This goofy little jar gift takes about two minutes to put together, costs very little, and lands exactly the way a good gag gift should. You tuck a tiny pig into a baby food jar, pour dry beans around it, and suddenly you’ve got “pork ‘n’ beans” in the most literal way possible.
The trick is making it look intentional instead of like a jar of pantry odds and ends. Keep the pig pressed where you want it before you add the beans, because once the jar fills up, shifting it around usually scratches the inside of the glass or distorts the face. Tiny projects have a talent for getting fussy fast.
What You’ll Need
You only need a few things for this gag gift:
- 1 clean baby food jar with lid
- 1 small pig
- Dry beans
- Pantyhose, if you want to make a soft-sculpture pig face and tail end
Choose a jar with clear, unscratched sides if you want the pig’s face and tail to show well. Cloudy glass makes the whole thing look older than funny, and not in a charming way.
How to Make Babyfood Jar Pork -n- Beans
- Wash and dry the baby food jar completely.
- Place a small pig in the jar.
- Add some dry beans to the jar.
- If you’re making a soft-sculpture version, shape a pig face and tail end from pantyhose and position them against opposite sides of the jar.
- Add the beans around the pig until the jar looks full and the pig stays in place.
- Screw the lid on tightly and display or gift it.
I received one of these as a gift. The crafter used pantyhose to make a soft-sculpture pig face and tail end. The beans were added around it and the pig’s face and tail end was squashed up against each side of the jar
Start with a bone-dry jar. That part matters more than people think, because even a little trapped moisture can fog the glass or soften the beans over time. If you rinse the jar right before assembly, let it air-dry fully or dry it with a lint-free towel first.
Here’s the part nobody mentions: dry beans settle after you close the lid and move the jar around. A jar that looked packed on the counter can show a gap at the top after one car ride or one trip through a gift bag. Fill it a little more snugly than seems necessary so the pig doesn’t slowly sink into a bean landslide later.
Tips for the Best Look
Use small dry beans if you want more detail to show. Large beans can hide the pig’s features and leave awkward gaps, while smaller beans settle into the curves and hold everything in place better.
Press the pig face and tail into position before you fill the jar the rest of the way. If you try to force them in after the beans are already packed, the pantyhose version can bunch up, twist, or bulge in a way that looks more haunted than hog-like.
Leave the lid plain or add a quick label if you’re giving it as part of a basket. If you want more silly jar-gift inspiration, take a look at these Jar Gift Ideas for more low-cost options that lean into the joke.
Gift and Display Ideas
This works well as a stocking stuffer, office exchange joke, or add-on tucked into a larger food basket. Pair it with another lighthearted homemade gift if you want to build a full gag set, like the Beef Chili Gag Gift or the Redneck Washer & Dryer Set.
Keep expectations realistic here. This is a visual joke, not a rugged keepsake meant to survive years of shelf shuffling. If it gets handled a lot, the beans can resettle and the soft-sculpted pieces can shift, so it’s best displayed somewhere it won’t get knocked around.
If you’re wrapping it, cushion the jar so the lid doesn’t loosen during transport. A loose lid invites humidity, spilled beans, and the kind of cleanup that makes a three-minute craft feel strangely dramatic.
Storage and Shelf Life
Store the finished jar in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. The beans stay shelf-stable for a long time when they’re kept dry, but quality drops if moisture gets in or the jar sits in heat. For best appearance, treat this as a decorative gift and use it within 12 months.
If you used a cleaned food jar, make sure no food residue remains under the lid ring or threads before filling it. Residue is what causes surprise odors later. Not the pig, for once.
For general dry-goods storage, the USDA notes that shelf-stable dry goods stay safe indefinitely when kept dry, though freshness and quality decline over time, especially if dampness gets in. You can read that guidance here: USDA dry goods storage guidance.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Babyfood Jar Pork -n- Beans
Small dry beans usually look best because they settle around the pig and hold it in place without leaving big gaps. Navy beans, pinto beans, or mixed soup beans all work, but choose one that fits the size of your jar and doesn’t hide the face completely.
You can, but glass gives you a clearer view and holds the shape better. Lightweight plastic scratches more easily and can look cloudy fast, which takes the joke down a notch.
No, and skipping glue keeps the jar cleaner and easier to adjust while you build it. Fill the beans snugly enough that the pig stays put, because loose filler shifts every time the jar gets moved.
Fill it almost to the top, then tap the jar gently to settle the beans and add a bit more if needed. If you stop too soon, the contents drop after you carry it and the pig can slide out of position.
Absolutely. The simplest version just uses a small pig in the jar with dry beans around it. The soft-sculpture face and tail add more personality, but they aren’t required for the gag to work.
As a display piece, plan on the best appearance for about 12 months if you keep it cool and dry. It may last longer, but moisture, sunlight, and repeated handling make the beans duller and the arrangement looser.
No. Canned beans add moisture, spoil quickly in a sealed display jar, and turn a silly project into a science experiment. Stick with dry beans only.
Wash it in hot soapy water, rinse well, and dry it completely before filling. Pay extra attention to the lid threads and underside of the lid, because trapped residue or moisture causes odors later.
Yes, but pack it like a small fragile jar, not like a pair of socks. Wrap the jar, cushion the lid area, and keep it upright so the beans don’t shift hard enough to distort the pig.
A small baby food jar works because the pig looks packed in on purpose and the joke reads right away. If you go much larger, you’ll need more filler and the effect starts to look sparse unless the pig is scaled up too.
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Did you make this recipe? Did you use a tiny toy pig or try the soft-sculpture pantyhose version? Tell us which one looked better once the beans settled in the jar.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Babyfood Jar Pork -n- Beans
Babyfood Jar Pork -n- Beans
Equipment
Materials
- 1 clean baby food jar with lid
- 1 small pig
- ¼ cup dry beans
- 1 small piece pantyhose optional
Instructions
- Wash the baby food jar and lid and dry them completely.
- Place a small pig in the jar.
- Add dry beans to the jar until the pig stays in place.
- If desired, shape a pig face and tail end from pantyhose and press them against opposite sides of the jar.
- Add more beans as needed to fill the jar snugly.
- Screw on the lid and display or gift the jar.
Notes
Use enough beans to fill the jar snugly so the contents do not shift during gifting.
For best appearance, store in a cool, dry place and use within 12 months.
maxi pad slippers
1. take 2 maxi pads
2. put and glue like a slipper (hot glue)
3.
decorate!
gag gifts