A gift in a jar will not only impress the recipient but it is also fun to make! I am taking the gift jar idea a bit further by combing it with Valentine’s Day ideas. Last week, I shared the Ice Skating Date In A Jar. This week I am showing how to make a Spa In A Jar so you can have a relaxing spa date at home! I have some home spa treatment recipes from previous posts so I included them in this mason jar.
A Spa In A Jar could be given for many occasions besides Valentine’s Day! My teen saw me making it and said she would love to have it when I was done. If you are making this for a date, be sure to make two jars so that you can each use all the treatments!
Disclaimer: This post contains links to products for making this recipe. If you use those links, I may earn a commission. Learn more here.
Spa In A Jar Items
Start with a Kerr wide mouth, quart size mason jar to hold everything. I tried to stick to a blue color scheme to make the jar look pretty but it isn’t necessary if you can’t find matching items.
- travel size face cleanser
- Nivea lip balm
- hair treatment packet
- travel size lotion
- blue razor
- mini pebble candles (no longer available)
- nail clippers
- nail file
- bath bomb
- chocolate truffles
I also included the following home spa treatments that I made myself: Lavender Bath Salts, Maple Brown Sugar Scrub, Sugar Hand Scrub and Peppermint Tea Foot Soak. You can click on each one for the recipe and links to the printable labels.
Slowly add the items to the jar with the content labels facing the outside so that the recipient can easily see what is in the jar. It took several attempts to get everything to fit into the jar and I kept adjusting it until it looked right. Once it was all in, I printed the Spa In A Jar label and cut a length of ribbon which I attached to the jar. You can download the free printable here. I printed it by choosing “wallet size” and it was perfect.
Let’s take a little spin around the jar so that you can see it from all sides.
Wondering what else you could put in this jar? How about a face mask, lip scrub, foot scrub, pore strips, massage oil, perfume, hand cream, foot lotion, socks, eye mask and tea light candles. I am going to try to find some mini sized spa items for men so that I can assemble a jar that is specifically for men. Not that any of these items are too flowery or girly but I’m sure a guy would appreciate receiving products with scents geared toward men.
There have been a lot of questions about the exact containers I used so I purchased another package for this photo. I should’ve taken a picture before I painted the original ones but I didn’t even think it of. I found these containers at the Family Dollar in one of the food aisles as a hanging extra. You know the little things that are hanging between the items on the shelves? Each container holds 2.4 oz and they cost $1.00 for the 8 pack.
The foot soak jars are these bead storage containers.
A fluffy bathrobe and cozy slippers would be the perfect things to give along with the Spa In A Jar!
Peppermint Pampering Gifts In A Jar
Karen says
Great gift idea. So great to find so many wonderful ideas. I will be making for Christmas.
Thank you sooo much for sharing.
Jenna says
I gave this jar to my mom for mothesday and it was the BEST the smile on her face said it all.
Tonia says
Yay! I love hearing that! I need to have a little spa day for myself in the near future!
Deena says
I noticed that your foot soak in the spa in a jar is in a different container. Do you have a pic of that or know where you got that container?
Tonia says
Those jars are small bead storage containers. You can find them here: http://amzn.to/2yXSGe9
Yazzy says
Hi,Tonia
I was wondering how much will this entire jar cost in all because it’s Mother’s Day in a week so I want to get an idea of how much money I’m spending
Thanks in advance!
Tonia says
Hi Yazzy! It really depends on how many of the items you already have on hand (sugar, soap, travel sized items, chocolates, etc.), how many jars you plan to make, and whether or not you have coupons. You can buy single mason jars at Michaels. The other items you choose to put in the jar are totally up to you. If you buy a whole bag of Lindor Truffles only to use a couple for one mason jar, that would cost about $5.00 just for the chocolates. But you could pick up a couple of singles truffles from Michaels by the cash registers for about 33 cents a piece, making it 66 cents for two chocolates versus $5.00. Sorry, I couldn’t be of more help and best of luck! ~Tonia
Cynthia says
Thank you for all these wonderful ideas! Can’t wait to try some!
Tara says
Cute idea! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Justin says
Great gift idea! Definitely going to use it. Thanks for sharing!
Amanda says
Hi,
I really love the idea of the spa in a jar for a cute DIY project. I have been using your recipes to make the jar with ingredients for my research project for english class. If you would be willing to answer an interview by email for one of my sources, that would be amazing. This post is so inspiring and cute.
Thanks,
Amanda
Belinda Skellern says
I love this idea. Would be a great gift idea for Mother’s Day. Hope you don’t mind if I put a link to this on my blog for my Mother’s Day gift ideas round up.
sandra says
Eu simplesmente amei essa ideia!!!!! PARABÉNS!!!!!!
