I’m both a glass-half-empty and a glass-half-full kind of girl. Actually, I’m really just a glass girl — as in, it doesn’t really matter how much is in my glass as long as my glass is, well, glass. 🙂
I blame my friend Marie, who last year gifted me with a simple but elegant drinking jar — a tall, wide-mouth pint-and-a-half Ball canning jar outfitted with a lid that had a hole drilled in the center with a rubber grommet inserted into it to cushion a straw.
When she told me that she and her sister (and their husbands) had collaborated to make the jars as gifts, my DIY instincts kicked in, too.
She was happy to share the process, and I managed to convince my own handy husband to help me make some to give away, as well.
(We even sent one to Wardee, filled with a batch of Maggie’s Favorite Cranberry Cookies, plus a stainless steel straw. And we made a mini-version, too, drilling holes in regular-mouth lids, which I then used to top the beautiful antique-looking blue pint-size jars that are popular these days.)
Imagine my delight when my friend Julie gifted me with a glass straw that fit perfectly into the grommet-lined hole in the lid of my glass drinking jar! (You can also purchase glass drinking straws here.)
Yes, I’ve Gone Glass…
…and there’s no going back.
Plenty of people have parted ways with plastic because of its chemical-leaching properties, so I know that I’m not alone.
Plus, glass is just prettier! It makes every beverage sparkle!
Beyond the beauty, there are a few practical considerations to make: Glass is great for both cold and hot liquids, but hot drinks (tea, coffee, broth) might require a cozy — a fabric or crocheted sleeve of sorts that fits around the jar to shield your hand from the heat (some ideas are here and here).
Want to make your own DIY Mason Jar Drinking Cup? The process is simple!
How to Make a DIY Mason Jar Drinking Cup
Although the pint-and-a-half size jar is my favorite (it fits so nicely into the cup holder of my minivan), I transfer my lid to a wide-mouth quart jar when I need a larger size.
Here’s what you need.
- drill fitted with 1/2-inch spade bit (or paddle bit)
- regular- or wide-mouth canning jar metal lid (to match the jar you’re turning into a cup)
- rubber grommet — 5/8-inch outer dimension and 3/8-inch inner dimension (mine came from Lowe’s)
- mason jar — pint; pint-and-half; or quart
- stainless steel straw or glass straw
1. With the drill, drill a hole in the center of a jar lid. (Make sure to anchor the lid in place with some nails around the outside edge before you drill, as shown in this tutorial. Or if you have access to a drill press, as my husband does, you can do it the fancy way.)
2. Pop in the rubber grommet, screw on the band, slide in a straw and voila!
Heads Up
We’ve had a few casualties around our house. When a glass jar hits a ceramic-tile floor, the floor always wins!
Also, sometimes condensation can cause a bit of rust to arise where the lid meets the metal band. No worries; you can plan ahead for this eventuality. Pre-drill holes into a dozen lids (a box). Then you can simply transfer the grommet to a new lid when it’s time to decommission an old one.
How about you? Have you gotten into the glass act? Share your experience in the comments!
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Thanks so much for this post! We drink all of our beverages from glass jars. Pinning this one as it would make a great gift. It’s so nice to have a lid and a straw.
I love to use a glass jar! I currently have my quart jar full with a slice of lemon floating on top. The quart size helps me gauge how much I drink in a day. I love the look of these with the glass straw. I’m thinking they would make really nice Christmas gifts.
I love this!! I’m definitely going to make some for my household! Thanks so much!
Instead of a Ball metal lid… Have U thought of a Tattler? Yes plastic, BUT ur liquid goes thru the straw.>>> It won’t rust!
I was thinking a plastic screw on lid, they are now BPA free and like Darryl said, your liquid goes through the straw…and you can find those can cozies to slip on to help with breakage, that’s what I did when my kids used glass baby bottles.
I changed over to glass ware about 20 years ago. I have never ONCE missed not having a plastic glass in the house. 🙂 Glory!!
