The Ultimate Guide to Mason Jars Outside The Kitchen
Mason jars are the newest oldest versatile tool. While they might have been a functional kitchen staple in many households, mason jars have extended their reach out of the kitchen. Mason jars have proven their usefulness in every aspect of the home—the perfect combination of cute and functional.
Mason Jars Candles
The process to transform mason jars into beautiful mason jar candles is so simple it might surprise you. If using pint-sized mason jars, remove the lid, filling the jar about halfway with loose sand and pebbles, and place a small store-bought candle inside—securing the candle in place with the sand. This creates a simple mason jar candle holder without a lengthy candle making process. If you’re daring to venture more on the creative side, miniature homemade mason jar candles are easy and fun to make. Fill a four-ounce mason jar with a combination of melted coconut oil, beeswax, and a few drops of scented oils—up to the first lip of the jar—embedding the wick and whittling it down to fit the jar. This simple and elegant design results in small and portable candles that can add a touch of flare to any room.
Mason Jars Terrariums
Mason jars terrariums are a great way to bring nature indoors. In order to create a beautiful captured forest, it is best to use a larger mason jar—a thirty-two or forty-two ounce-sized jar should be the perfect size. This simplest way to create individual mason jar terrariums is to transplant a small potted plant onto the separated lid of the jar, and carefully place the overturned jar over the plant. If you want to add a fancy touch, you can affix some moss to walls of the mason jar along with the transplanted plant. It’s best to keep the mason jar terrarium out of direct sunlight—making sure it still receives plenty of indirect light—and monitor the amount of soil moisture to prevent it from drying out. These make wonderful housewarming gifts.
Mason Jars Soap Dispensers
Say goodbye to tacky plastic liquid soap containers and overpriced soap dishes, and hello to a unique soap dispenser that will add character and charm to the most underrated room in the house. This project is slightly more involved as it requires glue, a hammer or another blunt object, a pointed tip of something like a screwdriver, the salvanged soap pump, and possibly spray paint. Pint-sized mason jars are recommended if the soap dispenser will be used for the washroom. After cleaning the salvaged soap pump, measure the width of the pump and mark the lid of the mason jar accordingly. Using the hammer and the point of the screwdriver, carefully tap the marked spot on the lid until the point pierces and repeat until there is a hole large enough to wiggle the soap pump through. Pour preferred soap into the jar, careful to avoid spillage, and reassemble—spray painting is optional.
Mason Jars Air Fresheners
Like the mason jar soap dispenser, mason jar air fresheners are a creative and fun way to add a bit of charm to the bathroom. For a more subtle look, smaller mason jars are recommended—around four ounces. Simply fill mason jar partway with baking soda, about a teaspoon of preferred essential oil, and stir to combine. If you would like to add a colorful touch, cover the opening of the jar with colorful paper, carefully replace the outer metal ring, and fold down the paper as necessary. Cut away the extra paper from the bottom of the metal ring, leaving the paper spanning across opening of the jar, and pierce a half dozen holes in the paper in order to release the scent.
Mason Jar Snow Globes
This inspirational gift is easy to make and even more fun to give as a gift. After gathering your materials—various glitters, waterproof glue, and the preferred figurine—attach the figurine to the underside of the lid with a liberal amount of waterproof glue, careful to keep the figurine centered, and allow to dry. Coat the bottom of the jar with glitter and add enough water to fill the jar almost completely—add some more glitter, just for effect. Replace the lid—keeping in mind that the figurine should remain submerged upside down—and seal the metal ring and lid together with waterproof glue then attach to the jar. Make sure the glue is completely dry before attempting to flip the snow globe or shake. If your figurine of choice is a miniature picture frame, this mason jar snow globe can make a great personalized gift year around.
Wall-mounted Mason Jar Vase
The wall-mounted mason jar vase is undoubtedly the most extensive mason jar item on the list, but it is also the most cleverly original—so the extra effort is totally worth it. In order to create the wall-mounted jar vase, you will need to be able to acquire a bit of crafty capabilities—or, be patient enough to check YouTube for tutorials. Gather reclaimed wood, a mason jar of any size—if the piece of wood is particularly large, you might be able to fit two mason jars—a corresponding amount of hose clamps per mason jars, screws, and a powered drill. Disregard the mason jar’s metal lid and ring, then drill a hole in the wooden plank and another on one side of the hose clamp. Line the hole in the hose clamp up to the hole in the wood, and insert a screw to fasten the clamp in place. Then it’s only a matter of measuring the clamp to fit around the lip of the mason jar and you’ll have a fully functional wall-mounted mason jar vase. Painting is not required but it does add a professional touch if giving the mason jar vase as a gift.
