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Mason Jar College Survival Kit

 Is your favorite young person leaving for college? Here’s a fun little mason jar DIY college survival kit that has many little essentials that they might need in a pinch.

college survival kits in green mason jars on brick hearth

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College Survival Kit

Friday is move-in day for my college freshman. She’s so excited and also a little anxious. What a great time for a young person…a brand new chapter in their life. They can reinvent themselves if they choose, make lots of new friends, learn to live (somewhat) independently, and gain all kinds of new knowledge.

My husband and I of course have mixed emotions about it all, but it’s a good thing overall. We raise them to be independent, thinking young adults who make good choices. We hope that they’ll not only survive but thrive when they fly the coop!

green mason jar survival kit for college

Anyway, I had told my daughter earlier in the summer that I wanted to make some kind of college survival kit for her and her college-bound friends, who are sometimes referred to by me as my other kids.

These kids young people have been a part of our lives for 8+ years now and are like family. They’ve been at our home for sleepovers, weekday lunches, parties, and more. I would adopt any of them any day of the week.

I put together a little something to help out my “other daughters” and my own daughter in minor emergencies. And don’t worry, I’m also giving some things to our favorite college-bound young men, but the ingredients are slightly different and the packaging isn’t quite as cute, of course. 🙂

Even though they will be on their own for getting up and getting to class on time, making sure their laundry is caught up, and many other things, there might be times when they need something to help out in a pinch. 

Hence the college survival kit.

green mason jar survival kits

COLLEGE SURVIVAL KIT FOR GIRLS: 

Click on any bold  item for multi packs that are priced great. Or see the whole group of items in a collection here: College Survival Kit items

You can customize the kits with anything you think might be needed. And spend as little or as much as you want. It’s truly the thought that counts.

college student survival kit items

My high school freshman daughter helped me pick out the supplies and the scrapbook paper. She has excellent taste and knows exactly what her older sister and her friends like. 

mason jars being made into college student survival kits

We cut circles out of the scrapbook paper and glued them to the lid, but these Mason Jars are pretty all by themselves.

diy mason jar college student survival kit

We arranged all of the supplies inside the jars including a list of the contents. Then we attached a chalkboard gift tag with some twine.

The mini lint rollers wouldn’t fit inside the pint jars so I taped them to the outside. In case you’re wondering, I had my oldest daughter do the writing. She loves to write and draw and is really good with things like that. Both of my daughters are!

Similar chalkboard tags can be found here: Chalkboard Gift Tags

I hope the girls like them or at least appreciate them! I know I would have loved something like this when I lived in the dorm MANY years ago!

Here are the things that my daughter says she couldn’t have survived without in college:

College Essentials – What you really need while you’re away at college

college student sitting at desk

Need ideas for a fun graduation party including a photo booth? Visit this post for some tips:

Graduation Party Ideas including Fun Photo Booth

Thanks so much for dropping by! 

58 Comments

    1. I've never done any canning but my mom has for decades. She says it's super easy!

    1. I love those mason jar soap dispensers too. Gonna have to add that to my to-do list!

  1. I would love to learn how to make my mother's bread and butter pickles and her peach jam. Wouldn't the pickles look lovely in the green jars?

  2. I just received my great aunt's green tomato relish and piccalilli recipe! She used to send them to everyone each Christmas. Now that she can't I am hoping I can take on the tradition.

  3. This is such a wonderful giveaway… thanks for hosting it! If I won, I'd make salsa, pickled peppers, and pickles in the jars. My garden is providing delicious veggies, but I don't have enough jars to keep up with it.

  4. This is such a great idea! I just love the idea of sending a little help and comfort to college students. My daughter will be a senior in high school this year. I love the idea of making this for her next year. I'd use the jars for crafts and gardening.

  5. With figs in season I make a port wine fig jam that my husband loves. I also make my own homemade spice mix which I give as Christmas gifts.

  6. My guy and I plant a pretty big garden for just the two of us and we can a lot of it so that's what I'd probably use them for. More specifically sauerkraut. I hate to use the vintage anniversary jars to actually can in but we need them! I love all the ideas I read about especially your college idea, the sewing kit, first aid kit, etc…..I just love a ball jar for anything!

  7. I am a beginner, but love to try make crafty gift ideas with Mason Jars. I would like to make some fun Fall Halloween and Christmas gifties

  8. I'd use the jars for Christmas gifts. Doing something like the college survival kit, but with winter items – tissues, cough drops, chapstick, etc.

  9. I would use the gorgeous green jars in my art studio to hold brushes, markers, colored pencils, beads …

  10. Love this idea, my Grandson is heading to college next month. Plus, I never have enough mason jars, they're handy for so many things!

  11. Every year for the holidays i give gifts in a jar to those special friends that I want to remember with a little homemade gift. One year it was hot cocoa mix, another mocha mix, then there was yummy soup mix and this year I'm still trying to decide. These green Ball jars will be perfect for what I decide to give this year. I'll fill them, add a pretty red or white bow and deliver them with my family. Can't wait!

  12. Every year I give a homemade gift in a jar to special friends. One year it was hot cocoa mix, another year it was soup mix, then there was the year of the mocha mix and last year it was cookie mix. These green Ball jars will be perfect for this year's gift. I can't wait to fill them, add a beautiful red or white bow and deliver them with my family on Christmas Eve.

  13. Ooooooh! So many ideas floating around in my head. I would like to make a "Crafting Emergency kit." I'd put in some blank cards or tags, some colored pencils, a tiny set of alphabet stamps, a tiny ink pad, scraps of fun paper and various stickers, a glue stick and a pair of scissors. Sometimes, you just have to do something creative!! 😉

  14. I would love to use them for Upcoming holiday gifts, like cake in a jar, or hot chocolate gifts and for canning the rest of what's coming in from the garden!

  15. I would like to do some canning with my mother, and the other supplies would male some great teacher gifts! !

  16. I do a lot of canning each year, I really want to try spiced pears this year. We have a great farmers market that has beautiful pears right now.

  17. Right now, make Scuppernong Jam for Christmas presents. Love the college survival kits idea, would like to do some of those too.

  18. my grammas recipe for sweet pickles is my favorite thing to can. They would look great in the vintage jars!

  19. I would pickle okra in some of the jars and make outdoor solar light fixtures with some of them. I 'd make survival mugs for my grandchildren's teachers. The infuser and sip/drink straws and lids would make nice additions to Christmas stockings this Christmas!

  20. This week I've made spicy salsa, tomatillo salsa, spicy bloody mary mix, pickled peppers and bread & butter pickles.
    But I think I would use the lovely green jars for pantry storage, since I sometimes don't get my jars back from people when I give them canned goods.

  21. My daughter has identical twin boys and for their first birthday we are going to combine the blue and green ball jars and use for drinking by adding lids and cute straws. Also will use for treats to send home with the mamas of all the "friends" that will be attending! Would love to win these!!

  22. Love using mason jars, especially for canning (which has consummed me the last couple of weeks). I would love to fill these babies with delicious homemade salsa over the next couple of weeks as my tomatoes and peppers are winding down. Thanks for the chance to win!

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