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Making your own affirmation jar is a fun, creative way to make a positive change in your life. The best part is that it only takes 5 simple steps to get started!
Plus, this project is pretty versatile – you can use any type of jar or container you like and decorate it and your affirmations cards however you want.
So get ready to start filling up your affirmation jar with all of your favorite positive thoughts and feelings!
In this blog post, I’ll show you how to make your own affirmation jar, what affirmations to include, and how to use it for positive change in your life.
P.S. If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out our blog post on affirmations – it’s got tips on how to create effective affirmations and how to make the most out of them. Or you can find some printable affirmation cards ready to use in your jar here.
What Is An Affirmation Jar?
An affirmation jar is a simple tool that can help you focus on positive thinking and manifesting your goals.
The idea is to fill a jar with slips of paper, each containing an affirmation or positive thought. The affirmations can be anything from “My dreams are within my grasp.” to “I am valued for who I am.” to “I have the strength to face my fears.”
Whenever you need a pick-me-up, you can reach into the jar and pull out a slip of paper to read. This helps to train your brain to focus on positive thoughts and keeps your goals top of mind.
How Does An Affirmation Jar Work?
The idea behind the affirmation jar is that we’re constantly bombarded with negative messages. These messages can come from the media, our families, our friends, or even our own self-doubt.
An affirmation jar helps counter those negative messages by giving you a daily dose of positivity. As when you read your affirmations out loud, it helps to quiet the negative voice in your head and allows you to focus on what’s important.
Affirmations can be a huge boon to your mental wellness and mindset, even without making an affirmation jar.
Choose Your Materials For Making Your Affirmation Jar
Before we start with how to make an affirmation jar, you’ll want to ensure you have all the materials you need. Below is a list of suggestions and tips to consider:
A Jar
You can use a mason jar or any other type of jar with a lid. Places like the Dollar Tree or similar can be great places to look while keeping costs down.
Alternatively, you could use a box or any other spare container around your home.
In particular empty tins and cases from gifts or Christmas sweets can be a pretty substitute that will save you the effort of decorating if it’s not really your type of thing.
Construction Paper Or Cardstock
You’ll want to consider what type of paper to use for your affirmations. Ideally, you’ll want paper that’s sturdy enough for cutting, folding, and shuffling around in a jar.
You can choose to keep things simple and use what paper you have available. Or you can invest in some nice construction paper or card to make your affirmation jar look special.
For example, you might choose a few different colors of cardstock or a textured paper you really like.
Writing Tools
For writing out your affirmations, most people use markers or pens. However, you could also get creative with paints if it’s something you already have lying around the house. Or you could even try some calligraphy using fountain pens.
If you want to skip coming up with affirmations, writing and decorating them. You could also use a printer to print some done-for-you affirmation cards instead.
Other ideas you could use are:
- Different colored inks
- Glitter pens
- Metallic markers
- Colored pencils
Decorative Supplies
Depending on how elaborate you’d like your affirmation jar to be, you could consider decorating it with things like:
- Craft paper
- Ribbons and bows
- Beads
- Stickers
- Glitter glue
- Feathers or charms
- Washi Tape
- Marbles or colored stones
- Glass paint
- 3D Pen
- Sequins
- Or any other type of craft material you have lying around from other projects
Scissors
You’ll need a pair of scissors to cut your paper into smaller strips. Alternatively, you can use a paper cutter for bigger projects.
Ruler
A ruler is helpful for making sure your strips of paper are cut to the same size and straight. You can also use it to add your own guidelines to your affirmation paper with a pencil to keep your writing straight that you can then rub out once any ink is dry.
Once you have all your supplies ready, the next step is deciding on your affirmations.
Choose What Affirmations To Include In Your Affirmation Jar
No affirmation jar would be complete without the actual affirmations. You can come up with your own or use affirmations that resonate with you from lists created by others. Such as:
You could even mix in some inspirational quotes that you like to add your own twist.
When choosing your affirmations, go with ones that feel empowering and uplifting to you. Also, be mindful of the length of your affirmations; they’ll need to fit on whatever card size you use for your jar.
Oh, and don’t worry too much about how many affirmations you need. While it doesn’t hurt to set a goal for how many cards you’d like in your jar. One of the great things about using an affirmation jar is that it’s super flexible.
You can always add more affirmations if you find something new that jumps out. Or even remove affirmations that don’t work or no longer fit in with your goals over time.
