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Crafting With Mason Jars

Summer comes with fresh ideas for crafting. While Pinterest projects can be frustrating at times (I’m speaking from personal experience), they provide endless creative inspiration for the budding artist. Recently, I decided to search for “Summertime craft ideas,” and found a virtual explosion of cute (and relatively easy) projects. My absolute favorites were ideas for decorating Mason jars.Mason jars are affordable, extremely easy to craft with and can provide cheerful “vintage” accents almost anywhere in your home. Below are just a few examples of what you can create with these classic canning jars.

The finished product.

Glitter Mason jars.  If you’re a sucker for glitter, this project is perfect for you. You'll need one Mason jar, acrylic paint, a paintbrush, Elmer’s glue or Modge Podge, and LOTS of glitter! You can cover the whole jar with glitter or you can also tape a section off with painter's tape like I did and glitter part of the jar. I also added sunflowers to create more of a "pop." I recommend that you use a gloss top-coat unless you enjoy being covered with glitter yourself.

This turned out great!

Mason jar aquarium. This project was fun and fast! All you need is a single jar, rocks or seashells for the aquarium floor (I used glass beads), plastic plants/sea animals (or any type of plastic animals, there are no rules here!), water, and blue food coloring.  Your result will be an adorable mini-aquarium that doesn't require any maintenance.

I'm pretty sure this one's my favorite!

Pineapple plant holder.  This DIY craft requires one Mason jar, acrylic paint, a paintbrush, black sharpie/permanent marker and a plant of your choice. You can also use a gold fine-tip marker to add a little extra shine. While my plant was artificial (I don't have a green thumb), live plants work just as well. The final product serves as a cheerful reminder to "stand tall" wherever you go!

Courtesy of William Butler

Galaxy in a jar. While fairly easy to make, this project is a bit more tedious. It's great for those who enjoy a challenge!  You'll need a Mason jar, glitter, cotton balls, three or four different colors of acrylic paint, plastic cups and water. Patience definitely pays off in this case - the end result is beautiful. You won't be able to take your eyes off of this colorful mini-galaxy!

These examples are just a fraction of what you can make - the possibilities are endless! For additional ideas and inspiration, I recommend visiting Pinterest, or simply Googling “Mason jar craft ideas.”  You can also stop by my Mason jar display in the Arts & Crafts neighborhood in the West wing of the library. Happy Summer!

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