Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Lego Storage Jar, DIY Craft and books

I created these Lego head storage jars out of recycled baby food jars. I had saved a month's worth of jars and knew I could use them for some type of craft. Their shape reminded me of Lego mini figure heads so I spray painted the jars all yellow to make these fun and functional Lego storage jars.  These would be great as gifts with a Lego set or as party favors.  See our Lego Party Ideas here.

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(Intended for display and storage only, not to be used as a toy.)
DIY LEGO STORAGE JARS:
You’ll need baby food jars.  Yellow spray paint.  A black sharpie. Clear spray paint. Super simple!
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KRYLON:
I used Krylon 'Sun Yellow' gloss, indoor/outdoor spray paint and Krylon Crystal Clear Satin spray paint.

HOW TO MAKE LEGO JARS:
Peel off the wrappers and take off the lids.
Lay out newspaper on a flat surface or use an old box to set the jars on.
Turn jars upside down and spray the first coat to cover the bottom & round edges of the jar. Once dry, turn over and spray 1-2 more coats. Spray the jars and lids (while off) from all angles. Don't paint the inside.
Tip: 1 can of spray paint covered about 30 jars & lids with 2-3 coats. Next time I may not spray the top of the jar (where the spirals are) because it makes it more difficult to put the lid on.
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Once they dry you can draw on them with the permanent marker. Let your kids try drawing some. (Using a vinyl cutting machine like the Cricut or Silhouette would look more professional but the markers were cheap and easy.)
Once you've drawn all the faces on, add the coat of clear spray paint to seal it all. Once everything is dry, then add the lids.

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I looked up some ideas for Lego mini figures on Google images for inspiration.
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Now you’ll have a great place to store those tiny Lego pieces.  The jars would be a great display for your child’s room or to take along on a trip.

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    Here are some of the other faces we tried.
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UPDATE: Fall 2011 we used these jars at my son's birthday party. We gave each child a mystery mini figure they put together and could store it inside the jar as a favor.



Linking Life to Literacy LO june 11
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And since my son is a huge Lego fan, I’m so happy they have created beginner reading books to get him excited about reading.  Here are a few of his favorites we got from the Scholastic Book Order.




We also signed up for the FREE Lego Club Magazine that comes in the mail. He loves the comics and puzzles and they have building ideas too. Another great tool to help your boys to love reading. See more tips here.

Also see how we made these larger Lego storage containers here:
See our LEGO party ideas here:

Victoria Signature 11

I shared this craft at the following great blogs (check out all the other fun ideas):
Somewhat SimpleTip Junkie handmade projectsDIY under $5Shibley Smiles

at

42 comments:

  1. AshleyJuly 7, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    aw this ROCKS!!!! i love it:)
    http://easypeasygrandma.blogspot.com

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  2. ~Beth D.July 7, 2011 at 4:42 PM

    adorable! my son is a huge lego fan! always creating something new. thanks for sharing!

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  3. Jenn @ Coolest Family on the BlockJuly 7, 2011 at 7:37 PM

    So cute and creative!

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  4. Mrs Happy HomemakerJuly 15, 2011 at 12:47 PM

    Such an awesomely creative idea!

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  5. DaciaJuly 15, 2011 at 1:00 PM

    What an awesome idea! Those jars are adorable!

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  6. PaperVineJuly 15, 2011 at 2:02 PM

    FANTASTIC project - I love it. This would be perfect for the LEGO themed birthday I am planning. Thanks so much for sharing
    Lowri
    http://papervinenz.blogspot.com/

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  7. Cristy @ Art•ing Shed•quartersJuly 15, 2011 at 4:42 PM

    Discovered this on WhipperBerry. Brilliant idea! And I took a minute to vote for you on Krylon. Seriously brilliant!

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  8. Kim RosemaJuly 18, 2011 at 11:47 AM

    Gasp! Too cute!

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  9. AmandaJuly 19, 2011 at 5:44 AM

    This makes me want to go out and buy baby food in jars! They look great, thanks for sharing

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  10. MargoJuly 19, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    These are so cute! Both my boys and even my daughter LOVE Legos so these would be so fun to do with them. Great idea!

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  11. UnknownJuly 21, 2011 at 7:35 PM

    So, So cute! my nephew loves legos and would think these were the coolest! Thanks for linking up with DIY under $5!

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  12. AnonymousJuly 21, 2011 at 8:48 PM

    LOVE this! Wish I saw it last year before my son's party! Very cool.

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  13. AnonymousJuly 23, 2011 at 6:03 AM

    This is such a cute idea!

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  14. Rosa B.July 23, 2011 at 10:48 AM

    What a great idea! My boys are always looking for the little "special" pieces when playing with legos. I have some baby food jars that I kept, so I think I might try this!

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  15. JaniceAugust 2, 2011 at 1:26 AM

    I don't have a baby eating baby food, but I went out and bought baby food so I could make these! What a great idea. We are huge Lego fans at this house.

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  16. Karen M. OwenAugust 3, 2011 at 9:49 AM

    I love this beyond words! Thank you!

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  17. Karen M. OwenAugust 3, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    Okay I like this so much I am thinking of making 24 of them and using them as an advent calendar...thoughts anyone?

