Painted Mason Jar Lanterns

4 Materials
$2
1 Day
Easy

With Spring finally here I wanted to take advantage of the warmer weather and enjoy my screened porch longer in the evenings. To be able to do this, I needed to add some additional lighting to the room and I didn't want to use candles this year. Instead, I made some creative painted mason jars to use as lanterns around the room.

Paint the jars with Mod Podge and Acrylic Paint


To give the jars a tinted look, I mixed acrylic craft paints with Mod Podge and covered the outside of the jar. I did this in several different colors like green, blue, yellow, and red. Then I let each set of jars dry overnight.

Add the decorative details


After allowing the glue mixture to dry overnight, I free-hand painted on the jars different flowers,lady bugs, and even dog paws for a decorative touch. I just had fun with this and it didn't need to be perfect. The next time I may add quotes and sayings for more fun.

Add the string lights


Originally, for the lights, I found some inexpensive Solo cup mini string lights at The Dollar Tree. I just needed to remove the mini Solo cups and add batteries. But since then I have purchased from Amazon this fabulous LED string lights that are light-weight and much brighter.

Hang with heavy duty coiled wire


To actually make the jars into hanging lanterns, I found coiled wire in the floral department at Joanns. This wire was strong enough to wrap one strand around the ring of the jar and then a second strand looped over the top for the hanger.

Enjoy all summer


I'm sure we are going to get a lot of use out these lanterns this summer. For more details on this project, visit the blog link below. Thanks for visiting.

Suggested materials:
  • Coiled Wire   (Joanns)
  • Mason Jars   (Walmart)
  • Mod Podge   (Walmart)
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Donna Powell
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  • Pat21910290 Pat21910290 on May 05, 2017

    I colored two jars with tacky glue and good coloring. After drying two days I started painting with acrylic paint and the tacky glue color started coming off. Should I have baked the jars awhile first?

  • Lajean Faircloth Lajean Faircloth on May 21, 2017

    very cute & original !!

    how does one paint the glue on, paint brush? is it only done to outside of jars? as an animal lover, i absolutely love the paw prints & am looking forward to creating a few of these. will rain affect the glue if it gets wet? love so many of your ideas & your awesome creativity!!

  • Mona Kujawa Korsmoe Mona Kujawa Korsmoe on Apr 02, 2019

    what's the glue mixture?


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