Blessing Jar Tradition + FREE Printable Labels

A family blessing jar is a simple way to teach kids gratitude: keep a jar on the table, jot down what everyone is thankful for throughout the year, and read the slips together at Thanksgiving. All you need is a jar, some paper, and a pen. It’s a tradition our family kept for years, and it’s easy to start in your own home today. Here’s how to make a blessing jar, plus tips, ideas for what to write, and answers to the questions readers ask most.

(Want the story behind our tradition? Scroll down to the end of the post.)

CLICK HERE for your FREE Printable Labels for your Family Gratitude Tradition

Download my free printable blessing jar labels, which include jar labels and blessing slips in PDF form. Perfect for printing on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of printer paper or cardstock.

FAQs for creating a Family Gratitude Jar and Tradition

What is a blessing jar?

A blessing jar is simply a way to teach your children to count their blessings and also establish a sweet family tradition for years to come. It’s a jar or basket where family members write down things they’re thankful for on slips of paper throughout the year. It teaches kids to notice and name their blessings, and it builds a tradition you can revisit together, often at Thanksgiving.

How do you use a blessing jar?

Keep the jar somewhere visible, like the kitchen table, with paper and a pen nearby. Every so often at dinner, ask everyone what they’re thankful for, write it down, and drop the slip in. Open the jar and read the slips together at a special time.

What do you write in a blessing jar?

Anything. Young children might share simple things like a favorite toy or a sunny day. Parents can write out the list for little ones. Older kids can write about how they’ve seen God at work in their lives. Try not to critique what anyone chooses to write.

There are 20 suggestions for things to be thankful for in the FREE PDF!

How often should you add to a blessing jar?

There’s no set rule. Our family added slips every so often at dinner, and once the kids were teens the habit was so ingrained they did it on their own. If you prefer more structure, pick one regular time, such as a weekly family dinner.

Do you need a lid for a blessing jar?

No. We never used the lid and just stashed the slips in the jar. If you want a lid, cut a slot in it so slips can drop through.

When do you open the blessing jar?

Many families open it at Thanksgiving or New Year’s, on birthdays, or whenever they need a reminder of their blessings. Reading through the past year’s slips is often the best part.

When you share the slips of blessings with your family you can reference these scriptures as a way to continue to praise God! (These are also included as cut outs in my FREE blessing jar printables!)

Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

What do you do with the slips afterward?

Keep them in a keepsake box, or do what I did and put some on a scrapbook page with photos each year.

Supplies for Making Gratitude Jars

• Wide mouth pint mason jars
• Complete blessing jar (if you don’t want to make your own!)
• Blessings write on cards or use my FREE printable slips)
• Gratitude stickers
• My absolute favorite pens!

Creating a blessing jar is a simple and meaningful way to cultivate gratitude in your family. Here are the steps to make your own blessing jar:

How to Make a Blessing Jar

1.Choose a jar or container.

Select a jar or container that is visually appealing and can easily fit slips of paper. You can repurpose an old mason jar or find a decorative container that matches your style.

2. Decorate the jar.

Get creative and personalize your blessing jar by decorating it with paint, ribbons, stickers, or other craft supplies. You can also add a label or tag that says “Blessing Jar” to make clear its purpose.

3. Collect slips of paper.

Cut small pieces of paper or purchase pre-cut paper strips. These will be used to write down blessings or things you are grateful for throughout the year. Make sure the paper is easily accessible near the jar.

Even when our kids got married their spouses would join us in this celebration of everyday blessings. They may have waited until the last minute but the sentiment was there!

4. Establish a routine.

Set a regular time for family members to share their blessings and add them to the jar. This can be during mealtime, before bedtime, or any other convenient time for your family.

The younger the children the greater the time investment at the beginning. As this gradually becomes a normal part of your everyday lives you can just give reminders that these gratitude lists are a family tradition.

Make it fun and don’t critique what your children are thankful for. And make sure you’re counting your own personal blessings as well!

5. Reflect and celebrate.

Periodically, take time to open the jar and read the blessings together as a family. This can be done on special occasions, like Thanksgiving or in conjunction with New Year’s resolutions, or whenever you need a reminder of the abundant blessings in your lives.

Our family chose Thanksgiving as THE day we looked forward to each year. Many of our traditions were happenstance but became must haves such as the music we played when decorating the tree.

As we read from the past year we were always reminded of the ways God had taken the good and bad times and turned them into family memories, a tangible picture of God’s love for us. 

Remember, the blessing jar is a tool to foster gratitude and reflection. It’s important to create a habit of appreciating the simple joys and blessings that often go unnoticed. Enjoy the process and watch as your jar fills up with love, appreciation, and cherished memories.

Story behind our family blessing jar:

This post has always been one of my favorites on my blog because it represented one of the greatest strengths of our family: creating and celebrating traditions.

When my husband and I divorced in 2021 our whole family was shaken. Our traditions changed and we had to find the courage to make new ones.

I do believe this simple tradition for instilling gratitude in our children can be practiced in many different ways, but the blessing jar will always be my favorite.

This tradition didn’t happen overnight. It began when my oldest two were young children and continued when we adopted a sibling group of three children. It took effort and reminders on my part to teach my kids the reason we count our blessings on a daily basis.

These blessing cards also turned into one of our most cherished family traditions celebrated on Thanksgiving Day. For decades each year we would have lunch followed by selecting our Christmas tree.

There was always much jostling and joking as we decorated the tree. Specific rituals had to be followed and I had to take pictures of all of us in our Santa hats. It truly was the highlight of our year, a tradition we held onto tightly and joyfully.

Once the tree was decorated and turkey leftovers eaten, we gathered around our table and took out our blessing jar. This special little jar sat on our kitchen table year round, reminding us to take time to appreciate God’s blessings, both the small and large things. 

(To understand the reason for the divorce my story is on my Marty Walden YouTube channel here.)

For more family building ideas check out my Thanksgiving printable, Christmas mason jar labels and printable and baby gender reveal and printables.