An Uncomplicated Life Blog: Mason Jar Garden Luminary

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Mason Jar Garden Luminary

Make these easy DIY  Mason Jar luminaries to light up your yard, courtyard or garden


I'll be honest with you: I think the whole Mason jar thing is way over done. There's Mason jar salads and overnight oats; Mason jar chandeliers, painted Mason jar lights, glitter dipped Mason jars... And on and on. Wait, I know what you're thinking! "So Paige, why are you adding to all this Mason jar noise that's already out there?" Ahh-ha! Because the actual function of the Mason jar LID works wonderfully for these garden luminaries. Read on to find out why and for the world's easiest way to make your yard, courtyard, deck, balcony or any outdoor (or indoor!) space you have a little brighter.


Yuck, that was cheesy but it literally came to me as I was writing that sentence. So I included it. And it even made it past the editing process. High standards here at An Uncomplicated Life Blog, eh?

Mmmmmk, back to the over done Mason jar DIY and why the lid is great for this particular idea. Real Mason jars have two parts to their lids; the screw on part and the flat part. If any of you crafting queens know any legit terminology for those parts, please enlighten me! For now, it's the circular screw on part and the flat part that's actually the lid. Anyway, this functionality works well for outdoor lighting because you can store them with the full lid on, and pop off the flat part when you want to light the candle and use the luminary. I like the look of the silver screw ring thingy attached, so I put that back on but you do you.


While the whole Mason jar thing is en vogue right now (thanks Joanna Gaines) most the crafts (outside of the food ones) discard the lid. But this one actually uses it, and it's two part design comes in kinda handy. Yay designs that last decades upon decades, right?!

Here's how I made these:
- 32 oz Mason jars. I like the big ones for outdoors, because we have a large courtyard to line them up along. As you can see, we also have a small(ish) 4 person table, and three of them fit nicely  on it, so this size even works for smaller spaces.
- Broken glass. Pick a color that works for your space. I liked how this color stood out against the green of our plants but didn't stick out so much that it was distracting (similar color here).
- Encased tea lights. If you don't get these, the wax will melt all over your glass and that's a bummer.




Fill Mason jars about 1/3 to halfway full with broken glass. Shake slightly to even it out. Place tea lights in and boom. You're done! You can store outside with the lid on (take the candle out - I had these in the Texas heat for an hour and the candles were all melted even though they weren't lit!) or you can store in a garage, shed or closet. If they get dirty or covered in pollen, dump the broken glass into a large bin of soapy water and wash the Mason jars in the dishwasher, then just reassemble after the glass has dried fully.

Like it? Pin it!

Easy to make, easy storage, easy maintenance and easy to use. What's not to love about this Mason jar garden luminary?!

9 comments:

  1. This is a cute little craft. I agree with the overdone-ness of mason jars and just make my overnight oats in a tupperware.

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  2. Hahaha. I don't think I own a mason jar. I love the idea though, so easy and cute!

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  3. I have two mason jars that have yet to be used for anything. This is a super cute idea!

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  4. Aw - this is PERFECT for summer parties! Love these.

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  5. I love these for lighting a pathway in the backyard! I'm going to have to try it!

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  6. Holy moly that is gorgeous! I don't have an outside path at my house (I live in the middle of a city) but if I did, I would definitely use something like this to light my walkway.

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  7. This would make the perfect addition to my garden. Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea!

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