Wedding Blog
Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m not talking about a certain effect on the male anatomy (much to Mr Trail Mix’s relief :). Nope, I’m talking about blue Ball mason jars!
I went to the Chelsea Flea Market today with bridesmaid J, looking for a pair of earrings to go with a dress I’m wearing for a wedding in two weeks. J is a photo editor at a major (seriously major) magazine, and her taste is impeccable, so I’ve been using her as a sounding board for wedding decor ideas. We’d tossed around several concepts for centerpiece containers, including mismatched yellow and blue vases (too expensive, even going the flea market/thrift store route) and clear glass vases (too traditional), before finally settling on blue and/or clear mason jars. I was using this as my visual inspiration (ignore the lilacs, I’ll be using yellow and white flowers):
So guess what we stumbled upon today at the flea market? I’ll give you a hint:
Yup, a whole lot of blue Ball mason jars. I can’t take credit for the find, J is the one who frantically called my cell phone, saying to come up to the upstairs floor of the flea market IMMEDIATELY. Thinking she had found me some earrings, I excitedly headed upstairs. Instead, she pointed to an entire shelf of my dream centerpiece containers. Between the 3 different sizes (all pictured here, taken by moi), there were a total of 17 jars, which I purchased for $40 total! I can’t believe I got such a great deal on these. I’ve seen them sell for upwards of $10 dollars each, so paying less than $3 each is a bargain. Here’s another shot of my pretties:
I love the light blue glass and the country connotation behind these. I’m thinking the flowers will be a very loose, organic mix of yellow and white blooms that evoke a wildflower feel. I can’t wait to see how it looks on the tables. I’ll definitely have to play around and post pictures of ideas for the centerpiece flowers. Buying these was such a rush, since it’s one more step towards making our vision for the wedding come true.
P.S.- Just for fun, here are the earrings I bought at the flea market today as well, a total steal at $5!
I’m wearing a beautiful, navy blue silk wrap dress with bronze shoes. I think these will complete the outfit perfectly. Hooray for flea markets!
Anyone else had a thrift store or flea market score?
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Share this post: A Case of Blue Balls…
Wow, what a steal! Those babies are so expensive, usually. Just remember–don’t put any candles in them, unless you want exploding jars on your hands!
Ohhh! I love thrift store finds! I haven’t done any thrift store shopping for wedding items yet, but its just a matter of time!
I looooooove blue mason jars! And yes, you found a major deal on those. What a great find!
wow! you got soooo lucky!
I’m collecting blue ball jars for our wedding too- and 17 for $40 is a total steal! good job!
Can’t wait to see how they look with white/yellow flowers!
Oh wow, that’s so great!! I went to the flea market and walked away with NOTHING. Clearly we don’t have the same types of flea markets here.
What a steal, I wish I could go scavenging, but it’d be too hard to get everything to Texas.
If you want to sell these to me after your wedding, I would love to buy them! They are great! I’m looking to do something along the same lines, maybe with baby’s breath and twine bows.
It still amazes me that these are so popular…and expensive! They’re ubiquitous in my area because it’s old farming country. In fact, my parents have a basement full of vintage glass jars, including about a dozen blue Balls. Can you say ‘free centerpieces?’ 
Good job on finding cheap ones!
Ooooh, pretty! And such a great deal. Your earrings will look fab with your navy blue dress, too!
We are using mason jars as well. I have not had flea market success because I have not really looked. My mother found two cases of them at my great grandfathers house a few months ago, after he passed away. My mother was extremely close to him and my great grandmother who passed away some time ago, and they left a lot to her. I loved my great grandfather so much. He was in his 90s, still had all his memory, lived alone, was an amazing wood worker and was still teaching classes. I am honored to use several things that belonged to them on my big day since they will not be there, and it is special to my mother as well.
Yey!!! Love the beautiful jars and your gorgeous earring finds! I love flea markets and plunder parlor type stores!
Wow! That’s great!!! They look really cool! The earrings are quite pretty too!!
Great finds! I recently got an awesome vintage Chanel scarf at a flea market for $8!
I am hunting for Blue Balls too!! I found a bunch of them at an antique shop this summer for $2 a piece. I also found about 15 in my grandmother’s basement 
@tbk041710:
Thats sooooo sweet to be using something of your grandfather’s in his memory, love it!
I’m still on the hunt for about another 5-10 blue mason jars, so there may be a part 2 of this post!
Those are wonderful! I hope I have your luck finding them! And thanks for the tip about not putting candles in them- I had no idea!
I’ve been ALL over the flea markets in Philly. I’ve found some amazing steals in the jewelry department - seriously amazing. I even bought a veil! It was exactly what I wanted and had never been worn. My mom thinks I’m so crazy - but I’m saving some serious cash (and having fun with it :o))
One thing I’ve been looking for and haven’t found - blue mason jars :o( Your inspiration pic is almost exactly like mine! Congrats on your find! I think I might have to just end up ‘making’ my own following these instructions:http://bridalbuzz.blogspot.com/2009/01/glass-jars-turned-vintage.html
It’s so neat to be reading this on Weddingbee….I remember reading this post on your blog a little bit ago when you first found these…congrats again on becoming a bee!!
I too want to use the Ball mason jars- clear and blue. Can’t wait to see what you do with them!
I just had my wedding and did our centerpieces with a mixture of milk glass & aqua mason jars. We used the real antiques on the tables with flowers, and we made some “faux” aqua mason jars to use on the ground with candles. They were each wrapped with a ribbon bow in all different colors and textures, and they turned out AWESOME. If anyone in Georgia wants to buy mine, please get in touch! They’re in my MILs basement in Atlanta - not sure how many there are exactly but probably 36 fake ones and at least 20 real ones.
Wow, how did I not even know these existed? Love those! And the earrings too!
wow those are great! they’re so crazy coveted these days. i hope if you don’t need them after your wedding, some lucky bride can get them too
I am using mason jars too but only clear ones. Those were a great find though. The earrings are steal.
We just found a lot of blue mason jars while cleaning out my Grandmother’s house (she moved to a nursing home so we get to go through everything she’s collected for the past however many years) and I was telling my mom to hold onto them for this reason!!
@Sweetdaisy: I am in Atlanta and would be interested in purchasing your antique blue mason jars!
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Miss Trail Mix, New York
Age and Occupation: 26, PE Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA Student
Engagement Date: March 2009
Wedding Date: June 2010
Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow School
About Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
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