One jar, one afternoon and something you’ll actually use when you’re done. That’s the deal with these 19 quick mason jar crafts. A baking soda diffuser freshens a bathroom, a sewing kit hides a pincushion in its lid, a map covered jar saves up for your next trip and a snow globe holds a gift card instead of water. There are painted jars, gold jars, a mosaic jar, a night light and a pencil holder for the desk too. I’m a big paper mache fan (ask me anything about it), so the tissue paper jar is the one I’d start with. Hungry for more? Browse our summer mason jar crafts, fall mason jar crafts, mason jar vases and every one of our mason jar crafts.
1. DIY Mason Jar Diffuser
A DIY mason jar diffuser is a baking soda air freshener with a pretty cut metal lid. Trace the jar’s flat seal onto a sheet of decorative perforated aluminum, then cut just inside the line with metal snips. Wear gloves, since those cut edges are sharp. Fill the jar partway with baking soda and stir in your favorite essential oil, about 30 to 40 drops per cup. Swap the new metal disc in for the seal, screw on the band and you’re done. It soaks up odors near a litter box or in a closet, and costs next to nothing if the scraps are on hand.
Get the full tutorial at Dream a Little Bigger.
2. Box Tops Mason Jar
A Box Tops mason jar keeps those little school fundraiser clippings in one spot instead of lost in a drawer. The trick is a coin slot lid, the same one used for mason jar piggy banks. Brush two coats of multi-surface paint on the jar, letting the first dry completely before the second. A light sanding afterward gives it a distressed look if you like. Cut the words in glitter vinyl on a cutting machine and press them on with transfer tape. Ribbon trim at the neck finishes it, and it can live by the recycling bin so clipping is easy.
Get the full tutorial at A Pumpkin And A Princess.
3. Mason Jar Nightlight
A mason jar nightlight is so easy the kids can make their own. Small jars work best, though a baby food or pickle jar does the job too. Stir a little food coloring and extra fine glitter into Mod Podge, then paint the inside of the jar with the tinted mix. For a speckled look, dab Mod Podge on in spots, sprinkle glitter over it and repeat. Once dry, set a battery tealight in the lid and screw the jar on upside down so the lid becomes the base. It glows softly all night and costs about the same as a store nightlight.
Get the full tutorial at Mod Podge Rocks.
4. Glittering Gem Mason Jars
Glittering gem mason jars throw sparkly light patterns across a room. Cover a jar in flat glass gems, gluing each one with a glass and bead glue made for the job. Clear silicone caulk works too, but it gives a different, chunkier look. The key is patience: let the glue cure fully before you handle the jar or leave it out in heat or cold, and the gems won’t budge. Top it with a solar light lid, which can be made for about a dollar each. Set it in a sunny window by day and watch it glow by night.
Get the full tutorial at Dream a Little Bigger.
5. DIY Mason Jar Drinking Cup
A DIY mason jar drinking cup turns a canning jar into a to-go tumbler with a straw lid. Anchor a metal lid with a few nails around the edge, then drill a hole in the center with a 1/2 inch spade bit. Press in a rubber grommet, about 5/8 inch outside and 3/8 inch inside, so the straw fits snugly and doesn’t scratch. Screw on the band and slide in a glass or stainless steel straw. A pint and a half jar fits most cup holders. Add a fabric sleeve before pouring anything hot.
Get the full tutorial at Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS.
6. DIY Painted Baseball Mason Jars
DIY painted baseball mason jars make cute utensil caddies for a ball themed party or a baby shower. Wash pint jars, then wipe them with rubbing alcohol. Paint them white with a multi-surface craft paint, one light coat at a time, and let each coat dry overnight. Rushing the second coat makes the paint peel right off, and three coats give full coverage. Draw curved red seams down each side with a paint pen, adding little arrow stitches. Sand lightly over the raised lettering for a worn look, then tie on a jute bow.
Get the full tutorial at two purple couches.
7. DIY Santa Chocolate Jar
A DIY Santa chocolate jar is a last minute Christmas gift that comes together fast. Measure across the mason jar lid and trim a regular Santa hat to that width, then hot glue the seam closed and glue the pom pom back on top. For the belt buckle, cut a small gold EVA foam rectangle with two slots and thread black ribbon through. Wrap the belt around the jar, pull it tight and glue the end. Fill it with chocolates, close the lid and pop the hat on. No sewing needed, and small jars work too.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
8. Gold Mason Jars
Gold mason jars might be the fastest glam upgrade on this list. A metallic gold spray paint does all the work. Shake the can a lot before you start and between passes to keep the paint mixed. Spray in steady side to side sweeps, left to right and back again. With metallic gold, one full coat is the trick, since layering several thin coats can dull the shine. Skip a clear sealer too, as it can discolor the gold. Fill them with carnations and line them down a table for a bridal shower.
Get the full tutorial at Mason Jar Crafts Love.
9. Mosaic Mason Jar
A mosaic mason jar looks like sea glass treasure but uses craft store glass pieces from the vase filler aisle. Skip the glue gun here, since there are too many little pieces and too many chances to burn your fingers. A quick drying all purpose epoxy holds better. Work in one section at a time: dry fit the pieces first, glue them down, let them set, then turn the jar and repeat. It looks lovely in daylight, and even better on a summer night with a candle glowing inside.
