Jar centrepieces

Charity shops! I was thinking about them one day, went in one and they had a box full that had literally just been put out. At 25p a jar I snapped them up. I have about a dozen or so but don't actually know how many I'll need. Ask friends and relatives to save them for you.

Do you want them all exactly the same? If you don't mind them being different and you have time, why don't you collect them once they are empty? Ask friend's and family to save them for you? If you want them all the same and don't want to collect used ones- the cheapest way to get jars is to buy a supermarket's value brand in the jar shape you want and empty contents/clean. Failing all that and you want empty jars- try jamjarshop.com

Geniuses, both of you! So glad I found this website I'd be spending a bomb otherwise! Going to try charity shops and if that fails, the value jam idea! I'm not too fussed on having them the same size to be honest, but I'm not a big eater of food that comes in a jar so would take a while to save them up!

This is genius!!!! Can't believe that thought didn't enter my head!

I also managed to get a load off gumtree for free so check freecycle and what not too

Tesco Value strawberry jam is 29p!!! I need about 30 so less than £9 a jar, BARGAIN! all of the wholesalers I was looking at was about £40 for 50 jars!

Can I marry YOU instead?!

Another supermarket thing here which we're currently in the process of doing...

Like wine or know someone who likes wine? Yes!

Asda 3 for £11 - bargain!!

Drink wine and get some free candle holders/vases!!!

Myself and a couple of friends are saving all our old jars. We almost have enough already in a variety of sizes. Unfortunately we also want some small ones so are being forced (forced!!!!!!) to eat yummy Gu pots so we have some to decorate. This wedding lark is hard work.

Icklefee! You are a genius.

I've been keeping all of those Gu pots for ages now. Much to the disapproval of OH. "Why the hell are you keeping these, you never use them!?"

TEALIGHT HOLDERS.

Disappionted I didn't think of this myself! So thanks

I remember a hitcher last year went to her local little chef & asked them to save her to little jam jars from breakfast.

I imagine the ones you want are a normal, jam jar size, not the teeny one. Is there a cafe/restaurant that you could ask to save you jars? other than charity shops, what about car boot sales?

As another hitcher said, own brand jam/curd could be an option. If you bought the lemon curd, could you use it for tartlets at the wedding so it didnt go to waste? These jars at tesco & asda are only 22p each.

I astound myself sometimes! We're covering them in wrapping paper with a little heart punched out of them for the tealight to shine through. I'd like to take the credit for the idea but my friend made some as Christmas presents a couple of years ago when she was short of money and has now landed herself with the job of making 80 of them for me!

People should know better than to expose their creative talents when we have weddings to be sorted.

Think I shall start spreading the word that everyone should be eating Gu desserts. Maybe become a Gu ambassador...

I'm so glad I saw this thread - absolute genius! Luckily for me I have a mum who likes to make jams and chutneys so have plenty of jars that I can use, but tealight holders? Well that's just a great idea! Especially if it means that we have an excuse for Gu desserts! ?

I should have added a trademark sign to my GU tealight holders. Please note, I will NOT be held responsible for any wedding dresses that "shrink" due to the consumption of high calorie desserts.

I too have a few Gu pots that I have kept for putting sauce in etc at dinner but you have just given me a brainwave - they would be the perfect little container for the tables for some mints thanks guys!

Hi - I have lots of jars that we used as tealights holders for our wedding back in May. Three different sizes available. Let me know if you're still looking and might be interested.

thanks

jo

You could ask friends and family to hold onto and wash out their old jam jars, don't forget sauce/condiments jars as well, dolmio, mayo etc etc. this would work espc. if you have the time before your wedding, I'd at least start with this and if you find yourself a bit short at the end just buy a few to top it up.

My bestie found a whole crate of jam jars for offer on freecycle, there is also freegle, and, if your local recycling centre at the supermarket is emptied as infrequently as ours then often there is bags of glass left sitting next to the bin in the carpark x

Someone has bumped my thread! lol. Thanks everyone who has recently commented, I've asked colleagues in work to save jars so hopefully they will. I'll keep an eye out on freecycle though!

Sorry JoJo just seen your response! I would be interested, thanks, but where are you based?

I got married on the 11th Aug and used jars as centrepieces.... i asked family and friends to collect empty jars for me (They were only going in the recycling bin anyway) i then brought some material and lace from ebay and decorated my self. The beauty of doing it this way was i had lots of different jars all different shapes and sizes.

How about douwe egberts coffee jars, they are a very nice shape - ever Yankee Candle..?

I was about to post the same thing! I am finding myself drinking expensive coffee, burning expensive candles and eating only the finest sauces - just to get the prettiest jars for my "cheap" (?) centre pieces. Still ploughing through the gu pots too.

Luckily my mum uses douwe egberts at home and work, and they get through a lot... Have constantly got her saving these as I use them for all my baking ingredients in the kitchen too!

I have been collecting jars since last year and have just finished decorating them. I'm using some for tealights and the others to put flowers in. It's amazing how quickly the collection builds up and I found all my lace and other bits from ebay. Super cheap!