I Spy Mason Jar

The concept for this project actually came last year when my son who has developmental delays wanted to me to make him something to keep him occupied when he was bored and had nothing to do. Shared with an interest in collecting little things around the house this became a fast fun project we can do together any time and only takes the amount of time you want to invest in it. We started with small plastic containers we got from the dollar store that had peanuts in it, and upgraded to VOSS water bottles. These were nice due to their size and shape.

I have a ton of Mason Jars on my front porch and I'm always looking for a fun new way to showcase them so that is where I thought we could upgrade to a larger I Spy project and here it is. My I Spy Mason jar.

• Mason Jar: For this project I used a glass mason jar, you have many options here, as shown in my first picture i have used 2 different size water bottles and an empty peanut jar. The type of container you use can limit what you can put into the container based on the size of the opening. That's where using something as wide as a Mason jar really gives you more options on what you can use.
• Hemp or Cord: This is completely optional as well and depending on what type of container you use and the condition of your mason jar. My mason jars are all older so the bars that close it are rusty so after the container is cleaned i picked black hemp to wrap around the metal bars.
• E6000 glue: I prefer this to super glues or hot glue for most of my projects just because it is waterproof, non flammable, flexible and impermeable.
• Scissors
• Styrofoam beads: Here is where you have multiple options as well, I have a bucket full of these Styrofoam beads from when my youngest daughter took apart a bean bag chair. The colored ones i bought on eBay for cents.I have also used wood shavings- these were made from when the hubby cut the firewood with his chain saw, now i have a big black bag full waiting for me for more projects.
• Trinkets and Toys: This is where the fun begins, and our options are truly endless. You can make your jar themed or just go wild. I like the fact that its as easy as taking a walk around your house inside or out, a few stones, an acorn, a piece of bark to inside; a puzzle piece, an old chess piece, a bead, literally anything.
  • I start out with a handful of things and as you will see as we go you may end up adding to the toys and trinkets or taking away its all going to depend on the jar you use and the effect you are going for.
• An Index Card:Once I'm finished with the project I list out I spy with my little eye and then list the treasures that need to be found.

To cover up the rust because I used an older Mason Jar i used hemp and in the over under pattern wrapped the entire metal clasp and then used a little of the E6000 to secure the knot at the end.

Optional add tattoos to the outside of the jar using the same method you use to apply to your skin

Now we are ready to begin. I start with filing my Mason Jar about a quarter to a third full with my combination of white and colored Styrofoam. At this point I also started adding my treasures. This is where you play around with things. How much filler and how many items you use will depend on the size of the container and the size of the items you are using as treasures.

I started with 10 items as seen in the first picture. I added 6 more, then 3 more and some more Styrofoam as i went .

A few tips: Heavy items will sing where lighter ones will sit on the Styrofoam. You will need space in the jar when you are done so you can move the stuff inside of jar.

I took multiple pictures to try and capture how fun this is. Depending on how you hold your jar, twist it and turn it will make it easier or harder to find all your hidden treasures.

I finish my Mason jar by applying a small amount of the E6000 around the seal and putting the lid on. This way you ensure all your treasures stay in the Jar.

I spy with my little eye list of treasures