Glass Jars

Glass jars are a simple way to bring color and character to a room, whether used for storage or as pure decoration. At Dims Studio you'll find glass jars and bonbonnieres in colorful, striped and patterned glass, all from the Danish brand EJA. The range spans from classic lidded bonbonnieres to storage jars in several color combinations, and what they all have in common is a playful, retro-inspired look. Here's a guide to types, colors, sizes and use, so you can find the right glass jar for your home.

Glass jars: how to choose

A glass jar is as much decoration as it is storage. Most models in the range have a lid and a colorful, often striped or patterned surface that makes the jar an eye-catcher whether it's full or empty. When choosing a jar, it can help to think in three steps: should it be used to store something specific, which color combination fits the rest of the room, and should it stand alone or be part of a combined arrangement of several jars.

If the jar will be used daily for candy, sweets or cookies, a lidded bonbonniere is an obvious choice. If it should instead hold jewelry, hair clips or other small items in the bathroom or bedroom, one of the smaller storage jars is a good choice, because it gathers the small items in one place without them being visibly scattered around the room.

Types of glass jars

The range at Dims Studio covers two main types: bonbonnieres and storage jars, both shaped with a distinctive, colorful lid and a decorative surface.

Bonbonnieres

A bonbonniere is a lidded glass jar originally intended for candy and sweets, but just as often used as pure decoration. The range has several bonbonnieres in striped glass, including mint and pink, orange and mint, and blue and light green, plus a few in patterned glass, such as the pale yellow patterned bonbonniere.

Storage jars

The storage jars share the same colorful look as the bonbonnieres, but are a bit more versatile in use. They come in several color combinations, including light green and pink, purple and yellow with stripes, and pink and blue. One of the jars has a pattern in pale yellow, pink and blue, making it one of the most colorful choices in the range.

Types compared

Type	Look	Typically used for	Examples
Bonbonnieres	Classic, retro-inspired	Candy, sweets, cookies	Bonbonniere in blue/pink, bonbonniere in pink/yellow
Storage jars	Versatile, colorful	Jewelry, hair clips, dry goods	Storage jar in light green and pink, storage jar in pink and blue

Colors and patterns

What especially characterizes the range is the many color combinations and patterns. Below we go through the main variants you'll come across in the collection.

Striped jars

Stripes are the most recurring pattern in the range. You'll find stripes in mint and pink, green and light mint, orange and mint, and purple and yellow. Striped jars give a playful and easily recognizable look, whether used alone or together with other jars.

Solid and two-tone colors

Several of the jars combine two solid colors without stripes, such as pink and blue, blue and pink, blue and light green, and pink and yellow. This type gives a somewhat calmer look than the striped models, but remains clearly colorful.

Patterned jars

A few jars have a distinct pattern rather than stripes or solid colors, such as the pale yellow patterned bonbonniere and the storage jar in pale yellow, pink and blue. These are often the most eye-catching in the range and work well as a standalone accent on the shelf.

Material: glass

All the jars in the range are made of glass, which allows for both transparency and color at the same time. The glass gives a light and elegant look, and because the colors are part of the glass itself or painted directly on the surface, they keep their look year after year with normal use.

How to care for your glass jar

• Wash the jar in lukewarm water with mild soap, and avoid scouring pads on the painted or colored surface.
• Always lift the jar by the base, not the lid, so the lid isn't overloaded.
• Avoid sudden temperature changes, e.g. pouring hot water into a jar just taken from the fridge.
• Dry the jar with a soft cloth so the colorful surface stays looking good for as long as possible.

Sizes and shapes

The jars in the range are generally a medium size, suited both to storage in a bathroom or on a shelf and to standing out on a coffee table or in the kitchen. The shape is round with a distinct, often dome-shaped lid, which is a big part of the jar's look and makes it easy to recognize, even when several jars stand together.

How to use glass jars at home

The glass jars can be used for far more than just storage, and their colorful look makes them well suited as decoration in almost every room.

In the bathroom

Use a smaller storage jar for cotton pads, hair clips, jewelry or other small items you'd like visible but gathered in one place.

In the kitchen

A bonbonniere on the kitchen or dining table is an obvious way to gather candy, sweets or cookies, while also working as decoration when it's empty.

In the living room

Fill a jar with colorful candy or dried flowers, and let it stand out as a colorful accent on a coffee table or shelf.

As a vase

Jars without a lid, or with the lid removed, can be used as a vase for smaller bouquets or single twigs, giving yet another use for the same jars.

Jars as a gift

A colorful glass jar is an obvious gift, because it's both decorative and ready to use straight away. Feel free to fill the jar with something personal, e.g. hand-picked candy or a small bouquet, before giving it away. Also see our selection of hostess gifts and housewarming gifts for more ideas.

The brand behind the jars

All the jars in the range are from EJA, a brand known for colorful, striped and patterned glass in a playful, retro-inspired look. EJA works with consistent color combinations across bonbonnieres and storage jars, making it easy to gather several matching jars, whether used individually or together as a combined arrangement. Also see our full selection from EJA.

Glass jars for the different rooms

Because the jars are both functional and decorative, they can be moved around the home depending on what they're needed for. Here are a few suggestions for where they work especially well.

The kitchen and dining room

In the kitchen, a bonbonniere is an obvious way to keep candy, sweets or small cookies organized, while also bringing color to an otherwise neutral kitchen table. Several jars in different sizes can also be used to separate different types of candy or snacks.

