Recycled Vases, Pots, and Tea Lights

We love the simplicity of mix and match vintage mason jars as centerpieces on a rustic tablescape. But finding enough of those jars feels like a part time job in itself, with the scouring of ebay and the trips to thrift stores and flea markets. So we started thinking about all of the lovely food items that come in vessels that would be perfect substitutes for vintage glassware. Having cupboards full of this sort of thing ourselves, we love using them for vases around the house. And it seems reasonable that one might be able to save enough of these during the course of a year of wedding planning to fill your reception tables.

We chose a few of our current favorites here, but if you cruise the aisles of your nearest Whole Foods, you’ll find lots more. And you can always supplement your finds with cases of simple quart and pint size mason jars.

We used Spega La Natura yogurt (available at Whole Foods and Trader Joes), Saint Benoit Yogurt (available almost exclusively in the Bay Area, though we did recently find it at the Venice Whole Foods), and Straus Family Creamery quart and pint size pitchers. But there are tons of other products (like french mustard crocks and pasta sauce jars) that would be perfect for this kind of project… once their labels are removed.

Spega yogurt jars are absolutely perfect tea light holders. These don’t even need any further explanation. And the St. Benoit yogurt crocks make nice little succulent planters, but they could easily be used as vases too.

And then the big jars. This is where it gets fun.

We wrapped ours in scraps of quilting fabric and detailed them with different ribbons and trims. SUCH an easy project and one you and your bridesmaids (or crafty friends) could do well before the wedding. We love love love using varied patterns and textures within the same color family all mixed up together. Plus if you dress up your jars you can probably skip expensive flowers and use a few stems of simple blooms and greens instead.