Around this time last year I posted a Christmas House Tour of my home that featured a DIY I came up with using a few supplies from the Dollar Store and ... the ever popular mason jar. I have a thing for mason jars. And by "thing" I mean an unhealthy love affair normally reserved for stuff that lives and breathes. Or at the very least is covered in pizza sauce.
These little tree filled mason jars seem to have struck a chord with The Art of Doing Stuff readers.
I didn't think much about posting them until the comments started coming in asking how I made them. Then the emails. The screaming. The knocking on my door. WHEN was I doing a post on those mason jar trees. In December I said.
This is the first post of December. Drop the balloons from the ceiling, set off the confetti guns, THIS is the Mason Jar Christmas Tree post!
Supplies
Mason jar
Epsom Salts
Small fake Christmas tree
Battery operated string of lights.
1. Shove your lights into the bottom of the jar. Turn them on first so you can see what they look like.
This part is a bit fiddly because the lights want to pop up every which way instead of staying placed in the very bottom of the jar. To make it a bit easier you can loop the lights around your hand, secure them with a twist tie or two and drop them in the jar.
2. Start filling the bottom of the jar with Epsom salts. Push the lights down with your spoon if they pop up.
3. Place your tree in the jar and shove it down in the salts a bit. Add a bit more salt if you need to. Make sure the wire from the lights runs straight up the back of the tree (not the side or the front).
4. Admire.
That's all there is to it. Salted Christmas Trees. I kindda feel bad for keeping something so easy a secret for so long. Only kindda. Not a lot. O.K. I don't feel bad at all. But it seemed like the right thing to say.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Tara
I just finished making my own! Looks great! Thanks for such a wonderful idea. Oh, and, I found battery operated lights at Walmart.
Bonnie@WhatAboutPie
This is absolutely adorable! I love it. The simplicity of it is what is so special about it. Thanks for posting!
Sara
Just made these tonight with my daughters-now I am sitting admiring the glow of them on my coffee table in my darkened living room. This craft is awesome, cheap, easy,and absolutely gorgeous. Thanks Karen!
Louise
You guys over the water....huh. So lucky. Us Brits don't have such a "thing" about mason jars...they are soooo expensive over here, and nowhere to be found in a pound shop (our dollar store!) so I can't see me doing a full shelf of them....maybe just one in pride of place however!
Mindy
Well aren't you just a friggin' genius?!
Debbie
Oh wow, I love how these look! I've pinned for future, thanks!
Debbie :)
Libby's Library
Brilliant!
Barbie
Easy Peasy breezy....gonna do it! It's just the somethin else I needed for that certain place I needed somethin else! Thanks Karen you never disappoint!
Karen
LOL. Yes. We all need that certain somethin' else. ~ karen!
carol
I'm pretty sure you single-handedly keep the twinkly lights people in business.
Lin N
Opened a Xmas storage bin the other day and had a package of battery lights in my hand wondering what the H to do with em....Now I know!! Brilliant (pun) idea! Thank you. Think I'll try 'whiting' a tree with fake snow for a monochromatic look or maybe not....Thanks again for finally (lol) sharing.
LisaF
You can now buy battery lights (15 lights) on a timer....on for 6 hours and off for 18.
jaime @ la vie...j'aime
I made some lsat year but love the idea of doing the lights!
Spokangela
As always, pure awesomeness... :) I have some huge blue jars. I can't wait to do this project!
GwenDee
I am going to try this today!!
Marti
Hey Karen... I always thought that there was a liquid in with the Epsom salts. I think I thought that because there appears to be an air bubble in the jar in the third photo down. Is that a bubble in the glass, then?
Karen
Bubble in the glass. :) ~ k
Allison
They have the battery operated mini light strands at Hobby Lobby as well. I need to make some of these with my kiddos. Thanks!
Brenda J. M
Very sweet and AWE inspiring...sort of all magical and fuzzy. Great idea and I'm going to give it a twirl.
Nancy
That's It?? I have waited a whole year for this and THAT'S IT??? I seriously thought maybe you mixed up some weird stuff in a jar to create some sort of chemical glow..Well..It would be like you to try something like that!!!..Anyhow..I am really glad to find out that it is quite simple to do and I can create a whole forest of them in time for Christmas..Thanks Karen!!
Jeannie
Karen,
I would like to use a mason jar with a twist on lid. Is there a trick to keep from damaging the light cord.
Karen
Jeannie - I normally use twist lids. No trick. The cords for battery operated lights are so small that the lid fits over them fine. ~ karen
Pat
Info: Bought some of those battery pack little light sets at Canadian Supertore last year and have also seen them at Ikea.