Journal Jar Ideas

Journal Jar Ideas

Yayi Oehler
Subject: Re: RS: Journal Jars

Activity Journal Jars

Journal Jars The Journal Jars are pint/quart jars that you decorate with fabric and inside them are questions. Each time the youth decide they want to write in their Journal, they pull out a piece of paper and write about that topic. Some of the questions may be, "What do you love most about your mother?" "What is your favorite childhood memory?" etc. I have done these for the past two Christmas's for mine and my husband's families and they have loved them. I just thought it would be a fun idea to do for the youth that would help them start their own personal histories. Another list of Journal Jar questions has been put on the list that has more to choose from.

For our Journal Jars, we chose two fabrics that matched one another, like a checker with a small floral print. We used those zigzaggy scissors (sorry, I couldn't thing of the real name) and cut out a rectangle for the front of the jar and a square one to go on top on the lid. We printed out a paper tag for the front to go on the fabric that says, "My Own Personal Heritage" or "I'm the One Who Writes My Own Story", etc. There are so many you can think of. We modpodged it on the jar and then cut out a few patches out both fabrics and modpodged those around the jar. We put batting in the lids and tied raffia around the lid. I'm not very good at explaining things, but they are so darn cute. We printed the questions out on different colored paper and put them inside.

Here's another idea for the Journal Jars that we are doing as a stake YW Presidency as we visit ward conferences these next two months ... instead of pint jars we have used small baby food jars ( ask people to save them for you and there's no cost!). I printed the questions out on different color copy paper, cut the strips, and folded them 2 or 3 times. We have not used all the questions - instead we have counted how many weeks left in the year and included one question for every week. We simply creatively wrote "Journal Jar" on the jar and instead of fabric we cut out different color felt squares ($ .11 a piece @ Michael's) with pinking shears (is that the correct spelling?), glued them to the lids and then glued thin white ribbon around it and tied it in a bow ... we also attached the poem that was passed along on the list. The girls all think they're adorable and like to pick a color that goes with their room!

Journal Jar Poem
Preserve your memories,
Seal them up well.
What you forget,
You can never retell.
But a journal that's kept fresh on the shelf,
Will help someone through rough times,
Maybe even yourself.

I LOVE the idea of journal jars for the youth!

Two years ago we did journal jars for adults as one of the projects on our annual craft day/super Saturday. This little poem was attached to the jar:

This little jar celebrates something very important - YOU!!
If you will follow a simple plan, you will find that before this time next year, you will have a very personal history finished.
All you need to do is draw out one slip of paper each day (or at least once a week but it will take longer to finish).
On it you will find a question.
Spend a few minutes and just enjoy remembering.
Then paste or copy the question at the top of a blank page and begin to tell about it.
Don't worry about spelling, handwriting etc. Just tell YOUR story!

We used a quart jar and decorated the top with one or two squares of fabric with ribbon glued around similar to the post re: journal jars for youth.

Can also add silk flowers or trinkets on the top to suit the person the jar is for.

I gave these to my great aunts and uncles with a Journal for Christmas last year. One aunt in particular (not a member of the church but very devoted to family history research) loves it and writes in it nearly every day.

The questions re: church 'stuff' are on a separate page and I left those out for her.

Journal Jars

We have also done journal jars in quart jars -
On top it says - "The story only you can tell"
Attached by a ribbon it says
YOUR LIFE STORY
Writing it all at once is a lot to ask...
But bit by bit you can complete the task...

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws