Mason Jar Lanterns
I’m so excited to share a different kind of recipe with y’all here on The Country Cook. From time to time I like to share some fun tips or tricks that I just love and really want to share. Today, I am sharing a really easy and quick tutorial on how to make Mason Jar Lanterns. I love, love, love Ball® Mason Jars. Love them. I love to can and preserve fruits and vegetables (my favorite are jams and jellies). But I also love to decorate with them. It is such an inexpensive and quick way to decorate. And they just look and feel so homey and comforting!
In the spring and summer, I especially love to make Mason Jar Lanterns. It literally takes me no more than about 20 minutes from start to finish to make a few. I normally make them with the clear Ball mason jars. BUT…Ball® has come out with a limited edition Vintage Style Blue Jar!Oh. My. Word. These jars are gorgeous! Yes, I’m gushing over mason jars. They are part of Ball’s Heritage Collection. I have a few vintage ones that I have collected that I use to decorate in my kitchen. So when I saw these, I was hooked. It was love at first sight.
But after I got them, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them yet. It was only March and I wasn’t ready to can anything. And then I remembered the lanterns. And then my friend Tabitha from Meet Penny reminded me that World Autism Awareness Day was coming up on April 2nd. And April is also Autism Awareness Month. Tabitha’s eldest daughter was diagnosed with Autism several years ago. And on Autism Awareness Day, we celebrate all those who have been diagnosed with Autism and their families by wearing blue and lighting it up blue at our homes and churches and schools. My mind was set and I can’t tell you how pleased I was with how these turned out. The blue jars made these lanterns even more gorgeous than usual. So go on and get yourself some of these jars and light it up blue!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ball® Mason Jars
Decorative glass pebbles
Tealight candles
22 Gauge wire (if making hanging lanterns)
Needle nose pliers (if making hanging lanterns)
How to put them together:
Wrap a small section of wire around the rim of the jar. You want to wrap the wire under the lip of the rim so it doesn’t slip up and off. 22 Gauge wire is very easy to cut and bend. So if you don’t have pliers, just use some sharp scissors and bend the wire with your fingers (just be careful!)
Make a loop on one end of the wire. Then slide the other end of the wire through the loop to close the circle. Tighten the wire snuggly around the jar, keeping the wire under the rim.
Make sure you wrap the wire around itself tightly. The wire is shown a bit loose here in the photo so you can see the wire more easily. But you want to make sure the wire is snug under the lip of the jar so it doesn’t slide off when hanging.
Get another piece of wire (about 12 inches long) to make the handle. Take one end of the handle and loop it through one side of the wire that is going around the rim. And then repeat on the other side of the jar. Make sure to tighten and wrap it securely so it doesn’t slip around the jar or fall off.
Once all your wiring is secure, you are ready to fill your jars and hang!
Fill each jar with a small handful of the decorative glass pebbles in the bottom, then place a tealight right into the center of the pebbles. I like to hang them up first, then light them.
If you don’t want to hang them, you can just set them out on your picnic table or porch. They look gorgeous lined up on steps. Wherever you want a soft glow of light outside.
I think these would make a beautiful, yet inexpensive, do-it-yourself decoration for a country style wedding or reception or any outdoor celebration!
Enjoy!
Leigh Wildermuth says
April 15, 2013 at 2:41 amI am using them as vases for my garden party wedding next month. I have a dozen now and could really use some more!
Anonymous says
April 19, 2013 at 6:03 pmI love to can in my jars beans,peas,tomatoes &!!!!
Anonymous says
June 10, 2013 at 3:30 amwhat beautiful dangling blue Balls!
Bonnie Meerdink says
June 10, 2013 at 10:44 amLove Ball canning Jars and the blue is beautiful. I will decorate with mine. To pretty to stick in my root cellar.
Bonnie Meerdink says
June 10, 2013 at 10:45 amLove Ball canning Jars and the blue is beautiful. I will decorate with mine. To pretty to stick in my root cellar.
Bonnie Meerdink says
June 10, 2013 at 10:47 amI will decorate with mine , Love ball canning jars. These are to pretty to put in my root cellar!
mollywrites says
June 10, 2013 at 3:41 pmFollowed on FB and pinterest – also pinned! I'd use these for making the lanterns like in the DIY! They'd look beautiful all light up at night for a summer dinner outside in garden with friends!
Anonymous says
July 9, 2013 at 9:48 pmI love your recipes. I would use them for decoration, I follow ball on Pinterest and Facebook. 🙂
Anonymous says
July 10, 2013 at 8:03 pmEverything you could do with regular canning jars you could do with these. Love the lantern idea.
Anonymous says
July 30, 2013 at 4:53 amI would put some nice smelling bath oil in it then decorate the top of the lid with some kind of pretty bow and maybe some ribbon and give for a gift
KENTUCKY LADY 717 says
August 6, 2013 at 11:32 pmLove Ball Canning jars…use them for everything, so if I win I will make more SALSA than I did last year 🙂
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Alicia says
August 7, 2013 at 1:17 amDefinitely the lanterns for my daughters vow renewal ceremony.
Alicia says
August 7, 2013 at 1:17 amI follow Ball on Facebook.
Alicia says
August 7, 2013 at 1:18 amI follow on Pinterest too.
Unknown says
August 7, 2013 at 2:11 pmI'd love to fill them with candles and arrange them on my deck for some relaxing evening lighting.
Turnberry Towers Las Vegas says
September 8, 2013 at 12:18 pmYour tutorial is great! Love the idea and the beautiful color you created!!! This goes into the "someday" pile – lol.
Linae Bouche says
January 27, 2014 at 4:43 pmI will decorate with them more than anything. Love the new blue jars!! I have pinned this post and following ball canning on Pinterest and FB under the name Nay Nay. My Pinterest profile is http://www.pinterest.com/justlinae/ and my email is [email protected]
Kim Baehr says
February 18, 2014 at 9:11 amI use them for both canning and decorating, and also for my tea! lol I follow on pintrest and like on facebook.