DIY: Mason Jar Soap Dispensers

I posted awhile ago about my love of mason jars and some of the many uses I have found for them. One of my favorites is the mason jar soap dispenser.  I currently have 3 of them in-use in my home.  We also gave out quite a few of these as Christmas gifts.  I like them because they are simple, classic, and practical.

Want to make one yourself?  Its easy.  You will need a pint size mason jar, mason jar lid, soap pump*, drill, and epoxy.
Step One- Screw lid on jar and drill hole in the middle large enough for soap pump.  (There is a "button" in the center of the lid.  Drill through it and you will be in the middle.)   This is not an exact science and your hole doesn't have to look pretty.  I had to wiggle my drill around a bit to get the hole large enough.  

Step Two- Cut down soap dispenser tube if needed and shove into hole in top of mason jar.

Step Three- Mix epoxy and smear onto underside of lid around soap pump.  We found a plastic knife to work best.  This does not have to look pretty, people.  Just be careful not to sling any onto the the side or top of the lid.  Let dry overnight.

Those are my husband's nasty nails...not mine

Step Four- Fill with soap or lotion and enjoy!!

THAT'S IT!  How easy was that? * I could not find soap pumps for sale anywhere.  I ended up buying a cheap plastic soap dispenser from WalMart (that had a metal pump).  I used the pump for my project and threw the dispenser away.  The soap dispenser was right around $6 with tax. Linking up with Molly for YOLO Mondays

Kefir

Last week I mentioned my new found love of Mason jars and that I store my kefir in a mason jar.  Well this prompted the question: "what is kefir?"  The short answer is kefir is a pro-biotic.  It is a fermented milk product that is similar to yogurt.  You can find commercial kefir smoothies next to the yogurt at the grocery store.  Kefir uses a different type of culture to ferment the milk than yogurt does.  Yogurt uses only bacteria (primarily lactobacillus) while kefir uses bacteria and yeast.   You are probably familiar with the texture of yogurt, whereas kefir is more of a thick liquid vs. the gel-like consistency of yogurt.
There are many health benefits of probiotics including kefir.  To read more about the health benefits of milk kefir, click here.
You can purchase commercial kefir smoothies, but they are not cheap.  Making your own kefir is cheap and easy- especially if someone gives you the kefir grains to start with.  (If you are in the Atlanta area and want some I would be happy to share.)  You could also purchase a kefir culture starter.
I received my kefir grains from a friend.  Here are what the grains look like.

I make milk kefir with raw milk, but you could also use pasteurized milk or make water kefir.
The process is simple.  Place your grains in a mason jar and cover with milk.  I cover my jar with a coffee filter and rubber band to allow it to "breath" (ferment would be the technical term) and allow the CO2 gas to escape.  

I culture mine every 24 hours (every evening), which means that every evening I strain (using a nylon strainer) the kefir into a second mason jar that is stored in the fridge.  You could culture it longer, but the longer you leave it the more sour the taste.

Kefir does have a bit more of a sour taste than yogurt.  Although I'm sure some people drink it straight, I find that gross.  I mainly use my kefir to make smoothies although I do soak some of my grains with a little bit of kefir as well.  
Kefir Smoothies: 1/2 cup kefir 1/2 cup frozen berries 1/2 banana 1 Tbls coconut oil (must be melted)

I love my magic bullet

Toss everything into a blender and enjoy!!
I admit that kefir is a pretty new endeavor here in the Team Bowen household.  I've just been doing it for a few months.  If you make kefir as well, I would love to hear from you and hear about any ways you use your kefir!
 
 

Mason Jars

I have been mildly obsessed with mason jars lately.  

No, I do not do any canning or pickling.  (Although I would if I ever could grow a successful garden.)  I simply like to use them for storage.  I've started buying a lot of my nuts and seeds in bulk at the DeKalb Farmer's Market, which is a great cost-effective option.  However, you bring them home in these little tie-top bags that are not great for long-term storage or keeping things fresh.  Well pop those nuts, oatmeal, flour etc. into a mason jar with a and your pantry look more organized and you won't be digging through baggies to find what you are looking for.  It is fabulous.

I also store my kefir in a mason jar in the fridge and sucant and real salt in a mason jar, which we buy in bulk with several other families.

I had never really used mason jars for much of anything before this past summer.  My in-laws were in the process of cleaning out Chris' great-grandmother's house in order to settle the estate.  Apparently she (as well as the most recent resident) was a bit of a pack-rat.  In addition to years and years of old newspapers, she had tons (and I mean tons) of old mason jars.   I took several with the thought that I could use them for flowers or other decorations/centerpieces for showers/parties etc.  Well I soon found more practical storage uses for them around the house and was going back for more! In addition to food storage, I have used them for flower arrangements.  Oh, and I love the idea of putting fresh cranberries in your flowers as a festive way to add color to the vase.

Last fall at one of the artist markets at the outdoor farmer's market I saw Mason jar soap pumps that I loved!  I had been wanting a new soap pump for our powder room to replace the .99 disposable one that we have been re-filling for years and immediately knew that was what I wanted.  My handy-dandy (and apparently crafty) husband refused to pay for one but agreed to make one for me.  Fabulous, another use for our growing mason jar collection.  I would have needed pinterest or some DIY blog to give me the step by step instruction, but it was actually pretty simple and Chris figured out how to make them on his own.

The first several turned out great!  I have one in our powder room, one housing my dish soap by the kitchen sink, and one that will be filled up with soap in our bathroom shortly.

Since then we've (yes, this is so simple that even I can make them) made several as gifts.  I happen to like the plain and simple mason jar look, but there are plenty of ways to dress up your mason jar soap dispenser if you are looking for some flair.
And my new favorite idea for mason jars comes from Lauren at Choosing Joy.  She posted last week about a DIY Anthropologie Winter Snow Globe that is AMAZING!  Seriously, I am so excited to go try this one out!  They are adorable...AND its in a mason jar!!!
What other great uses have you found for mason jars?