How to Make a Fruit Jar Look Primitive

Choose old-fashioned jars to can your fruit. The most well-known type of traditional jar is the Mason jar. If you are using the jars to create a gift, you will most likely want to use pint-sized jars, although you can find them in sizes ranging from half-pints up to gallons. You will also need to choose between traditional jars that narrow at the top, and the slightly less common wide mouth jars. The two styles work equally well and have both been used for many years -- which you choose simply depends on your personal preference.

Pack your fruit in a sugar syrup to maximize its attractiveness and color preservation after it is sealed in the jars. The Colorado State University Extension recommends that you mix 3/4 of a cup of sugar with 6-1/2 cups of water to create a enough 10-percent sugar syrup for a 9-pint batch. You can increase the sugar and decrease the water if you wish to create a heavier syrup. Fruit that is packed in this type of syrup will maintain the beautiful, brightly colored look that is generally associated with old-fashioned fruit jars.

Apply brightly colored calico fabric to the top of the fruit jars to complete the primitive look, making sure the jars are clean and cool first. Although you can purchase pre-manufactured cloth jar tops, if you want to achieve a true primitive look, you should create your own. Simply purchase cloth in your desired pattern, and then cut it into approximately 6 inch squares with the pinking shears, which create a traditional zigzag pattern on the edges. You can fasten the cloth to the jars with a ribbon tied around the jar's neck, or you can remove the lid ring, place the cloth on the jar and screw the ring back on over the top of the cloth.