Up-cycle Your Old Jars

I was looking for decorative jars to store my honey in when I stumbled onto this idea. This is a fun project that will take you just minutes. We always save our old jars from spaghetti sauce, pickles, pimentos, and anythings else that comes in a glass jar. I also think these would make great decorative jars to store toiletry items.

You will need:

• 1 glass jar with metal lid
• Paint (I used a metallic paint, but I think it would be equally as fun with bright pops of vintage colors
• 1 cabinet knob (I found mine at lows)
• 1 plastic bottle cap (The cap must be taller than the combined height of the cabinet knob shaft and the screw when it’s screwed in. I used one of the coke caps that always seem to be close to me wherever I am!)
• 1 screw (If the cabinet knob doesn’t come with a screw, bring your knob to your local hardware store, so you can try some on for size. Flat screws are recommended, but short pointed wood screws can also work.)
• 1 power drill
• 1 set of drill bits (You’ll need a range of drill bits starting from 3/64” for the pilot hole to around 5/16” or the width of your cabinet knob shaft)
• 1 screwdriver

Let's get started!

1.  The first thing you will want to do is make a hole in the center of your lid. Mark the center first. I found it helpful to trace my lid onto paper and then cut it out, fold it into 4ths and punch a hole through the center for accurate marking.

2. Drill a pilot hole through the center of the metal lid using your smallest drill bit. The smaller your drill bit the easier it’ll be to drill. You’ll risk tearing the lid if you start off with a large drill bit. Switch out the bit with gradually larger sizes and continue drilling until the hole is big enough to accommodate the shaft of the cabinet knob.

3.  Next paint your lids. Start by adding a thin coat of paint to the lid. Let it dry for a few minutes and then add another coat, and another. As you can see I tried two different types of lids. I prefer the ones without the rings, but either works nicely. (You can also see that I didn't paint my lids before drilling the holes. Oops!)

4. Drill a hole through the center of the plastic bottle cap that’s large enough to accommodate the screw. If you’re using a pointed wood screw you won’t need to drill a hole, but it will make it easier to insert the screw later on.

5. Time to put it all together. Insert the cabinet knob through the top of the metal lid. Insert the screw through the plastic bottle cap, using the screwdriver to screw it in all the way. Screw the plastic bottle cap and the knob together, using the screwdriver to ensure a tight fit. Your ready to put the lid on your jar now!

 

Hope you enjoy!

Click Here for a quick tutorial on DIY Mason Jar Lanterns.