m3: mason chandelier

this week's magical mason monday feature is all about the mason jar chandelier. similar to the hanging lanterns featured last month, the chandelier is a cluster of lit mason jars, suspended overhead. whether hung over a formal dining table, a tree branch, an outdoor pergola, or the kitchen sink, it's definitely a conversation piece!

whether lit by battery-operated LED votives like here:

or hardwired like the exeter pendant for sale from PB:

here are some basic instructions for constructing your own chandelier, regardless of light source.

what you'll need:
mason jars WITH lids. pick a size + quantity to suit you. personally, i prefer odd-numbered groupings.
ceiling light plate
if going the hardwired route: you'll need a hanging lamp kit [like this one] for each of your mason jars + a low-wattage lightbulb for each jar [vintage if you prefer, like these]
if going the LED route: you'll need a sturdy twine or other string + a battery-operated votive for each jar

for the hardwired version:
1. remove the lid of each mason. use a hammer and nail [or larger punch] to punch a hole in each lid, equal in diameter to the width of your lamp kit's cord.
2. with a light bulb in one hand, feed the cord through the mason jar lid. tighten the lid onto the jar. you can use the kit's tension clasps to keep the bulb where you want it. repeat for each jar.
3. drill holes in your ceiling plate [either a single hole large enough to fit the multiple cords, or individual holes for each jar's cord]. do not drill a hole too big, as the cords will slip through + come crashing down!!

4. pull the cords through the hole until you have each jar at its desired length from the ceiling. once you've perfected your cluster, tie a knot in the cords to prevent them from slipping through the ceiling plate.
5. install + enjoy. if you aren't electrically qualified, you may want to have an electrician install the light fixture.

for the battery-operated version:

1. remove the lid of each mason. use a hammer and nail [or larger punch] to punch a hole in each lid, equal in diameter to the width of your twine.
2. feed the twine through the mason jar lid. tighten the lid onto the jar. you can knot the twine on either side of the lid to keep it in place. repeat for each jar.
3. place a glue dot on the bottom of your battery-operated votive. place in the bottom of each jar, pressing down to secure.

4. drill holes in your ceiling plate [either a single hole large enough to fit the multiple lengths of twine, or individual holes for each jar's twine ]. do not drill a hole too big, as the twine will slip through + come crashing down!!
5. pull all of the twine through the hole until you have each jar at its desired length from the ceiling. once you've perfected your cluster, tie a large knot in the twine to prevent them from slipping through the ceiling plate.
6. install + enjoy. this version will require you to access the battery lights in order to turn them on/off + occasionally swap out the batteries. be sure to install in an easy-to-access place + at an accessible length.

enjoy!

m3: ice cream in a jar

it's hot. brutally hot. the heat index last wednesday was forecasted at 104 degrees. brutal. lucky for me, i'm in oregon where the high is 75.

for those of you not as lucky, here's some magical mason monday inspiration sure to cool you off.

mason jar ice cream!

here's an easy-peasy tutorial from theyummylife, so i won't be redundant.

[via theyummylife]

not only do they look divine, but i'm infatuated with the umpteen ways that you could package the cuteness out of these suckers.

like the wedding favors they did on stylemepretty here:

[via smp]

 or make a festive ice cream sundae:

[via firststreeticecream]

or brownie a la mode like here

[via just a taste]

happy monday!!

m3: luncheon favors

one of the marathon wedding events earlier this month included a bridal luncheon at the childhood home of the bride's bff [check out her post over at life is reed-iculous]. when we walked into the waterfront home, the tables were set with classic blue + white linens + dishware. an adorable favor marked each placesetting, fashioned from you-guessed-it, mason jars!

i'm no plain-jane mason jar snob as some may be, so i greatly appreciated the fanciness of the faceted version used to adorn the tables + mark our seats. i think they added a bit of glam to the favor. inside the favor were some scrumptious bacon-chocolate cookies that i tried to hide from cricket, with little success. you can check out the recipe here, much to the dismay of little piggies everywhere.

