Hands down the best Christmas gift I received this year was an upcycle. From ordinary mason jar to stylish to go cup, this little gem was the crafty genius of my friend Aunt Noodle.

I am a big mason jar fan. A couple of months ago, I was the envy of a few friends when I scored a flat of free mason jars. These ones went straight into the cupboards to store lentils, rice, my dried fruit and nut mix, and other dried food. Other mason jars are in my drinking glasses cupboard. Nothing like a glass of cold water (or beer) from a chunky mason jar.

You can pick up mason jars in most thrift stores, but be careful, they can be as pricey as a flat of new ones from your local supermarket. Mason jars are obviously crucial to any canning you do, but they are also versatile little craft projects.

 For the sippy cups, all it takes is the addition of a Cuppow, the beaker like lid that slips perfectly into the mason jar to transform it into a to go mug.

Cuppow

Another handy mason jar upcycle tutorial is this one from The Chick n’ Coop. All that is required is a drill and a grommet and voila a spill proof drinking cup for kids is born.

This next one is a perfect gift for crafters who love to reuse and recycle. From Upcycled Downriver, these are the cutest little pin cushions ever and can neatly hold your thread spools.

And the mason jar genius doesn’t stop there. I love these ideas from Glue and Glitter – mason jar soap dispensers and candle holders! I better start my new mason jar collection now, I may just have solved all my Christmas gift quandaries for 2013!

Mason Jar Soap Dispensers from glueandglitter.com