Mason jars are everywhere. And are being used for everything from light fixtures to drinking mugs, to candle holders and soap dispensers. I love them for their simplicity and versatility. And their history. The Mason jar was invented in 1858 by John Landis Mason, a Philadelphia tinsmith, to be used as fruit jars. He also invented the first screw top salt shaker the same year. Pretty cool. Companies such as Ball and Kerr are the most common U.S. makers of the mason jar.
I have several mason jars in my home for decorative purposes – and as food containers. I thought of a cute idea to combine these beautiful jars with lights and winter figures to create a fun, holiday decoration.
I found solar LED lids so you can add light to these winter wonderland creations. Because of this, these decorated jars can also be used as a night light for a child’s room or as decoration for a holiday party. Imagine how pretty a group of these mason jars would look all lit up in a centerpiece or on a holiday decorated mantle.
Here are the instructions to create these oh-so-simple holiday/winter scenes.
Materials:
• mason jar(s) – I used pint sized jars and they can be found pretty much everywhere. I got mine at Michaels.
• holiday or winter figures – I also got these at Michael’s. I couldn’t find a great selection online, I think it’s best to get these at any craft store. I got the White Sisal Trees for their neutral color. I also picked up a yellow lab figure from the LeMax holiday series. Looks like a well-behaved version of our puppy, Oscar. You could also add in deer, miniature wrapped presents, the possibilities are endless. Or just keep it to the pretty trees.
• Solar LED light mason jar covers – again, from Michael’s and couldn’t find same ones online.
• gold spray paint – I love the Krylon Short Cuts 3oz. cans. Perfect size for small DIY projects and they come is tons of colors. Find online here. Or in most craft stores.
• fake snow – I got the Buffalo Snow Flakes at Michael’s. They have a little glitter to them. You could go with plain, non-glitter fake snow or even go really funky and get the gold glitter flakes.
• hot glue gun
1. Tape off the solar panel on the new lids and spray them with gold spray paint. Two quick coats will do the trick. Let dry then remove the tape. If light is not working, leave in sunlight to charge.
2. Pick which figures you want to include and hot glue them onto the bottom of the jar. Some of the smaller figures are hard to place in the jar and I ended up using a pair of tweezers to place them in.
3. Sprinkle in the “snow”.
4. Place cover on and turn on the light to see your winter wonderland. You could also tie ribbon or twine around the jar, just under the lid to add a nice finishing touch. Tie on a nice gift tag and it makes a cute hostess gift.
This is just one simple mason jar project. Click here to go to my pinterest page for some other great mason jar uses and projects. These were 2 of my favorite:
I hope you enjoyed this super easy DIY. Do you have any great uses or ideas for mason jar projects? Send them along! I have a bunch more I need to fix up!
I'd love to hear your comments!