What we used to make our glass gem lantern
• A Mason Jar
• Glass Gems - we used a mix of colours (Amazon Affiliate)
• Bostik All Purpose Glue (Amazon Affiliate)
• Large tea-light candle
I decided to use a Mason jar for the base of our glass gem lantern. Mason jars have the useful characteristic of having a two-part lid. Consisting of a ring and plate, this combination allows you to have your finished jar open (by not using the plate) but still use the ring to give a completed look.
Bostik All Purpose is the glue that I recommend using to stick the glass gems onto the jar. It is a clear, extra strong and quick drying glue. It will bond a huge variety of materials including metals, wood, glass, china, leather, felt, canvas, paper and cardboard as well as many plastics and fabrics. Its quick bonding properties are brilliant for crafts such as this where you don’t want to be messing around trying to hold things in place.
Our glass gem lantern is super simple to make. The Bostik All Purpose bonds the glass gems to the mason jar really well, so we had no problems with any gems falling off. The hardest part of this project was working out how to arrange the gems.
Have a question about this project?
I love this idea! And I'm excited to give it a try. I have questions though.
The picture of the finished gem lantern looks like there are glassgems placed inside the mason jar as well as on the outside. Is this accurate?
I'm thinking that this will make a wonderful Christmas gift for my nephew and his wife. Thanks!!
Hi Janice. No the gems are just on the outside although I see what you mean about the photo. So pleased you like our project, we're definitely making some as gifts too :)
Can I use plastic mason jars? I bought these plastic mason jars from Michael's and would like to try this project .
I think plastic jars would work fine Ladyvj but I wouldn't put a real candle into them so you'd need to use a battery operated one if you'd like to use it as a lamp :)
Has anyone used Gorilla Glue for glass items? I'm wondering if that would work.
I haven't tried it myself Mary, but I wonder if it'd be a little too runny and slow to dry for a project like this where gravity is a factor. Hopefully someone else will be able to give a more definitive answer :)