Thursday, September 6, 2012

Mason Jar Lanterns

I Fell in love with the idea of these "moroccan" inspired lanterns. Since we seemed to have an abundance of mason jars at my house and some glass stain I got busy painting the jars. I have to admit, I needed to find patience for this project. usually when I start a project I want the end result that day, but this took 2-3 days to complete. Here are a few pictures, READ MORE for the how-to!

Supplies you will need:

-Mason jars
-Glass paint stain (translucent)
-Paint brush
-Gold paint
-Access to an oven
-String lights
-Small nails
-Hammer

1. First wash and dry your mason jars, make sure they all have lids that fit. Brush a layer of the glass stain onto your jars and wait about ten minutes to add another layer. You may need to paint multiple layers on to achieve the opacity your desire. Let your jars air dry for 24 hours.


2. Next, put your jars on a cookie sheet protected by foil or parchment paper. Put the jars in a cool oven and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Do not preheat the oven (this prevents them from enduring rapid temperature change)

3. After you have let your jars cool off, you are ready to design them! Using your gold paint or paint marker, let your creativity flow. 

Dont forget the bottom!

4. Using a hammer or drill pop a hole big enough to let the lights pass in and out of the jar.
on the under side of the lid you will notice that the edges of the hole are jagged, use electrical tape to ensure that it will not damage the wire for the lights

5. Carefully space out your lanterns on the string of lights. I put about 4 bulbs in each jar. Before you hang them hammer a few small nails into the wall. Make sure you have enough to hold the jars, they may not feel heavy but when there are multiple lanterns hanging there is a substantial amount of weight. 
6. Plug them in and enjoy!!

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