Get the full tutorial at Mason Jar Crafts Love.
10. DIY Snow Globe Gift Card Holder
A gift card is the easiest present to buy and the hardest to make exciting, so hide it inside a snow globe. This DIY JOY original is built upside down: a glittered plastic lid becomes the stage for a bottle brush tree tied to a little red car, or a few bow-trimmed trees. Glitter goes inside the glass, mini foam balls go in for snow, the card slips in and the lid screws on. There’s no water, so nothing leaks. A red ribbon and bow finish it, and there’s a video.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
11. Craft Supplies Mason Jar Gift
Know a crafter who has everything? Give them more of it, in a jar. Fill a wide-mouth quart jar with color-coordinated goodies: washi tape, twine, rubber stamps, markers, embroidery scissors, mini paint pots, whatever their favorite craft calls for. Tall pens need a tall jar, so check before you shop. Add a free printable gift tag and a bow and it’s ready to give. Honestly, picking out the supplies is half the fun, and you can build one for Mother’s Day, a birthday or Christmas.
Get the full tutorial at Bellewood Cottage.
12. Map Mason Jar Bank
Saving for a trip feels a lot more real when the jar is covered in the map. Spray the jar white first so the thin napkin print stays bright, then cut a map paper napkin into strips, peel off the printed top layer and lay it on with watered down Mod Podge. A coin slot in the lid turns it into a bank, and a luggage tag says what you’re saving for. It’s about an hour of work, not counting drying time. A sweet gift for a graduate too.
Get the full tutorial at Pillar Box Blue.
13. Snowstorm in a Jar
Is it a craft or a science lesson? Both, and kids won’t care which. This snowstorm in a jar is a winter experiment where white droplets rise and tumble like a blizzard in slow motion, with sparkles swirling along for the ride. It’s a sneaky lesson in density, and every time the storm settles they’ll want to start it again. A clear mason jar gives the best view. It’s a great pick for a snow day, a classroom or a cold afternoon indoors.
Get the full tutorial at The Best Ideas for Kids.
14. Mason Jar Butterfly Terrarium
No plants to water and nothing to keep alive, which makes this the kind of terrarium anyone can keep. The whole scene is built upside down on the lid: a ball of air dry clay holds paper butterflies glued to floral wire, faux greenery, little flowers, pebbles and moss. Then the jar screws down over the top. A butterfly paper punch saves a lot of cutting, though six or eight by hand is no big deal. It was designed as a make and take, so it’s quick.
Get the full tutorial at At Charlotte's House.
15. Mason Jar Snow Globe Ornament
Tiny figurines from the dollhouse aisle make these little snow scenes so charming. A mini reindeer, a bottle brush tree or a tiny truck gets hot glued inside a small clear jar with a layer of fake snow (Epsom salt works in a pinch). A nail and hammer punch a hole in the lid for a jute hanger. Skip patterned jelly jars, since you can’t see through them, and reach for smooth glass or a cleaned out candle jar. It’s a sweet, quick ornament to make every year.
Get the full tutorial at The Turquoise Home.
16. Mason Jar Sewing Kit
The lid of this little sewing kit is secretly a pincushion. You ball up batting on top of the flat lid, lay a pinked circle of fabric over it and push it all up through the screw ring so it puffs into a smooth dome. Hot glue the edges underneath and cover the raw bits with a felt circle. Fill the jar with thread, buttons, trim and small scissors and you can carry your handwork to the couch. Pair it with a fabric stack and it’s a gift any sewist would love.
Get the full tutorial at The Girl Inspired.
17. Earth Day Mason Jar Lanterns
Old jars plus tissue paper and a little Mod Podge make lanterns the whole family can design together. You decorate a flat sheet of white tissue first (much easier than working on curved glass), then wrap it around the jar and seal it. Little kids can do a simple blue heart on green, and older kids can cut out a starry sky around planet Earth. Newspaper letters add a recycled look. Fair warning: these are hard to stop at one, so save extra jars.
Get the full tutorial at The Craft Train.
18. Mason Jar Pencil Holder
Want your desk to look a little less boring by lunchtime? Paint a jar. Rub it down with rubbing alcohol so the paint sticks, then brush on three or four coats of bright acrylic, about 15 minutes apart, leaving the rim bare. Once it’s dry, wrap twine around the middle in loose layers, tie a bow and twist the band back on with the flat lid tossed. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and that’s what gives it the farmhouse look. Most crafters have every supply already.
Get the full tutorial at Ideas for the Home by Kenarry.
19. Tissue Paper Mache Mason Jar
Little squares of colorful tissue paper and a glue and water paste turn a jar into stained glass for anyone who can hold a brush. Mix one part school glue to two parts water, brush a patch of jar, lay down a square and brush over it again, overlapping as you go. A plastic jar is easier and lighter for kids. Add a black vinyl design or a ribbon if you like, then use it as a vase, a pencil cup or a candy jar gift.
Get the full tutorial at Crafting Cheerfully.
