MAKE SOMETHING THEY CAN HOLD

How to make a reasons-I-love-you jar

THE LITTLE THINGS JOURNAL · OCTOBER 20, 2026 · 4 MIN READ

A jar of love notes is wonderfully low-tech. It does not need an expensive container or elaborate decoration. Its value is in the small, specific things you take the time to notice.

Choose the container after the notes.

Begin with the number of notes you want to give. Twenty carefully written reasons can make a lovely small jar; a hundred needs more room. Once you have a rough stack of folded paper, choose a clean, dry container that holds it comfortably. A reused food jar is fine if it has been washed thoroughly and has no lingering smell.

You will need paper, scissors, a pen or printer, and something to close or label the jar. Ribbon and colored paper are optional. If you decorate glass, keep the decoration on the outside and let any adhesive dry before filling it.

Write for a very small page.

A slip should hold one idea. “I love how you make space for quiet” is easier to read on folded paper than a whole paragraph that changes direction halfway through. Longer memories are welcome, but give them enough room; do not shrink the text until it becomes a secret eye test.

Mix the kinds of notes. Include a particular memory, a small habit, a quality you admire, and a hope for something you might do together. Inside jokes are lovely when they remain kind. Skip stories that could make the recipient uncomfortable if a friend happens to see one.

Print a test page first.

In our gift writer, choose Give, then Cut-out jar notes, then Print or save as PDF. Only filled reasons appear. Inspect the browser’s preview: paper size, margins, and page count can vary between printers. Print one page first and read it at normal distance before using the rest of your paper.

If you want to preserve a digital copy, choose your browser’s PDF destination as well. The PDF is for reading and printing; a JSON backup is the separate file you need if you want to bring the editable draft back into the writer later.

Make cutting and folding pleasant.

Cut along the note borders, keeping a little breathing room around the words. Fold each slip once or twice so it opens easily. Perfectly identical folds are unnecessary. If some reasons are longer, let those slips be a different size rather than cutting away text.

You can use paper colors to mark different kinds of reasons, but explain the colors on a small label if they have meaning. Otherwise, colors can simply be colors. Avoid glitter or loose decorations inside the jar: they tend to become the least romantic part of cleaning the gift up.

Add a note that gives permission, not instructions.

For a slow morning, a difficult day, or whenever you want a little reminder. Open as many as you like.

That is enough. You do not need to assign a strict schedule or make the recipient report which notes they opened. Include your name and the date somewhere on the jar or opening letter; small keepsakes can become more meaningful when their context is still easy to remember.

Before you wrap it, open two random slips yourself. Check that they are readable, complete, and unmistakably yours. The jar is only the container. The gift is the attention you put inside.