Mason Jar Mugs Instead of Plastic Cups

The past few months have been a little hectic for our family. My daughter, the oldest child, was married in September. She had a wonderful backyard wedding with about 250 people! Yes, 250! This was really only possible because it was in the backyard but it was well worth it.  So basically over the next few months I will be posting about how we planned this tremendous party. In fact, I have already posted some information about her shower and making two different dream catchers(see them below) that were used as part of the ceremony and as decorations for the party.  Today, however, is about using mugs instead of plastic cups.

I know, plastic is so much easier. You just use it and throw it away.  But seriously, with 250 people, how many would we need to buy?  I couldn't imaging the nightmare that this would create with garbage after the party. And after all, all the plates, silverware, etc. were going to be recyclable bamboo!  So why would we ruin the environmental theme by using plastic cups? We wouldn't.  And in fact, we used mugs for the bridal shower as well!

Bamboo utensil and plate. Note the mason jar in the background.

 A lot of people questioned the cost. Believe it or not, in my opinion (and my daughters as well), the cost was worth it for several reasons.  First, we weren't using plastic which we all know is not good for the environment because it literally never decomposes.  Second, we allowed guests to bring them home as a souvenir. This was especially good for couples because they would have two to bring home and use. This was also good for use because we wouldn't be left with hundreds of left over mugs!  However, any left over mugs could still be used for future parties, for gifts, or many other ways!  And what made these extra cool is that regular mason jar lids screw right on to them so they could even be used for storage! Anyway, back to the cost. We did end up buying a few cases from Amazon and they were definitely more expensive.

For the bridal shower we purchased the Libby Drinking Jar With Handle (Amazon affiliate link). A case cost 28.95 so we paid approximately $2.41 per mug. We had to do this because we needed them fast.  Since there would only be about 40 or so people at the shower I simply tied a paper tag around each mug and let everyone write their own names on it for the party (note the mug filled with markers). The mugs are also filled with tickets for the 'Chinese' auction game! Directions were provided on the welcome sign shown below.
Items purchased for the bridal shower mug display (affiliate links):

• Libby Drinking Jar With Handle
• Jute Twine & Craft Paper Gift Tags
• ​Pink Raffle Tickets
• ​Crochet Table Cloth (36" Round)
• Large Standing Vintage A-frame Chalkboard Sidewalk Sign
• Washable White Liquid Chalk Markers
• Washable Colored Liquid Chalk Markers
• Chalkboard sticker labels

Video "How-to" (see pictorial below):

Pictorial:

For the wedding we had a lot more time to wait for delivery so we actually ordered about 12 cases of mugs from Dollar Tree. At dollar tree they were $1 per mug plus tax. Much more cost effective! But again, you need to have a lot of patience and time for delivery because I think they literally came from China. You also need to be prepared to go and pick them up at your local Dollar Tree Store.  The unfortunate part of this was the fact that every mug came with a sticker on the bottom that took my husband and I three nights to peel off of the mugs in all twelve cases.  Oh, and guess what! They were literally identical to the mugs we got from Amazon! Just no Libby name on the box! The Libby mugs didn't even have the name brand on the mugs either so they were really, truly, the same.
Items purchased for the wedding mug display (some are affiliate links):

• ​Mugs ordered online from Dollar Tree
• Removable Chalkboard Labels
• Permanent White Sharpie Paint Marker (fine)
• 8' Foldable Plastic Banquet Table
• 8' Fitted Beige Banquet Tablecloth
• ​Two 4' Foldable Plastic Banquet Tables
• Two 4' Maroon Fitted Tablecloths
• One Maroon Square Tablecloth (with crochet border DIY How To Here)
• Chalkboard Easel from Michaels Craft Store (DIY How To Coming Soon!)
• White Chalk Washable Paint Pens
• Silk leaves decoration
• ​Decorative flowers from Michaels Craft Store

Heres How They Were Done:

I created a list of everyone that responded "yes" to coming to the wedding in EXCEL by last name, first name. When the response date came and went I sorted the names alphabetically.

Then I used the permanent paint pen to write the names on the labels. I skipped the shapes I didn't really want to use.

After all the names were written in alphabetical order, I carefully placed them onto the mugs.

The mugs were packed back into the cases in alphabetical order so they could easily be arranged on the table at the reception. This made it easy for guests to find their mug!

I used twine to divide the chalk easel into even sections so I could write the saying on it using the washable chalk paint pens. I used some hot glue to add flowers to the corner as a decoration (see picture below).

I even used the mugs to make these special Bride and Groom mugs! That post is coming soon too :-)

We have no regrets about using the mason jar mugs instead of plastic! One comment we recieved from guests at the shower was that it was a little difficult for them to drink from the mug being that it had the funny edge to screw on lids.
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Because of that comment we provided optional drinking straws at the wedding. Some people chose to use them, and some didn't.

I know, you think maybe it defeated the purpose because they too are plastic, however, the amount of plastic used by 100 or so straws was nothing compared to how many cups we would have gone through!

We would love to hear from you so please share your thoughts and experiences with us!

Check out our other DIY Shower and Wedding Ideas here.

Sincerely,