Mason Jar {Red, White, & Blue} Lanterns

I’ve seen some clever ways to use Mason Jars around blog land and on pinterest, and I think they are kind of fun!  For this month’s Crafting Challenge, we were challenged to come up with a project using these mason jars, and what a challenge it was!!  I couldn’t think of anything to do! I wanted so badly to do something for the 4th of July, but I thought and thought about it and I couldn’t think of anything.  Then, I was looking on pinterest and came across these cute jars.  I thought they looked so festive, and it got me going on my project.  (I didn’t read the blog post these came from, the picture inspired me, and I did these on my own.)  Let me show you how I made these.

I started by wrapping wire around the tops of each bottle.  I just wrapped and twisted and then left enough wire to make a handle.  Using my Cricut I cut out some vinyl stars and stuck them on the jar.

Using a sponge brush, I brushed paint over the top of the stars.  I didn’t want the paint to be completely solid, cause I want the candle light to show through the color a little.

Once the paint was dry, I peeled the vinyl off. After I had the vinyl peeled off I coated the outside/painted part of the jars with Mod Podge Matte Clear Acrylic Sealer. I love the way it made the glass look slightly foggy.

Once everything was dry I added some dry northern beans and put a candle in each jar.

It think these would be so fun to have hanging outside while you enjoy the evening summer air, or just to put up on a shelf.

I think these are so fun and add the perfect touch to my Independence Day decor!

If you want to see the other projects for the Crafting Challenge, click here.