DIY Star Wars Rememberlutions/Memories Jar for 2015

When the end of the year rolls around - and it will before we know it - it can be all too easy to beat up on yourself for everything you didn't get done. I scrambled at the end of 2014 to cross a couple of goals off my list, but I still felt like a loser for missing the mark on others. And I shouldn't. I worked hard, I tried new things, and I added a lot to the "WIN" column of life last year. Because our brains tend to forget about all the positive and focus on the negative, it's a great idea to keep track of all your accomplishments and happy moments and you can make it extra fun by crafting a "rememberlutions" jar, also known as a memories jar.

BuzzFeed posted a how-to for rememberlutions jars, and a friend sent the link around to our girl gang (we're going to have jackets made one of these days) and suggested we make them. Is the idea of a memory jar cheesy? Maybe a little, but I don't care because I'm already looking forward to opening up the jar next December. Speaking of my jar, here's the finished product:

I know. You're all shocked that I tied it in to Star Wars. I made a giant label because I wanted to cover up the one already there (I upcycled a jar of salsa), and it says "Great, kid! Get cocky." It's a reminder to myself that it's okay to pat yourself on the back from time to time. I used Mod Podge to seal the label once it was applied.

I painted the lid with a few coats of black acrylic paint and then used a white gel pen to draw on stars. I had an extra Millennium Falcon Micro Machine lying about (I have a problem when it comes to Star Wars miniatures) and I hot glued the tiny ship to the top of the lid.

As for all that glitter, well, I might regret my decision to put glitter on the inside of the jar when it's time to open it next year. I used my finger to smear a thin coat of Mod Podge wherever I wanted the glitter to stick, poured in the glitter, swirled it around, and dumped out the excess. I accidentally dumped some of it into my lap and will undoubtedly be finding silver glitter on my desk chair for months to come.

For the finishing touches I glued a black ribbon around the neck of the jar and cut some stars from black craft foam. You can tell I freehanded it because the stars are all lopsided. Once I hot glued the stars on, I dabbed on some Mod Podge and added glitter because I just really like glitter.

Once the glitter, glue, and paint were all dry, I wrote down a couple of great things about 2015 so far and added them to my memories jar.

My favorite part about this project is that you can decorate your jar with whatever you want. We had a cute Groot jar in our group with Groot inside the jar, a jar with Darth Vader wearing a pearl necklace, and one decorated with Hello Kitty, Sailor Mars, and Pinkie Pie.

Here's what you need to make your own rememberlutions/memory jar:
Any ol' jar
Your choice of craft supplies like glitter, stickers, pom pom balls, googly eyes, feathers, ribbon, paint, puff paint, paper, etc.
Pictures you print from the web or cut-outs from magazines or comics
Hot glue
Mod Podge (I always seem to need Mod Podge and not just because I love the smell)

You can do anything to your jar that makes you happy. Add your favorite quote, your favorite character, and whatever decorations you want. You'll be looking it all year long so pick a design you won't tire of seeing. Visit Pinterest if you need some memory jar inspiration.

Then, whenever anything great happens to you - and it will - write it on a piece of paper and add it to the jar and include the date. Write down all accomplishments or exciting moments - big or small. Examples: "I built a new database for work," "I sold my first feature length article to a magazine," "I cataloged all my books and didn't cry." You get the idea.

If you end up making a memory jar, please send me a picture on Twitter.