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  18. Mary PratherAugust 4, 2011 at 9:47 PM

    You are kidding me! How cute is this? And, how am I going to scrounge up some baby food jars to make these?? You are so crafty!

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  19. Patty O.August 29, 2011 at 12:37 PM

    This is fantastic! Thanks for the great idea. I started a LEGO social club for kids with social developmental delays (like autism, which my son--a lego-obsessed kid) and am going to make these for the kids for Christmas! Thanks for sharing!

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  20. AnthonetteAugust 29, 2011 at 11:14 PM

    I LOVE this idea! My son had a Lego-themed party a few years ago, but I wouldn't mind if he wanted to have another Lego party in the future.

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  21. HomeroadAugust 30, 2011 at 4:45 AM

    I love this idea and I'm going to use it in my classroom to store all those little Lego guys! Brilliant!
    Susan

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  22. KJ@letsgoflyakiteAugust 30, 2011 at 4:52 AM

    I just saw your project featured on Be Different. These are both adorable and practical. Well done. I love your resourcefulness.

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  23. MelanieAugust 30, 2011 at 5:43 AM

    Really cute! Love this idea for a party favor!!

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  24. Christine {Pure Joy}August 30, 2011 at 8:38 AM

    How clever. Voted for you.

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  25. Creating Through LIFEAugust 30, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    I can relate to the picture of you setting up for the perfect shot. I recently got a new Canon DSLR too! It's been fun to figure out. I've been trying to find great resources that will give me tips on my new camera. I would love to know if you've found any that you would recommend.

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  26. AnonymousAugust 30, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    Totally linked you on this one! My husband drinks this nasty whey protein stuff that comes in ginormous jars that are the same shape! I'm thinking that'd be a great way to store my toddler's Duplos!

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  27. UnknownAugust 30, 2011 at 4:19 PM

    FABULOUS idea! My kids LOVE Legos and they would just love these. Thanks so much!

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  28. AnonymousSeptember 5, 2011 at 8:31 AM

    Adorable! And what an awesome way to organize some of those smaller pieces. I can even imagine putting a picture on top of the lid to show what should go in those little containers! Or even using a mayonaisse jar to store more for my son's collection! Thanks for sharing!

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  29. AnonymousSeptember 5, 2011 at 9:51 AM

    This would have been perfect for my son was he was young...he was sooo into Legos, he wanted to be a Lego designer when he grew up!! and this is a craft project I would have loved!!! Unfortunately, he is 26 and in the Marines...and I am not nearly as creative as you!!! Awesome job!!maybe he will give me a grandson that I can do this for (not to mention give all the legos to that are stil in my basement!!!) You are awesome!!!

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  30. Rachel SueSeptember 5, 2011 at 8:48 PM

    I LOVE this! I would love to feature this on Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle. Feel free to stop by and grab a featured button. Thanks!

    http://reuseandupcycle.blogspot.com

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  31. JettSeptember 28, 2011 at 9:48 PM

    Good job, you! This is a terrific idea.

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  32. ChristinaNovember 4, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    So making this for our next Lego party. These would be great favors!

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  33. Maxine CleminsonNovember 15, 2011 at 2:36 PM

    I was so impressed by your creative idea that I had a go at making a supersized version with an empty pistachio tub!
    Thanks for the inspiration!
    http://www.mamawithideas.com/2011/10/lego-minifig-head-storage-container.html

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  34. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2012 at 2:12 PM

    Cute, but be careful giving small children glass containers.

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  35. ashitaFebruary 4, 2012 at 1:44 PM

    I had an idea to use baby food jars as goodie bags filled with legos for our lego party. but i never thunk to paint them yellow! LOVE LOVE LOVE. i'm going to pre-paint them and let kids put their own faces on at the party.

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  36. *ColleenMarch 23, 2012 at 4:58 PM

    What a GREAT idea for a party favor! My son will love this!

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  37. ErinJune 11, 2012 at 3:50 PM

    We made these last weekend and my kids LOVE them! it's for my son's bday party this weekend. Thanks so much for the idea. I will be linking back to you for sure! AWESOME!

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  38. UnknownNovember 9, 2012 at 7:53 PM

    This is the best DIY idea ever! My son is long past baby food but I always wanted to do something with the jars - I wish I was creative enough to think of this :). Thank you so much.

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  39. VickyMarch 3, 2013 at 5:55 PM

    What an awesome idea!

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  40. RobOctober 19, 2013 at 5:28 PM

    Great idea.
    If you could somehow paint the yellow in the inside of the glass (slush it around maybe and tip out the excess) then you wouldn't need the clear coat, wouldn't have the problem with painting the screw-top-thread, and could draw on faces then wipe off and redo.
    Only problem might be the little Legos scratching the paint off inside when they rattle around.

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  41. AnonymousNovember 4, 2013 at 10:03 AM

    Such a cute idea! I'm trying it myself with small mason-type jars but having trouble coating the metal lids with paint. Any tips? Do they need to be prepped first before spray painting? Also, did any paint chip once the jars were completed?
    Thank you!
    Michelle

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  42. Marly CuestaFebruary 16, 2015 at 4:23 PM

    Ótima idéia porquestra as crianas adoram Lego!

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