I like the Fourth of July. Not because I am American. But because I like the idea of freedom. And in India we also celebrate our own freedom days. So when I see red white and blue colours, I feel happy. This year I thought why not make some home decoration with empty jars. You know the glass jars that come with pickles or jam. Do not throw them. Wash them clean. And turn them into a pretty thing for your patriotic fourth of july mason jar crafts.
I made a few crafts last week. Very easy. Took me one evening. My kids also helped. Nobody got hurt. No big cost. I will tell you how to do it.
Creative Mason Jar Crafts for a Patriotic Fourth of July
First go and find these things
Go to your kitchen. Look for empty glass jars. Any size works. Small one for one candle. Big one for a bunch of flowers. Then get these from your house or from nearby shop.
Red colour. Blue colour. White colour. Any paint works but acrylic is best. Small brush. One old newspaper to put under the jar. Glue. White cloth or ribbon. Some star stickers. And one small battery light. The kind you put inside a diwali diya. That small round light.
If you do not have stickers you can cut stars from paper. If you do not have paint you can use colour paper and glue. If you do not have ribbon you can take a white shoelace. Use what you have. That is the Indian way.
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First craft – three colour lines
Take one clean dry jar. Put it on newspaper. Now paint three lines from top to bottom. First line blue. Leave little gap. Second line white. Leave little gap. Third line red. Do not worry if lines are not straight. It looks better when it is a little crooked. Real handmade thing never looks perfect.
Let it dry. Go have tea. Come back after fifteen minutes. Put one star sticker on the blue line. That is all. Put the small battery light inside. Close the lid a little bit so light comes out. Keep this jar near your door. When guest comes they will see it and ask where you bought it. Say you made it. Feels good.
Second craft – shiny stars for night
Some people like shiny things. I like shiny things because at night they look very nice. Take one jar. Apply glue on the outside. But not everywhere. Only in small spots. Now take red shiny paper. Cut very small stars. Stick them on glue spots. Take blue shiny paper. Cut more stars. Stick them between red stars.
Now take a white ribbon. Tie it around the top of the jar. Just one simple knot. Not a big bow. Simple is better.
Put the battery light inside. Turn off your room light. You will see small red and blue stars glowing. This is very pretty for a dinner table. My daughter put this jar in her room and slept with it. That is how much she liked it.
Third craft – no paint only cloth
If you do not like paint because it makes a mess then this is for you. Take a white cloth. Any old cotton cloth works. Cut it so it wraps around your jar fully. Now take a blue pen. Draw a small square on top left of the cloth. Fill it with blue colour. Now take a red pen. Draw thin lines left to right on the rest of the cloth. Do not fill fully. Just lines.
Now you have a cloth that looks like the american flag. Apply glue on the jar. Wrap the cloth around. Press softly. Tie a red ribbon on top.
This jar looks very simple but nice. You do not need to put light inside. You can put real flowers in it. Water does not hurt because paint is not there. Just cloth. I put some white flowers from my garden. Looked very good for fourth of july morning.
Fourth craft – stars inside the jar
This one is my favourite. Take a jar. Stick small stars on the inside wall of the jar. Stick them here and there. Not in a line. Like real stars in the sky. Some high. Some low. Now take blue paint. Paint the inside of the jar. But do not paint over the stars. Paint around them. This takes time. Do slowly.
Let it dry for twenty minutes. Now put the battery light inside. Close the lid. When you turn on the light the stars look like they are floating in a blue sky. I made two such jars and kept them on both sides of the tv. Everyone asked how I did it. It looks very costly but it is just an old pickle jar.
Where to keep these jars on fourth of july?
You can keep one jar on the main door. Keeps one on the dining table. Keep one near the sofa. If you have a small garden or balcony then keep one on the railing. But make sure it does not fall. Glass breaks easily.
Do not keep these jars in direct sun for many hours. The paint can get hot and peel off. Keep them inside or in shade.
If you have kids then let them help. Give them the glue and stickers. Kids feel very happy when their work is kept on the table. My son stuck stars all over one jar. I did not correct him. We kept that jar also on the table. It looked funny but we all liked it.
What not to do?
Do not put a real candle inside these jars. Glass can crack. Paint can catch fire. Even if you are careful do not take the risk. Only use battery lights. The small round ones cost ten or twenty rupees. They last one full night. Safe for kids. Safe for home.
Do not use very old jars that have cracks. Check the jar properly. If there is a small crack then the jar can break when you put light inside. Throw that jar. Use a good one.
Do not wash the jar after painting on the same day. Let the paint dry fully. If you wash early the paint will come off. Wait one full day.
What to do after fourth of july is over?
After the celebration you can clean the jar and use it again for kitchen. If you used paint then put the jar in warm water for one hour. The paint will come off slowly. Rub with soft cloth. Do not use hard scrub. Glass will get scratches. If you used cloth and glue then peel the cloth. Soak the jar in soap water. The glue will go away. If you used stickers then they will also come off after soaking. Then you can put pickle or chutney in that jar again. Nothing is wasted.
Conclusion
Do not think you have to make all four crafts. Make one. Make two. Make none and just read. That is also fine. The idea is to enjoy the day. Fourth of July is about being happy with family. The jar is just a small thing. If you feel like making then make. If you do not feel like then just put a small lamp on the table and eat something good. I made these jars last week and kept them on my dining table. My neighbour came and saw them. She also made one at her home the next day. That felt nice. Small things spread happiness. So go find an old jar. Wash it. See what colours you have at home. Start painting. Do not worry about mistakes. A jar with mistakes is still a jar that you made. That is worth more than a perfect jar from a shop.
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FAQs
What kind of glass jar can I use if I do not have a Mason jar?
You can use any glass jar from your kitchen. The jar that comes with mixed pickle. The jar that comes with jam or ketchup. Even the small jar that comes with baby food. Just wash it well with soap and water. Remove the sticker and paper label fully. Dry it with a cloth. Then use it exactly like a Mason jar. The shape does not matter. Round or square both work. The only thing is the glass should be clear. Not coloured. Clear glass shows the paint and patriotic fourth of july mason jar crafts.
2. How do I make the paint stick to glass without peeling off later?
First wash the jar very well. Any oil or dust on the glass will make the paint fall off. After washing dry it fully. Then take a little white glue. Mix it with a few drops of water. Apply this mixture on the jar with your fingers or a cotton cloth. Let it dry for five minutes. This makes a rough layer on the glass. Then apply your red white blue paint. The paint will stick to this rough layer. It will not peel off easily. Even after many days it will stay. When you want to remove the paint later, soak the jar in warm water for one hour. Then it will come off.
3. What should I do if my star stickers are not sticking to the painted jar?
This happens when the paint is not fully dry. If you put a sticker on wet paint it will fall off after some time. So wait for two hours after painting. Touch the paint with your finger. If nothing sticks to your finger then the paint is dry. Then put the stickers. If your stickers still do not stick then put a very small dot of glue behind the sticker. Press it on the jar for ten seconds. After that do not touch that spot for one hour. The sticker will stay. If you do not have glue then use a small piece of double sided tape. That also works well.
