I Used Canning Jars Before Canning Jars Were Cool.

 Did you know that drinking (anything) from a canning jar is one of the latest crazes to hit the internet--specifically Pinterst? You'll find all kinds of them....  Don't believe me? Go to www.pinterest.com and type in "canning jar."

Go ahead. I'll wait.

No, really. Go ahead.

Ok, now that we've established that canning jars are for more than jelly and green beans, we're going to make a drinking glass out of them. Yep, virtually leakproof, too--unless you drop it on concrete. Don't ask.

First of all, you need your husband and daughter to make a jig out of wood. You really don't have to have a jig, but Rick and Brandie wanted to help.and it really did come in handy in the end.

This is the jig, clamped to a board in our garage. 

Use a 3/8" drill bit to drill a hole in the jar lid.


Here's the thing: You need to get the hole in the lid without spinning out of control and making an oval instead of a circle.

I had lots of unusable lids when I was finished. 

If you have some that have already been used for canning and the seal has already been used, you might want to practice on those first. When the lid spins, it also gets hot. Fast. Be careful.

So, after you get the hole in the lid, you might need to take wire cutters and snip off the rough pieces. I had to take a hammer and gently flatten the edges around the hole, also.

Now you're going to need to get out the grommets you bought at a largish hardware-type store. Ok, go to Lowe's. (Menard's didn't have anything like this--and no one seemed to understand what I needed and kept sending me from department to department. :-/ )  These are 9/16" rubber grommets. Honestly, I have no idea if they're considered "food safe", but, since they aren't lead or asbestos, I'm not that concerned.

The first one was difficult to put in, but once I figured out the rubber could  be pried around with a small screwdriver, it went much faster.

Now you're ready to put your favorite beverage in the jars, add the lid, stick in a straw, and enjoy your refreshment!

**A few notes:
--I saw a tutorial for these and jotted down the size of the bit and grommet, but not the blog's address. If you know who posted it, please let me know and I'll give them credit!
--The only straw that's going to fit through this hole is a skinny straw. Next time I'm at "that hardware-type store" I'll see if they have any larger grommets and give them a try.