Vintage-inspired twine-wrapped Oui yogurt jars are an easy upcycled home decor project that add a whimsical touch to a living room, entryway, kitchen, or dining room.
Twine wrapping is such a simple, beautiful way to transform glass jars. Plain twine-wrapped jars are gorgeous as is. There are numerous ways to embellish your newly-decorated jars. For this tutorial, I chose to add vintage-inspired details, as I love the aesthetic of vintage lace, ribbon, and buttons. The jars are understated and timeless and will fit in seamlessly with a wide variety of decor styles.
Twine wrapping works well with lots of types of glass jars. For this tutorial, I chose to use glass Oui yogurt jars, as I’m still on a huge Oui yogurt kick. Earlier this year, I released tutorials for sheet music votives, pastel vases, and faux succulent planters, all using Oui jars. I plan to release more Oui jar projects in the coming months. If there’s anything you’d like to see here, please let me know! I also created a set of vintage-inspired twine-wrapped jars using upcycled baby food jars to give you further inspiration for your own glass jar projects.
Happy crafting!
How to clean Oui yogurt jars
Oui yogurt jar labels are very easy to remove. A label always comes off in just one piece and leaves behind a minimal amount of sticky residue.
I use Goo Gone spray gel, which is my favorite kind of Goo Gone, to take off the residue. The spray bottle applies a thin, even layer without making too much of a mess. Let the Goo Gone sit on the jar for a couple of minutes. As Goo Gone is greasy, then I use a couple of squirts of my favorite dish soap to get rid of the Goo Gone and clean the jar.
Allow your Oui jars to dry fully before starting to wrap them with twine.
Supplies for vintage-inspired twine-wrapped Oui yogurt jars
- Oui yogurt jars, as many as you’d like to use, clean and dry
- Twine, in the color and size of your choosing. I buy most of my twine from Michaels and at estate sales. You can also buy it on Amazon.
- Mod Podge. Gloss or matte finish is fine, as it will all get covered by the twine. I don’t recommend a specialty Mod Podge.
- Two or three 1″ foam brushes. As Mod Podge is hard on these brushes, it’s nice to have a few on hand.
- Tacky glue or other all-purpose glue. Aleene’s Always-Ready tacky glue is my favorite all-purpose glue right now.
- Fabric scissors
- Rubbing alcohol
- Vintage or vintage-inspired embellishments of your choosing, such as ribbon, lace, and buttons. I used a mix of vintage and vintage-inspired materials for my jars. I link a few resourecs within the instructions. If you’re having trouble sourcing specific materials, please let me know. I’m happy to help in any way that I can.
Instructions for vintage-inspired twine-wrapped Oui yogurt jars
How to twine wrap glass jars
Using the foam brush, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge around the top of the Oui jar. Start wrapping as close to the lip of the jar as possible. After you’ve wrapped a few rows, pause and gently push the twine together to form tight, even rows.
Continue to wrap down the jar, applying more Mod Podge as needed, stopping every few rows to ensure that they are tight and even.
You’ll find that there is a natural place where it’s best to stop wrapping, where the twine stays put and the last couple of rows don’t try to pull out of place. All Oui jars have a series of dots near the bottom. You’ll stop wrapping right before or right at the dots. The more you wrap Oui jars, the more comfortable you’ll get with this process.
When you’re ready to stop wrapping, cut the twine. I like to line up the places where I start and stop the twine, so there is a clear back to the jar, and the start and stop places will remain hidden when the jar is displayed. After you’ve cut the twine, add a dab of Mod Podge to the end of it. Hold the twine in place for a minute or two until the Mod Podge starts to dry. Make sure that the final rows of the twine don’t slip out of place while the end is drying.
There may be a little bit of Mod Podge left around the bottom of the jar. If there is, take a damp paper towel, and gently remove it.
Place a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and rub down the jars to remove any oil and other residue that got on them while you were twine wrapping.
Allow the jar to dry completely before adding any vintage elements.
A few tips for success twine wrapping glass jars
- Don’t apply Mod Podge to the entire jar at once. As you can see from my step-by-step twine wrapping pictures, Mod Podge dries very quickly. Even when you work fast, you’ll have to apply more every half an inch or so. Simply apply the Mod Podge as you go.
- Pause periodically to ensure that your rows are tight and even, adjusting the twine as needed. After every three or four rows, check your progress. Make adjustments as necessary, so your rows stay tight and even. Once the Mod Podge dries fully, it’s hard to make adjustments.
- Don’t force the twine to wrap further than its natural ending place. Once you’ve wrapped a few Oui jars, you’ll get a feel for the natural ending place for the twine, so it stays put and the final couple of rows don’t try to pull out of place. Don’t force wrapping beyond this spot.
- Take care not to let the twine get twisted up as you work. As with any DIY project that involves moving thread or twine in a repetitious movement, it’s easy for the twine to get twisted. Stop periodically to untwist your spool to prevent the twine from twisting up as you wrap it on the jar.
