It’s starting to get warm in these parts, which has me thinking about getting outside. There’s nothing I love more than sipping my first cup of coffee while watering the plants in the backyard. It’s also nice to sit outside after a long day, watch the kids play and bask in the fading sunlight. But my all-time favorite thing is to host dinner parties and gatherings outdoors.
So to keep the good times rolling even after the sun sets, I’m going to show you three ways to turn ordinary mason jars into delightful lanterns.
Here’s what you’ll need to make these lanterns:
MASON JARS
I went with these Ball Sharing Jars because I liked the modern design and smooth surface.
You can find mason jars easily at thrift stores, the dollar store, grocery stores, craft stores, yard sales… and they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Quite honestly, you don’t even have to use a mason jar; any jar will do. Pick your favorite and go for it!
FILLER & NOVELTIES
Start by adding a stabilizing element to the bottom of the jar. Items like pea gravel, glass beads, glass marbles, river rocks, sand, and moss work well. The filler not only adds dimension to your display, but also keeps the candle and other decorative items firmly in place. For my lanterns, I used pea gravel, moss and sand as base fillers.
To boost the design, consider adding small novelties like seashells, faux florals or miniature figurines. For the fairy garden jar, I glued glitter-covered flowers and moss to a small piece of cardboard and placed the fairy figurine on top.
CANDLES
There are so many options to choose for candles. I’m a big fan of real candles, but I understand that they’re not always practical with kids and pets running around. Flameless candles and LED fairy lights are also great lighting choices for these mason jar lanterns.
For the coastal lantern, I used a votive in a glass holder. I learned the hard way that wax will melt onto the filler you put on the bottom (i.e., rocks and sand) and make a mess if you skip the holder. Alternately, I’ve used a small pillar candle without a holder with fine results.
The fairy garden lantern has a small LED candle inside the jar to illuminate the fairy from behind. The top is capped with a candle in a flared holder suspended at the rim of the jar.
The floral lantern is filled with water and topped with a floating candle. The rocks keep the faux florals from floating to the surface, and the floating candle creates beautiful ambience.
HANDLE
You can stop here in the tutorial and display the mason jar lanterns on your table or mantel. Or you can add some wire or rope to turn them into lovely hanging lights.
I used 22 gauge copper wire that I doubled over and twisted for the coastal jar. For the fairy garden jar, I used sisal rope and hot-glued faux vines and flowers onto it. (Obviously you’ll need to exercise caution with a flame around those items.) Whether you hang them from a post or set them on a table, these mason jar lanterns will bring a lovely touch of creativity and whimsy to any gathering. Thanks for reading! — v.
