be bang on trend with our pumpkin and ginger jam recipe which makes three 500g jars with just a single pumpkin!
Ingredients

• 1 pumpkin (1kg approx.)
• 1kg granulated sugar
• 1 lemon
• 5 – 7cm piece of ginger

Method

1. Peel your pumpkin and remove the seeds. You can either place these in the compost heap, garden waste bin or you can clean the seeds and plant them for next year’s harvest.
2. Weigh out a kilo of pumpkin flesh and then chop up into 1-2cm cubes using a sharp knife.
3. Next, cut the lemon into segments and remove the seeds.
4. Place the lemon, pith and skin included into a food processor and blitz into a puree. The lemon adds pectin to the jam which helps it to set, but if you prefer you can omit the lemon and use pectin or jam sugar instead.
5. Peel your ginger and chop small. If you want a smooth jam, grate your ginger or if you prefer chunky, chop roughly into small pieces.
6. Place the pumpkin and into a pan with the sugar and heat over high heat.
7. Stir in the lemon, ginger and bring to a rolling boil.
8. Simmer for 30 minutes, making sure to stir frequently, until the mix is set. The pumpkin should become translucent but still hold its shape.
9. Ladle your hot jam into sterilised jam jars and seal!

September is a chaotic time for the home-growers, jam makers and pickling people, with many of the most popular fruits and veggies coming into season & leftover produce from the summer harvest to attend to. It’s easy to end up with an abundance of seasonal fruits including apples, tomatoes, artichokes, cucumbers, summer berries and celeriac to names but a few! But don’t get bogged down about eating them all, we’ve got some delicious ways to extend the life of your goodies.

Change up Your Chutney!
During the tail end of tomato season and with apples ready to harvest, September is the prime time to create these much-loved chutneys. But while these 2 variations are delicious and timeless, there are other fruits you can use to craft a truly creative chutney! Use autumnal stocks of pear, rhubarb or grape for a sweet twist on a classic. If you’re planning on storing the chutney or gifting it at Christmas make sure you use sir tight chutney jars to prevent tainting and keep your goods at their best!

Perfect Your Pickle
With cucumbers ready and waiting to be plucked from their plants, it’s an ideal time to perfect your pickles. Using a simple preserving recipe of vinegar, salt and sugar simply slice up your cucumber into batons and place it in the solution and after 24 hours you’ll have tangy, crunchy pickles ready to toss in a salad or just eat straight out of the jar. For easy access and fridge storage, a clip top jar is recommended and will prevent other aromas from the fridge from interfering with the taste.
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Bring on the Booze
As the end of the summer berry season, you may have some less than perfect fruits laying around that you need to use up. Pop them into a bottle with your favourite spirit and a bit of sugar for a fruity drink that will have you feeling like it is summer all over again! 

Summer is a busy time in the wedding calendar and with hot weather, beautiful blue skies and flowers in full bloom it’s easy to see why this season is popular with those getting hitched. With such a lovely backdrop to your big day, it’s important that everything ties in with the summer theme, including your wedding favours. So how can you make sunshine inspired wedding favours?
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Refreshing Welcome Drinks
With the sun (hopefully) beating down on your big day, it’s vital that your welcome drink option at your reception is refreshing, particularly if you’re hosting some of part of the day outside. There’s nothing more refreshing and thirst quenching on a hot summer’s day than a good old-fashioned gin and tonic, and with gin top of the trends, it’s a sure-fire crowd pleaser. A G&T station is a good way to go, simply store your gin in single serving size mini bottles, place on a table beside a selection of tonics and high ball glasses and decorate sparingly with fruity and floral garnishes!

Sweet Station
Sweets are a popular favour at weddings at anytime of year and they’re a hit with adult and children alike. Using a large clip top storage jar to store a selection of colourful sweets will not only be delicious but will double as an attractive decoration at your chosen venue. Alternatively, you can create a jar per table for a quirky centre piece that leaves a good taste in the mouths of the guests!

Practical Partyware
While many choose to host their receptions in a marquee or at least partially outside in the summer months, doing so can create certain impracticalities on the day. For one, glassware is much more likely to be broken if it should fall to the ground, and the clear up of such an incident can be tasking, leaving dancers and children at risk of an injury. Instead, opting for plastic partyware can alleviate this problem and when coupled with a colourful paper straw, creates the perfect summer aesthetic.

Easter is all about celebrating rebirth with the traditional gift of an egg is symbolising this, while we are all too familiar with the chocolate egg, before the rise of commercialism, it was a standard hens’ eggs that Easter revellers could look forward too. But this doesn’t mean you have to stick to tradition, if you’re looking to give a gift with a little more imagination this Easter, we’ve got some goodies that will knock the Easter bunny off his perch!

Sweet Treats
If you want to stick with a sweet treat as your gift of choice, a jar of sweets is perfect for those who aren’t chocolate fans (there are some) or have a diary intolerance. Fill up one of our mini jam jars with the individual’s favourite sweets, or even make your own for a colourful injection of sugar that’s a bit more personable! At a size of 65ml, these jars are perfect for parents looking to ration a child’s sugar intake and can protect what’s inside for up to 6 months, for those who have a little more willpower!

Something for The Adults
Purchasing Easter gifts for the adults in your life can always be tricky, particularly if you’re one that likes to stick with tradition. If you’re looking for something that celebrates spring time and rebirth, infusing spirit with some spring time flavours is sure to be a hit. Why not pick some rhubarb, or purchase some berries and pop them in a swing top bottle for a sophisticated and flavourful gift for the more mature!
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Out of The Box
For someone who doesn’t stick to the beaten path and looks for a bit more extravagance in their gifts, our range of cosmetic containers can help form a quirky offering. Use a bottle to house a personalised essential oil, a jar to home a scented candle for bath time, or even just paint and decorate a powder jar for ornamental purposes. Whatever you decide to do, there are all manner of out of the box ideas that can be crafted with the help of our extensive online shop!

If those wedding bells are chiming, then you know all too well that the time is coming to get our wedding favour ready for the most important day of your life. Often left until the last minute in planning, many of these small details can actually be prepared well in advance leaving you to get on with planning the seating arrangements and getting to the church on time!

Toasting the Hosts
No wedding would be complete without a toast to the newlyweds and many wedding planners opt to slip in a favour at this very moment to get the reception off to a flying start. Laying each table with a tipple especially for the occasion is traditional but what you choose is up to you! A homemade liqueur or infused gin is very in fashion at the moment and when stored in a Mini Spirit Bottle with a label, they can even double as place settings.

Keep Things Fresh
Whether you’re keeping with tradition and having a sit-down meal or waving your hot food in favour of a food truck or a buffet, one thing is certain; everyone will need to clean up afterwards. Popping a few containers of table mints on every table is a small but generous detail and when displayed in an attractive pot such as our Round Wedding Favour Jars complete with ‘love bird’ label, they look the part as well.

Sweet Goodbyes
If you want your guests to remember your wedding (most will anyway) then sending them off with a souvenir can serve as a constant reminder of the fun they had! Whether you choose a jar of sweets encased with the order of ceremony or a small tipple, packaging them attractively is bound to leave a lasting impression. Our clear fronted gift bags with tag and ribbon give a window into the gift and are stylish and sophisticated.