Finally, if needed, cut out thick, gnarly sections of the twine and restart your wrapping to ensure tight, even rows. Depending on the type of twine you’re using, you may occasionally run into a thick, gnarly section that will warp your rows. I’ve found that it’s better to cut it out and restart the twine wrapping than try to make it work. I’m showing you a close-up example of stopping and restarting the twine. When done carefully, no one will ever be able to tell that this break is there.
Decorating twine-wrapped jars with vintage-inspired details
Once you’ve finished twine wrapping your jars, you’re ready to add vintage-inspired details. I recommend laying out your vintage and vintage-inspired materials and experimenting with different configurations until you’re happy with all of your jars. Then start cutting your ribbons and lace and gluing your materials.
I used tacky glue to secure all of my lace, ribbon, and buttons to my twine-wrapped jars. For ribbons and lace, apply a thin line or a couple of thin lines of glue all the way around the jar. Wind your lace or ribbon into place. Then add a small dab of glue to the end of the lace or ribbon. Hold it in place on the jar for a minute or two until the glue starts to dry.
I strongly recommend lining up the ends of the lace and ribbon with the ends of the twine, so that none of them will show when you face the jars forward.
Individual jars
I’m sharing each jar in more detail, so you can see them up close and get more information about the exact materials that I used.
I absolutely love this vintage-inspired lace ribbon from Michaels. It’s available in five colors. I love the pairing of the white twine with the blue lace ribbon and didn’t feel like this jar needed anything else.
I’ve been using Michael’s faux burlap with lace edge for years. The faux burlap is also available with blue and pink lace edging. I’ve never gotten over pairing it with a 1/8″ ribbon. I used this same look for twine-wrapped Easter eggs and sheet music Easter eggs as well as cardstock Easter eggs.
All of the lace that I used for these two jars is from this vintage-inspired lace set. Every single lace in the set is beautiful, and you get enough to make as many projects as you could ever imagine. I also used 1/4″ white ric rac. There are endless ways you can pair lace, ric rac, and burlap to create different vintage-inspired aesthetics.
You may or may not know that I’m crazy about buttons. I’ve had this vintage set in my collection for ages and was so happy to put a few of them to use on this little jar.
Baby food jars examples
I wanted to share a few more vintage-inspired twine-wrapped jars using other types of glass jars. As I have an abundance of baby food jars right now from my daughter Olivia, that’s what I used here.
I used a 1 1/2″ faux burlap with lace edging from Michaels for one of my larger Gerber jars. As both the Oui yogurt jars and the larger Beech-Nut jars are slightly larger at the bottom than the top, this wider burlap is a better fit for jars like the larger Gerber jars that are the same width all the way around.
I’m pretty sure that I got this narrow burlap ribbon with white polka dots at Michaels. Unfortunately, I can’t find an exact listing for this product at this time. Any sort of 3/8″ burlap ribbon or cotton twill ribbon will work well.
I’m absolutely crazy about this set of vintage buttons from MellowMoonSupply. Lynda’s shop has been one of my go-to resources for buttons for many years. She always has great bulk button lots and a variety of unique vintage sets.
I did one more version of the faux burlap with lace edge, this time in pink, paired with a 1/8″ ribbon, this time in pale green. Generally, Michaels doesn’t have 1/8″ ribbons listed on their website. But you can always find lots of them in store.
I finished off the baby jars set with another vintage-inspired lace ribbon, this time in cream.
I want to make the twine-wrapped jars, but I don’t have any Oui yogurt jars. Will other small glass jars work?
You can always find listings for Oui jars on Etsy and eBay. Local buy/sell and freecycle groups can also be a good source for acquiring recycled jars. If you don’t see any jars listed, you can put out your own request.
Other small glass jars work well, too. I share examples with baby food jars in this post, too. Small mason jars are also a good option.
What can I do with my new vintage-inspired twine-wrapped Oui yogurt jars?
Decorated Oui yogurt jars make beautiful decor on their own. You can also use them for a wide variety of purposes, including but not limited to the following.
- Vases. Twine-wrapped jars make the most whimsical vases. This past spring, I created pastel vases filled with faux cherry blossoms. You can customize this concept for any season or holiday. I love twine-wrapped vases as a centerpiece for bridal and baby showers and weddings.
- Planters. Similarly, twine-wrapped jars are ideal for small planters for either faux or real plants. Herbs and succulents are both perfect for Oui jars, as they thrive well in smaller containers. Twine-wrapped planters make beautiful gifts for teachers, housewarming parties, and much more.
- Candle holders. One of the most popular ways to use upcycled Oui jars is to make soy or beeswax candles in them. DIY candles are another perfect gift option and can be sold at craft fairs and online. Candle-making supplies are affordable and readily available.
- Storage containers. You can use Oui jars for storing everything from bathroom essentials to office supplies to craft supplies. While plain jars get the job done, decorated jars add to the aesthetic of the space, which is nice when they’re in a more visible area.
Are you planning to use your twine-wrapped glass jars in other ways? I’d love to hear about it!
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Did you make the vintage-inspired twine-wrapped Oui yogurt jars?
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