Easy Homemade Chalkboard Labels For 2-Part Canning Lids

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

I store lots of dehydrated food in my pantry. Chalkboard labels would make it easier to read the contents of jars on the shelves. I didn’t want to buy them, and luckily I didn’t have to. You’re not gonna believe how easy this is to make chalkboard labels for canning jars yourself for CHEAP. #UseWhatchaGot! 

I wanted chalkboard labels for the top of my storage jars. But I found a way to make them myself for CHEAP! #TexasHomesteader

(Note: Some links in this post will take you to other related articles for further information. But links preceded with * are affiliate links. If you click and buy something I could receive a tiny commission.)

Dehydrated Food In Glass Jars

I love to dehydrate food. My pantry is filled with gleaming jars of dehydrated produce. I’ve got:

Sliced and diced dehydrated carrots,

Dried onions, both sliced & diced,

Pumpkin powder,

Dehydrated blueberries,

Shredded and diced dehydrated potatoes

and more! (see all my dehydrating posts below).


Save money by dehydrating food. #TexasHomesteader

I wanted chalkboard labels for the top of my storage jars. But I found a way to make them myself for CHEAP! #TexasHomesteader

Pretty much anything I’ve grown in my garden I’ve dehydrated at some point.

I’ve turned into quite the dehydrating queen since obtaining my *Excalibur Dehydrator.

Heck those 9 huge trays let me dehydrate so much more than I ever could before! 

When that produce is dehydrated I place it in clean jars in the pantry. For easy identification I wanted to have chalkboard labels for my jars.

Reusable Labels For Jar Fronts

I’d previously bought these reusable *chalkboard labels for the fronts of the jars. They look great and are reusable.

And better still, when that jar of dehydrated food is empty I simply wipe off the text and use the chalkboard pen write the new contents of the jar. Now that’s efficient!  LOL

Reusable Chalkboard labels are helpful for labeling glass jars of food in my pantry. #TexasHomesteader

But when they’re all placed on the pantry shelf, it’s sometimes hard to see what’s contained in the jars behind those in the front row.

I needed a way to easily label the top of the jar when needed. That way I could see over the jars in front & still know the contents of the jars behind them.

You could easily buy *Chalkboard Labels For Jar Tops.  But I wondered…  can I do that myself?

A Chalkboard Lid DIY Challenge

Instead of buying the pre-made chalkboard labels I thought about buying *Chalkboard Paint. I figured I could use it to paint the lid flats. Then using chalk I could label the contents of the jars. 

While it’s true that would make it much easier to see the contents of the jars behind the first row, I hated to buy any paint. Questions ran through my mind.

Would I be able to use it all before it went bad? Or is this yet another item that will get purchased, partially used and then have to be disposed at a hazardous waste event?

The desire for pantry organization just couldn’t reconcile with that eco-voice in my head.

But wait, I’ve got an idea. You know how bright ideas are, sometimes that’s a good thing & sometimes…

No?  Just me?  (eh hemmm…) Moving on.

Make Your OWN Chalkboard Labels

I got a piece of black construction paper and traced the flat lid shape onto it and cut out the circle shape.

Then I placed it on the flat part of the lid, topped it with a screw-on ring and gave it a try. It was perfect and made identifying contents in the back rows easier.

Notice how hard it is to read the other tape labels in back rows?

OK, ok, don’t act like you’re not secretly jealous of my uppity duct-tape labels. If you work hard, go to school & study maybe you too can have such niceties. LOL

I wanted chalkboard labels for the top of my storage jars. But I found a way to make them myself for CHEAP! #TexasHomesteader

But the lid marking of the carrots in the second row is much easier to read than a piece of tape marking the lid of some of the other jars.

Of course not all of my storage jars are canning jars so I’ll need to think about a solution for those repurposed jars not using a 2-part lid.

Although it’s apparent that I need to practice my spacing and/or sharpen my chalk (eh hemmmm…), it worked great.

I don’t always use canning jars to store dehydrated goods but when I do this will be my go-to addition in labeling. And no money spent. SCORE!

Use Whatcha Got, y’all.

~TxH~

Other ‘Use Whatcha Got’ Ideas

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7 thoughts on “Easy Homemade Chalkboard Labels For 2-Part Canning Lids

  1. Evelyn Edgett

    Well, I don’t have any black construction paper right now, but I DO have duct tape, and I think you’re brilliant for using it as a label too. I have a few different colors, so they might stand out better then the silver. You give great ideas even when you’re talking about something else.

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Aren’t you sweet as peaches, Evelyn. And good for YOU for your ‘Use Whatcha Got’ solution! ~TxH~

      Reply
  2. Nancy

    I’ve seen sidewalk chalk in the shape of crayons, maybe they would work until the pointy end wears down.

    Reply
  3. Mrs Shoes

    I’ve never really thought about dehydrating, as I’ve always canned. But, I find I don’t enjoy the task so much as I did when I was younger; cooking in summer… so hot. While your post is about labels, I think you’ve actually convinced me to try dehydrating my next garden!

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      Careful Mrs Shoes – it’s addictive! But now, during the cold winter months, is where those dehydrated veggies really shine. I absolutely love warm soups on a cold day and I enjoy the bounty from my garden. Plus when they’re dehydrated they take up so little space in the pantry and no additional energy to store like they would if I had to have them in the freezer or fridge. Oh yeah, I love it! ~TxH~

      Reply
  4. Brenda

    Walmart has a spray cb paint for under5$. I’ve had a can for about 5 yrs. I spray lids, fronts of shelves, shop cabinet doors (handy for keeping track of cut lists for woodworking), etc.

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      That’s where I was headed when my DIY pain failed, Brenda – to Walmart to just purchase the paint. I knew it would be cheap but was also pretty sure this was the only thing I’d use it on. But black construction paper worked beautifully, I’m so thrilled with it. And FREE? Oh yeah, that’s in my budget. #UseWhatchaGot ~TxH~

      Reply

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