Here I am again! I had an idea that you may or may not…. like but it is a suggestion to the “sometime” rusting of the lids on the mason jars. True, the canning lids will look very country and that is what I like. But… I have loved these lids for a lifetime and I buy them every chance I get because the stores don’t keep them year long. They bring them out only when canning season is here but they are not for canning but great for storage. It the white plastic storage caps made by Ball. You can get them in the regular or wide mouth which wide mouth is always my favorite of jars. Wardee, I have sent a link that if pasted on a document anyone can see they type of lid I am speaking of. When you get a chance to look at it, see what you think and appreciate you letting us know.
I do love them for they do not leak; they really look sharp on the jars that I keep with beans, popcorn etc…. And as heavy duty as they are we may have another item that could make another style lid for that great project you have shared with us. Thanks!! Joanne
http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/image/spin_prod_235271701?hei=499&wid=499&op_sharpen=1
This looks like a fun trade in for plastic sippy cups! My kids love anything that involves straws, too.
this is not to comment. I just wanted to make sure I marked the box below to be notified when someone follows up on my comment. I really don’t believe I did that last time. Will this work for any comments I have up above or no? you can email me at [email protected] to tell me if I have to maRk this for each comment or not. Thanks, joanne
I use canning jars for all sorts of things. On the weekend, I make a batch of steel cut oatmeal and divide it up into jelly jars for a quick early morning out-the-door meal. I buy organic whole milk yogurt in bulk and divy it up the same way. I leave enough room for what ever fruit or granola my family wants to add. Easy, no plastic alternative. The quart jars make great ice water jars. Looking forward to trying your version with the hole and grommet added.
Thanks!
Very nice to make yourself but this isn’t a new idea really
http://www.amazon.com/Ecojarz-Mouth-Stainless-Steel-Drink/dp/B00D2LNX9O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0462S75HP7G4A296722M
LOVE this idea! I drink out of jars all the time. 🙂
Hey,
I was wondering if anyone tried gluing the lids (since there are 2 parts to the lid). I tried super glue but it still comes undone. Just wondering if anyone had success with something else.
Thanks!
Ball makes plastic lids for jars and one piece metal ones
We love glass. Plastic is almost obsolete in our home as we’ve faded it out over the last five years or so. We also use the plastic ball lids for a lot of storage uses since the food generally doesn’t come in contact with the lid, plus it’s not under heat, pressure, or moisture. Whenever we buy a jar of something that has a solid metal lid (coconut oil, almond butter, ect…) we save the lids to use on the small four ounce jars in our children’s lunches for homemade apple sauce, yogurt, pudding… In two years with two boys we have only lost one to a casualty hitting the floor. Love glass! 🙂
I’ve found that drilling another very tiny hole in the lid keeps it from creating a vacuum.
I’m going to do this to build my fermenting jar lids. I bought 10 airlocks, plan to get the grommets, have the jars, will buy new lids and build me 10 fermenting jars/crocks. I hope it works!
I was getting into using EO and you can’t use plastic with EO’s, so I made my own glass jar. I took an antique 1920’s blue glass jar. Glass is slippery when condensation is on it, so I took the rubber hugger thing from a cheap plastic glass and slipped in around my jar. I then purchased a stainless steel lid and straw from Amazon that fits inside a canning ring. I love the jar and I get tons of compliments on it.
I don’t see any options or specifics about the straw or hole for the straw but I’m guessing that the “extra wide smoothie straws” on Amazon won’t work for this specific size DIY project. Maybe after I make one, I’d be able to understand how to make it work with a larger size straw…
Those glasses are the latest rave here in Germany. They come with colored lids and matching straws. They also go for less then 2,00€/piece.
Is the rubber grommet food grade?
I take my kitchen shears & cut a small notch in the edge of a canning lid. Put the ring on & the straw fits through. It’s not completely leak proof but it’s super easy!! Also, I’ve found both pint& quart jars w/ handles at several stores:Ross, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Marshalls.