NPR in a Mason Jar: The Single Station FM Radio Kickstarter

Single Station FM Radio

Single Station FM Radio

What’s the COOLEST thing that you could make with a Mason jar?

An FM radio, is what I’m thinking.

To see what I’m talking about, check out the Single Station FM Radio Kickstarter. This Kickstarter bares the giant boombox of old, with all its circuitry and plastic components and massive packaging, down to the essentials: your favorite radio station, a speaker, and a case–in this case, a wide-mouth 8 oz. Mason jar.

Another really cool thing about this Mason jar FM radio is the storage. A regular radio is a waste of counter space (even the under-the-shelf radio that I had at my old house was a space hog), but an FM radio that’s actually a Mason jar? Store it with… I don’t know, the Mason jars!

The Mason jar radio is also pretty green when you’re thinking about end-of-life options. When our old, giant boombox gave up the ghost, my partner and I gave our kids tools and let them take it apart to explore it and scavenge the parts (you’ll never believe what my older kid did with a stereo cord), but when they were done, we just threw the whole dang thing away. When you’re done with this thing, though, yeah, you gotta throw away the actual radio part of it, but that Mason jar is going to have another few fine years holding strawberry jelly for you.

I have to say, though, that I am actually the most excited about the DIY component of this Kickstarter. Y’all know by now that I am a SUPER DIY nerd, and I can talk as happily to you about the non-working riding lawn mower that I’m tinkering with in my garage as I can about the reinforced knee patches that I thought up to sew onto my kid’s next pair of fall pants. You think I’m NOT gonna take this opportunity to solder my own freaking RADIO?!?

I cannot WAIT until March.

[Single Station FM Radio image via the Single Station FM Radio Kickstarter]

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Written by Julie Finn

I'm a writer, crafter, Zombie Preparedness Planner, and homeschooling momma of two kids who will hopefully someday transition into using their genius for good, not the evil machinations and mess-making in which they currently indulge. I'm interested in recycling and nature crafts, food security, STEM education, and the DIY lifestyle, however it's manifested--making myself some underwear out of T-shirts? Done it. Teaching myself guitar? Doing it right now.

Visit my blog Craft Knife for a peek at our very weird handmade homeschool life, and my etsy shop Pumpkin+Bear for a truly odd number of rainbow-themed beeswax pretties.

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