Place tea light candles inside a decorated jar.
Babies may eat a small amount of food at a time, but if parents feed their children Gerber baby food from a glass jar, they can end up with a large amount of these jars. Instead of throwing them away or recycling them, reuse the jars creatively around the house.
Mini Storage Containers
Create a storage space for small items with leftover Gerber containers. Choose a shelving unit, and on one of the upper shelves, super glue the tops of the lids to the underside of the shelf. Fill the jar with small items, such as screws, paper clips or thumb tacks. Screw the Gerber jars to their super-glued lids. The finished effect is hanging glass storage containers. Paint the lids and glass to give them a professional look, if you desire.
Baby's First Meats
Parents can reuse Gerber baby food jars and store a baby's first chicken meals. Parents can roast a chicken as they normally would. Pull off and reserve some of the meat for processing. After all of the chicken is off the bones, make homemade chicken broth. Place the carcass in a pot of water with an onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper and a bay leaf. Bring the water to a boil, and then cover and simmer for three to four hours. Add more salt to taste. Place the leftover chicken and about a half-cup of the broth in a food process or blender, and blend until the consistency of baby food, or your desired consistency. Add more broth if needed. Spoon the chicken mixture into empty Gerber containers, close them and place them in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage.
Candle Holders
Purchase votive or tea light candles instead of larger, more expensive candles. Use the glass jar as a candle holder. You could even decorate the outside of the glass. Paint the outside of the baby food jar with two parts craft paint and one part water. Roll the jar in glitter, let it dry, and place the small candle inside the jar.
Homemade Butter
Energetic children will enjoy using the Gerber jars to make homemade butter. Fill a jar halfway full of heavy whipping cream and a dash of salt. Cover the lid, and ask the children to shake the jar until the contents are thick and creamy. Place the homemade butter in the refrigerator and allow it to thicken and cool.
Tags: baby food, Gerber baby food, Gerber containers, Gerber jars, homemade butter, light candles