The bathroom

In the bathroom, the smaller storage jars are good for cotton pads, hair ties or jewelry you use daily. The colorful surface makes the jar itself part of the bathroom's decor, rather than just hiding in a cabinet.

The bedroom

On a vanity or nightstand, a glass jar can gather jewelry, hair clips or other small items you often need but don't want left out without some form of storage.

The living room

In the living room, the jars work well as part of a combined decoration on a coffee table or shelf, ideally filled with candy, dried flowers or other things that match the jar's colors.

Color combinations in the range

EJA works with a number of consistent color combinations that recur across bonbonnieres and storage jars. This makes it easy to find jars that match each other, even though they differ in shape and function.

Pink and blue

The combination of pink and blue recurs in several of the jars, both as stripes and as solid color blocks. It gives a fresh and playful look that suits both kitchen and bathroom.

Mint and pink

Mint and pink is a softer color combination, often used on the striped bonbonnieres. It works well in a lighter, more subdued home where you still want a clear touch of color.

Yellow, pink and blue

The most colorful combination in the range is yellow, pink and blue on the same jar, as seen on one of the patterned storage jars. This type of jar works well as a standalone eye-catcher, where it can stand alone without needing to be combined with other colors in the room.

Orange and mint

Orange and mint is one of the more contrasting combinations in the range and is seen on one of the striped bonbonnieres. The combination gives a bold and energetic look that suits especially well in a kitchen or living room with an otherwise calm color scheme.

How to combine several jars

Because the jars from EJA share the same base shape, they're easy to combine in a joint arrangement.

Mix colors freely

Since many of the jars already combine two or more colors, you can safely mix several jars with different color combinations without it looking cluttered. What they share is the same playful, retro-inspired style.

Keep one recurring color

If you want a calmer look, you can instead choose jars that share one recurring color, e.g. several jars with touches of pink or mint, and let the other color vary from jar to jar.

Change the contents with the season

Use the same jars all year round, but change the contents with the season, from summer's dried flowers to winter's candy and Christmas decorations. This way you can vary the look without investing in new tableware. A bonbonniere could, for example, be filled with pastel Easter candy in spring and small Christmas baubles or other decorations toward December, without the jar itself needing to be replaced.

The bonbonniere through time

The term bonbonniere originally comes from a small box or bowl used to serve confectionery and sweets in finer households. Today the word is used more broadly for any decorative lidded jar or bowl intended for candy, and the design has evolved from the originally very classic and formal to the more colorful and playful versions you find in EJA's range. What both the classic and modern bonbonnieres have in common is that they're as much about looking good on the table as about storing the contents.

Frequently asked questions about glass storage

Glass is one of the most commonly used materials for storage at home, because it's non-porous, easy to clean and doesn't absorb odors from its contents. A glass jar with a tight-fitting lid is therefore well suited to everything from dry goods and candy to jewelry and small items, where you'd like to see what the jar contains without having to open it.

Which glass jar should you choose?

Situation	Our recommendation
Candy and sweets on the kitchen table	A bonbonniere, e.g. in blue/pink or pink/yellow
Jewelry and hair clips in the bathroom	A smaller storage jar, e.g. in pink and blue
A colorful eye-catcher in the living room	A striped jar in mint and pink or orange and mint
As much color play as possible at once	The patterned jar in pale yellow, pink and blue
A gift for someone who loves color	A bonbonniere filled with candy or a small bouquet
A vase for a single twig	One of the storage jars without a lid

Frequently asked questions about glass jars

What is a bonbonniere?

A bonbonniere is a lidded glass jar originally intended for candy and sweets, but often also used as pure decoration on the kitchen or coffee table.

What's the difference between a bonbonniere and a storage jar?

Both are lidded glass jars, but the bonbonniere typically has a more classic, retro-inspired look, while the storage jar is a bit more versatile in use, from jewelry to dry goods.

Can glass jars be used for food?

Yes, many of the jars are well suited to dry goods, candy or cookies, as long as they're kept dry and clean.

Can a glass jar be used without a lid?

Yes, the jars can easily be used without a lid, e.g. as a vase for a smaller bouquet or single twigs.

How do I clean a glass jar?

Wash the jar in lukewarm water with mild soap, and avoid scouring pads on the colored surface. Dry it with a soft cloth after washing.

Which brand is behind the jars?

All the glass jars in the range are from EJA, known for colorful, striped and patterned glass in a retro-inspired look.

Do the jars match each other?

Yes, because the jars share the same base shape and a consistent retro style, they can easily be combined in different color combinations without looking cluttered.

Is a glass jar a good gift idea?

Yes, a colorful glass jar is an obvious gift, especially if you fill it with something personal, e.g. candy or a small bouquet, before giving it away.

Can you store jewelry in a glass jar?

Yes, the smaller storage jars are well suited to jewelry, hair clips and other small items in the bathroom or bedroom.

How do I avoid the glass breaking?

Avoid sudden temperature changes, e.g. pouring hot water into a jar just taken from the fridge, and always lift the jar by the base rather than the lid.

What does the word bonbonniere mean?

Bonbonniere originally comes from a small box or bowl for confectionery and sweets in finer households. Today the word is used more broadly for any decorative glass jar with a lid intended for candy.

Can glass jars be stacked on top of each other?

It's generally not recommended to stack lidded glass jars on top of each other, as the lid isn't designed to bear the weight of another jar. Place the jars next to each other instead.

Where can you buy glass jars?

You can buy glass jars online at Dims Studio, where you'll find colorful bonbonnieres and storage jars from EJA in several color combinations and patterns.