Now in college this would have been a non-issue, plastic red cups to the rescue! Somehow at this point red cups feel a little too, well, college. Sorta like that futon that used to pass as a sofa. Likewise, plastic party supply wine glasses … feel exactly like plastic party supply wine glasses. There's just no getting around it.
So I set out to find a few options, glasses that are inexpensive enough to buy in bulk (and not worry that a few might get broken) yet pretty enough to put on display. Here are a few of the options I came up with, along with a breakdown of what it would cost to buy a dozen.
1. Rustic: Mason Jar, Fresh Preserving Store $.85 each, $10.50 for twelve
Image via Style Me Pretty
A classic with country roots, you won't find a sturdier glass for your money. (This is the option I ended up going with.)
2. Vintage: Fleur-De-Lys Glass, Anthropologie $6 each = $72 for twelve
Perfect for brunch, these glasses look like you picked them up at a Parisian flea market.
3. Utilitarian: Go Anywhere Flute, Go Vino Wine $38.50 for twelve
Shatterproof PBA free plastic glasses with an ergonomic dent for your finger.
4. Pop: Polka Dot Glasses, Fishs Eddy $6 each = $72 for twelve
Tall and slim with colorful polka dots, a great way to add a little color.
5. Modern: Reko Glass, Ikea $.25 each = $6 for twelve
Available in 6 packs these glasses are the cheapest of the bunch, have a clean profile and stack for ease of storage.
Images: As credited above.
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My mother was a big jam and pickle maker. The only glasses we had around were Mason jars. I love them and think they are a lovely choice. I even use the small jars as wine glasses at dinner parties.
I don't know about you, but I would have *zero* space to store glasses after the fact. I vote "Party Supply Rental" glasses... they're about as cheap as the IKEA glasses and most places deliver and (most importantly)... clean them and take them away.
Ikea glasses break if you look at them wrong. Maybe other people's party guests are more careful than mine. Actually, that's probably quite likely.
Mason jars also have the added benefit of being reusable for a wide variety of different purposes, beyond glassare: canning, containers for leftovers, storage around the house, crafts... the list is endless. When you consider all the different ways they can be used after the guests are gone, buying a flat or two for a party seems like a pretty good investment.
Another thumbs up for Party Supply Rental glasses.
IKEA!!! This is the best tip for sure. But I totally understand the frustration with storage (our house is tight with limited storage). We bust out all IKEA stemware for our annual Halloween Party http://www.oldtownhome.com/2011/10/12/Its-a-Halloween-Par-tay/
The way we've gotten around the storage issue is simple. We purchased the champagne flutes, another friend bought the red wine glasses, and another the white wine glasses. We then coordinate with each other for parties. That way you not only spend 1/3 of the total, but you only have to store 1/3 of the glasses too.
Ikea is probably even cheaper than buying from a Thrift shop, but thrifting is the most ecological solution. And you'll likely end up with a much more interesting glasses collection - and the pieces will be of better quality.
The canning jar option is cute; I could see them embellished with colorful twine or ribbons. The fact that they can be used for storage when not being used as glasses is such a plus. I feel like running to the hardware store and getting a case right now.
I want to know where those cute straws came from! :)
Actually, if the Ikea glasses are $0.25 each, that would be $3 for a dozen.
I don't like drinking out of mason jars. I'd rather drink out of a real glass.
Just thought of another plus to mason jars, they're designed for canning so one needn't fear their shattering when a hot liquid is poured into them. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Ikea).
Maybe it's just me, but I find mason jars a little awkward for drinking out of at parties. The size and shape is always just a little too large for my hand, and I always feel like it's on the verge of slipping right out.
FYI, the fleur-de-lys glasses are about half that price at World Market, if you have one nearby. And they have the same range of colors.
I agree with aaakid, I don't love to drink out of a canning jar. But if it comes with a straw, that's all good. (They also seem so summery to me; might feel out of place at a Christmas party.)
I have to say that the fleur-de-lis glasses are pretty flimsy, too. It's just me and my husband, and we're not hard on our glassware at all.I bought 8 of them last summer, and I ended up with only two after a few months. They'd shatter at the least excuse and eventually I got rid of them rather than have another glass shatter while I was holding it.
tuesday morning
we threw away 300 mason jars this summer that were 50-80 years old and filled with moldy canned veggies (you can find post about it on my blog).....just didn't have the patience to clean 'em out.
I recently had a dinner party, and wanted Christmas mugs to serve hot apple cider in. Goodwill to the rescue - they had an amazing selection, were cheap, and I can always regift them back to Goodwill!
I wonder where can I get the straws from the first picture
Jars make the BEST glasses! That is all we have in our home. We repurpose our "Valasac" Pickel jars. Doesn't matter if we drop and break one because we usually have a backup waiting to be emptied in the fridge. =]
one of my favorite glasses (esp for hot chocolate in the winter - don't know why...) is a rinsed out, label off Bonne Maman jelly jar (http://www.bonnemaman.us/)...
I get the preserves whenever they are on sale and when they are all used up we rinse and use.
But every once in a while my MIL or a sitter recycles them out of the sink not realizing they are now glasses so we still have a low count...
Mason jars are for canning.....feels funny to the touch.
I love the 3.00 glasses from Ikea. Will have to pick some up on my next trip to the US.
my answer would be Goodwill, Salvation Army or other thrift stores. no one said the glasses needed to match, and there are often extremely interesting ones, priced at about $0.60 apiece. and if you have no room for storage after? donate them back. think of it as the best recycling program ever, with the $ going to a very good cause. (you could even write-off the donation, if you felt like it.)
(about a year ago, I found a set of eight vintage coupe cocktail glasses--these are just the right size for alcohol because they're not too big-- and I gifted them to a friend after the party.)
Dollar stores or thrift stores is where I get my glasses from.