Vintage Canning Jar Art

October 22, 2009(updated on October 3, 2018)

DSC_0004

Back before the wedding, a friend from church gave me more than dozen boxes of canning jars from her basement. Recently retired, Debby was trying to follow through with a personal pledge to clean out her cellar and after some soul searching, had determined that her canning days were long past.

DSC_0011

I was totally delighted to receive the jars (although my apartment is now officially overcome by glass vessels) and as she unearthed them from a nook by the washing machine, I was instantly charmed by the box art (they just don’t design packaging the way they used to!).

DSC_0012

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to save many of these boxes, as the years, a few leaks and a bit of crumbling drywall had not been kind to them. But before I sent them to the big recycling plant in the sky, I was careful to capture some of their simple appeal.
DSC_0013
DSC_0005

DSC_0007

DSC_0027
This canning wax wasn’t from Debby’s basement, I actually spotted it at a thrift store while we were on our honeymoon, and could resist grabbing a photo (even though it’s not recommended to can with wax anymore).

DSC_0088

Sharing is caring!

Posted in

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

12 thoughts on "Vintage Canning Jar Art"

  • Oh, my mom had JUST that jelly jar box in our pantry for many years, waiting for her yearly strawberry jam. LOVE these packages.

  • WOW! What neat boxes. I hope you got some real good jars too. I think I have finally gotten to my jar limit that I will need. I have to can some blueberries, chili, and chicken broth to make room for the half of pig coming to the freezer. Half of beef is coming in December. I better get canning I guess. 🙂

  • Fantastic score! I too was the gleeful recipient of a faithful aging canner who is moving and just didn’t see much canning in her future… so I got several boxes of mixed pints and quarts, plus many good ol’ glass mayo jars, which are great to use for water-bath canning projects as gifts, so I don’t have to bed and plead for my jar back! Some people just don’t get it… Anyway, wonderful pictures of the retro boxes. I agree that the whole visual vernacular back then was different, and very lovely. And touching somehow as well. Thanks for sharing those.

  • Love the Girl Scout Samoa’a box in the bottom photo. Yum!

    So you’re not supposed to can with wax anymore? I didn’t know that. Nothing says “home made jam” like popping that little disc of wax off the top of your jelly jar. . .

  • I absolutely love packs with directions and information….these are great. At least you captured a few memories for posterity