How To Make An Affirmation Jar From Scratch
Once you have all the materials and your affirmations picked out, it’s time to learn how to make an affirmation jar of your very own:
1. Print out your affirmation cards (optional)
If you’ve decided to use printable affirmation cards to save time and simplify the design process, then you can go ahead and print them out ready.
You can use printable affirmation cards from our shop if you need ideas.
2. Cut your paper into strips, squares Or Other Shapes
If using construction paper or cardstock, you will need to cut the paper down to size. I recommend cutting the strips into 2″ x 3″ rectangles or 8.5 x 8.5cm squares.
If you want to get precise, use a ruler and pencil to mark out the rectangles before cutting.
Alternatively, another fun idea you can try is cutting out some heart shapes, which you can later write onto and then fold in half for your jar. They look especially cute when done with a variety of pink-colored papers. Plus, it won’t really matter if they end up in various sizes.
Really, you can choose any size or shape to cut your cards. Just be mindful that you’ll want them to fit in your jar or container.
3. Write your affirmations out on the paper Cards
(You can skip this step if you’re going for printed affirmation cards with the text already written for you.)
You can choose how elaborate or minimal you want to make this part, but I recommend having fun with it and thinking of ways you could make each affirmation card unique. Each card will then be that more meaningful for you.
For example, if using markers, you could try using different colors for each affirmation. Or you could add some stickers as another example.
4. Decorate your affirmation jar or alternative container (optional)
If desired, take some time to decorate and personalize your jar. This step is completely optional but adds a nice finishing touch to your affirmation jar.
Use any craft and decoration materials you gathered earlier, and have fun!
5. Gather the affirmations and fill up your jar
Now that you have all your affirmations ready, it’s time to start filling up your jar with them!
I recommend starting by laying out how they might fit within the container before dropping them in so that you can get a better idea of how they might look when in place. For example, you might decide to fold them, roll them or keep them flat.
Once you’re happy with how they fit, start filling up the jar slowly and carefully, one affirmation at a time. Put the lid back on, and that’s it! You now have your own personal affirmation jar ready to go.
Tips For How To Use Your Affirmation Jar
Now that you’ve learned how to make an affirmation jar and used the steps above to create your own. It’s time to start putting it to work so it can make a positive change in your life!
Here are some tips to get you started:
Read Through Your Affirmations Regularly
As often as possible, take some time to read through some of the affirmations in your jar. This will help to keep your goals top of mind and train your brain to focus on positive thoughts.
In fact, try making it a habit to read through all the affirmations in the jar at least once a month. After all, there was a reason you wanted to include them in your jar in the first place.
Keep It Somewhere Visible
Place your affirmation jar in a spot where you’ll see it daily. Such as on your desk at work, in your bedroom, or on the kitchen counter. This way, it’s always within easy reach when you need it most.
Reach For A Slip Whenever You Need A Pick-Me-Up
Whenever you’re feeling down or doubting yourself, reach into your affirmation jar and pull out a slip of paper. Take a deep breath and read through the affirmation slowly several times. Believe the words that you’re reading and let them sink in deeply.
Combine It With Other Activities
Find an activity you can combine with your affirmation jar to shake things up or to help you make it more of a daily habit.
It might be part of your morning routine, just before going to bed, part of your meditation routine, or something you include while journaling – whatever works best for you.
Don’t Be Afraid To Change Things Up!
If you feel something needs a shift in your life or your affirmation jar doesn’t feel like it’s giving you the results you want. Try changing how often you use your jar, how many affirmations you read each time, or even adding or removing some of the affirmations.
Track How You Feel When Using Them
How did the affirmation make you feel? Was it helpful or validating in some way? Or does it feel difficult?
Take note of how you feel so you can refer back to it when needed. In fact, you might find this is a perfect opportunity to practice self-awareness and include things in a journal. (#)
Share Your Affirmations Jar With Others
If there’s an affirmation that resonates particularly strongly with you, don’t be afraid to share it! Talking about and hearing others’ opinions can help you process and expand your perspectives.
Heck, you might even want to try getting them to use the jar too. This way, you can share your experiences more deeply or help them discover some of the benefits of affirmations for themselves.
Making your own affirmation jar is an excellent way to practice self-love and care. (#) It’s easy and fun to make, and it can be a great tool for helping you connect with how you’re feeling on the inside. Give it a go and see how it works for you!
