Match Jar Tutorial

This simple project was inspired by a photo on my friend Jutta's blog. You see, until very recently, my matches used to live in my knife drawer. Don't ask me why I thought that was the most appropriate place to keep them. Especially as I am not the world's most coordinated person, and was forever risking cutting my fingers when I needed to light a candle! So I figured that keeping the matches in a jar on the counter instead would be much safer.

I was debating whether or not I could call this a tutorial, because it really is super-simple to do. Here's what y'all will need:

- glass jar with lid

- scissors

- pretty paper
- glue
- a match box
- double-sided tape
- matches

Cut out a paper circle to fit the top of the lid. For this purpose you can place a piece of scrap paper on top of the lid and just trace its shape with a pencil. Then cut that circle out and use it as a template. Place the template on your pretty paper (I used a vintage wallpaper sample), trace again and cut out. Glue the paper on top of the lid. Just as an aside: I debated spray-painting the lids before making these jars, but as I liked the goldy colour and am a lazy person by nature, I decided against it. Feel free to spray-paint away!

Now, unless you use strike-anywhere matches, which you can (wait for it!) strike anywhere, you will need a surface to ignite your match on. Cut the side with the striking pad off the matchbox and use double-sided tape to attach it to the bottom of the jar, as shown below. You may have to cut it to size if your jar is small. Then fill your jar with matches, screw the lid tight and feel smug. That's what I did, anyway. I made a jar to keep in the kitchen and another little one for near the fireplace, and my fear of knife wounds is now a thing of the past!

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).