Rachel says
I was wondering what type of paint did you use for the silver lids on the plastic containers?
Tonia says
I can’t remember which brand I used, but any brand of silver spray paint that says it can be used on plastics should work. Best of luck! ~Tonia
Megha says
Amazing gifting idea. Will definitely try.
Wish you the best for more such ideas! 🙂
Sandra Strydom says
Hi Tonia, this Spa in a Bottle is a great idea, never thought of it. My daughter is a beauty therapist and I know she would also love this. I only opened this pin today, 1 day after Christmas. But this is in time for Valentine and birthdays in between. You are sooo creative, love it. Sandra
Lauren Richardson says
Hey I love this idea! I am making them for my family this christmas but I wanted to add some extra things and I was wondering if you knew the name of the font you used to make them?
Thanks so much,
Lauren Richardson
Tonia says
I believe it is called Rye http://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Rye
Christina says
I absolutely LOVE these jar ideas!!! I needed ideas for both a Secret Santa for my sister-in-law and for my daughter’s middle school teachers, and these fit the bill perfectly! I made a Spa in a Jar for my SIL – who just had a baby 4 months ago and could use some pampering – with a 1-gallon Ball mason jar from Target that cost about $15 (our budget was $50 so I could afford to splurge a bit), then I filled it with the following: a Dove revitalizing collection gift set (Purely Pampering Shea Butter Body Wash, Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo, Purely Pampering Shea Butter Beauty Bar, and body pouf); a Burt’s Bees Tips and Toes Kit (hand salve, Almond & Milk Hand Cream, Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, Coconut Foot Cream, Honey & Grapeseed Hand Cream, Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil); one each of Que Bella relaxing bath bath oil and relaxing aromatherapy mask in lavender; three French Vanilla bath bombs; and four Tahitian vanilla tea lights. Most of the things came in a gift set or package together that I then separated and packed carefully into the jar. I used the free printable “Spa in a Jar” and a pretty ribbon, and that’s it! It came out to almost precisely $50 to the penny, including the cost of the jar!! I’m almost sad to give it away, but I know she’ll love it! And for the teacher’s, I made “Energy in a Jar” kits (in 24-oz Ball mason jars that I purchased in a 9-pack) with a 100-calorie pack of cashew halves & pieces, a 1.3-oz bag of Lindt milk chocolate truffles, a chocolate chip Cliff Bar, a mini box of Sun-Maid raisins, and a single-use bag of Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix. I added the label, a cute ornament, and ribbon, and had a great gift for under $6 per person! Thanks again for the great idea – I love your site!!! Happy holidays! xo
Ashley says
Hi Tonia. I aboslutly loved this idea and I made some to give to my sister and mother in law! I was having trouble finding the correct sized container, but for those who are having the same trouble, Target has the perfect sized containers in their travel section.
Monique says
Love your site. Great ideas for me and my daughter to do together. What size jars did you use?
Tonia says
Thanks Monique! I used a Kerr one quart (32 oz) wide mouth mason jar. Best of luck! ~Tonia
Monique says
Thanks!!! Merry Christmas!!
rosie says
Hi, I was just wondering how you attached your labels to the small tubs?
I love this idea and am making lots of different types for christmas presents 🙂
Thanks
Rosie
Tonia says
Hi Rosie,
I’ve used everything from Mod Podge to glue sticks to hot glue and even double stick tape and glue dots. Merry Christmas!
~Tonia
Katya says
Hi hun, I was searching through the net with my kids (5&6 yrs) & came across your gifts in a jar, the kids (both boys) love them! They are excited to make the moisturisers, body butters & sugar scrubs…. How long would you say they will last for? As I need to make them up but dont want to make them up too soon if they are going to go bad.
Thanks in advance
Tonia says
Hi Katya,
Thank you! The closer you make them to Christmas the better off you will be. I would suggest that you use them with a month or two to be safe. But in reality, we found some extras in our cupboard 6 months later and it was fine! Have fun!
~Tonia
Katya says
Thankyou for such a swift reply, In that case I will leave it another couple of weeks then will make them all up after my youngests birthday on the 15th. Thanks again.
Dawn Phelps says
This is a great idea! I’ll be making some for Christmas. One note though, be careful with the chocolate. Chocolate, especially good chocolate, will absorb scents. Just keep that in mind if you plan to make these really far in advance.
Kelli says
I love this post! I stumbled a crossed it will searching for gifts for my bridesmaids. I think they will love this. I tried clicking on the links to download the labels (templates), however it is not working. Is there another way I could get the download?
Tonia says
Sounds great! I can email it to you ~Tonia
Tonia says
Sorry! I tried to email it to you but it was returned to me by your server. Here is the link you can try to download it from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzzc0kU7BM6FaVM5ZTNfazF4RG8/view?usp=sharing