the favors were wrapped with a band of white tulle (very wedding appropriate), then wrapped with a length of navy grosgrain ribbon (navy being the hue du jour). a custom seal read "a sweet & savory treat" covered the ends, and all were wrapped multiple times with twine (who doesn't love a mason jar with twine?). the names were hand-stamped on the lids, which had coordinating stickers. the frilliness of the lace accents, the rustic twine, the hot pink stamped names, set atop a perfect-sized doily--it was just adorable.

masons can hold just about anything, and can be dressed up or down to suit your occasion. another bonus: they're travel-friendly. they're unlikely to break or leak inside a suitcase, despite the TSA's best efforts.

well done!

m3: lightning bugs

For this week's magical mason monday post, we're talking about something every southern child knows well. the chase, the capture, the release of the lightnin' bug.

I remember spending hours in my grandma's Memphis backyard chasing fireflies. Armed with a mason jar with a lid of carefully poked ice pick holes thanks to my dad, my sisters & I chased those lightning bugs for from dusk until bedtime. We competed for the most fireflies, the brightest jar, and the biggest of all bugs. In our older years, we smeared the poor souls on our white t-shirts for a short-lived glow.

Despite the romanticism of 3 young girls, I doubt we ever considered that we were interfering with Mr. Right finding Miss Right and the reproduction cycle of lightning bugs. Hopefully our efforts haven't diminished the population or the experience for today's young ones.

To fashion your own mason jar lightning bug kit:

1. Grab a mason from the cupboard
2. Dampen a paper towel & place inside the jar
3. Place a piece of burlap over the rim OR use an ice pick to poke holes in the metal circular disc, and lock into place with the sealing lid.
4. Run wild & catch the flashing fellas...GENTLY.

The firefly glow should last for the evening, but be sure to release them after they've served their nightlight duties.

Southern Living has a cute firefly label for your jars. Print 'em out & invite the neighborhood kids for a firefly party. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without a little fun for the adults: serve Firefly sweet tea vodka over ice with a lemon wedge & sprig of mint, in a a mason jar of course!

What's your favorite firefly memory?

magical mason mondays

so, one of the best things about mason jars is their uncanny ability to do just about anything. not only are they versatile, but also uber stylish. i'm going to dedicate mondays to the reveal of a new use for the standby mason jar. so, prepare to be amazed on mondays + inspired to find a clever use for the pantry staple.

this week's mason jar magic inspiration:

swoon. if only our cluster of 3 peach trees weren't a) dying and b) tiny, i would have so many dinner parties set up beneath them. but, these little hanging mason jar lanterns are super easy + super functional.

we made some of these last summer from recycled baby food jars, but now i want to mix in some of the large mason sizes for varied depth. for the sake of redundancy, you can follow this tutorial to make your own. the steps are simple:

1. clean your jar
2. cut mid-to-heavy gauge wire long enough to wrap around the jar's neck, plus an extra two inches. at least 16 gauge wire is recommended, even stronger for your heavier jars.
3. create a "necklace" for your jar's neck by wrapping the cut wire around the jar's neck one time. as you wrap, create a small wire loop on each opposite side of the neck. let's call these little loops "ears."
4. fasten the "necklace" to itself by twisting the ends together. you want it to be very tight so that it doesn't slip over the jar's rim.
5. determine how you want to hang your lanterns--if you want them to blow gently in the breeze, use twine. if you want them to stay pretty still, use your wire.
6. cut the twine/wire to desired hanging length. wrap one end of the hanging twine/wire around a jar's "ear," and tighten by twisting. repeat with opposite end of twine/wire and opposite "ear."
7. fill your jar with sand
8. insert candle - tea lights for the baby food jars, votives for the regular sized masons, and even larger pillars for the larger jars for drama
9. light + enjoy the ambiance
10. if you feel like getting fancy, you can wrap your lanterns in ribbon, paint them with spray paint, or heck, even be-dazzle them for extra sparkle.

abracadabra. from mason jar to romantic night lights.

ps - these guys are sturdy enough to keep outside year-round in most climates. just dump out the water after it rains. if you live in a super hot climate, you may want to remove the candles during the summer so they don't melt. the wire will rust over time, but it just adds to the charm.