Come one, come all! It’s a circus-themed party and you’re invited. Join us for a birthday celebration and try the kettle corn and animal crackers if you dare. You will have to pass by the mighty beasts that grace and prowl the circus: lions, elephants, giraffes, gorillas, camels…and a moose? Sorry, that one was just for fun.
Fun is what this project is all about; gluing animals on to mason jar lids that can be used as serving containers for snacks or as favors for guests. Imagine these filled to the brim with circus-themed toys like animals, tops, and trains. The children that attend the party will enjoy the goodies inside as much as the festive container.
- Mason jars with snap lids and rings, or plastic one-piece lids
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Plastic animals like these ones used in this project
- Small scissors or box cutter
- Spray Paint for metal and plastic (Krylon Fusion in Patriotic Blue and Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2x in Satin Green Apple)
- If you are using snap lids and rings, you will need to glue them together. Run a bead of glue on the top inside of the ring and press the snap lid in. You can flip the lid either way you like. I think it looked best put together as they are intended. Another option is to use one-piece plastic lids intended for mason jars.
- Glue the feet of a plastic animal to the center of the lid. This project looks best when the animals are 2"-2.5" long. Larger ones dwarf the lid, smaller ones get lost. When the glue is dry, cut the glue strings off and clean up the edges.
- Use spray paint meant to cover multiple materials to cover the lid and animal. I tried both Krylon Fusion and Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2x brands. The Krylon Fusion provided more coverage with a lighter spray and a much more detailed final look.
- Spray a light coat of paint and allow to dry before applying another. It may take 2-3 coats for full coverage.
- Fill jars with snacks or toys and top with lids for a "Grand Spectacular" party favor. Step right up! Step right up!


Used In This Project:
- Large Labels • I chose the “Circus” style in pale green.
- Envelope Seal Labels • I chose the “Circus” style in pale green.
- Oval Hang Tags • I chose the “Circus” style in pale green.
- Scallop Hang Tags • I chose the “Circus” style in pale green.
More Kid-Friendly Gift Ideas:
Circus Animal Cookie Favors A Dinomite Birthday Party Winter Sleepover Party Favors Sidewalk Chalk
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These are so fun! Great idea.
This is a brilliant idea. You could even alter it slightly for kids parties like having a dinosaur theme or toy soldiers or … just about anything. Looking at the websites you mentioned I seen that you can even put photos on the labels. Fabulous idea.