24 Brilliantly Creative Fall Mason Jar Crafts

A shelf of empty mason jars is the cheapest fall decorating budget you will ever have. That is really what fall mason jar crafts are: a plain glass jar plus paint, burlap, twine, a handful of acorns or a tea light, turned into the centerpiece or the porch light you were about to go buy. I have been making things out of jars for years and I still keep finding new ways to do it, which is how this list got to 24. Some take five minutes, like dropping a votive into a jar and pouring popcorn kernels around it. Some are a proper afternoon, like painting and distressing a whole set. Everything here comes from makers who documented the real steps, and you can browse plenty more in our mason jar crafts hub. Grab the jars out of the recycling and start with the one you cannot stop looking at.

1. Mason Jar Firefly Lanterns

Pin graphic reading Easy DIY Table Decor Mason Jar Firefly Lanterns showing lit jars of moss and twig balls

Battery LED string lights and dried moss, and that is genuinely the whole build. The light pack tucks into the back of the jar where nobody sees it, the moss gives the inside an earthy, woodsy look, and the lights run cool enough to sit safely on a table. Set them on a board with acorns scattered around and you have a fall table in about ten minutes. The maker notes the lights have a timer setting, so they come on at the same hour every evening without you touching them.

Get the full tutorial at Lil Blue Boo.

2. Mason Jar Centerpiece

Mason jar centerpiece of orange roses and green blooms with a burlap tie and bare twigs arching above

This one is a lesson in stretching a grocery store bouquet. After the big arrangement was built, the leftover blooms went into small mason jars tied with burlap, with a few sticks pulled from the yard pushed in to give the whole thing a rustic, woodsy shape. They were made as hostess gifts, which is exactly what they are best at. Twigs are the trick worth stealing here, because they add height and texture for nothing.

Get the full tutorial at Duke Manor Farm.

3. DIY Fall Decor with Hanging Mason Jars

Pin graphic titled fall decor using hanging mason jars showing jars filled with popcorn kernels and acorns

A Pottery Barn hack that takes about ten minutes. You drop a votive candle holder into a hanging mason jar, then pour your filler in around it: acorn vase filler in one, popping corn kernels in the next, mini pumpkins in the third. Add the votive candle and it is finished. A rolled paper funnel makes the popcorn kernels behave, because they go everywhere otherwise. The wire handles are sold separately at craft stores if your jars do not have them.

Get the full tutorial at Live Laugh Rowe.

4. Pine Cone Fall Mason Jars

Cream painted mason jars decoupaged with vintage pine cone images, one topped with a small gold pine cone

Pine cones off the ground, cream spray paint and a free printout are pretty much the whole supply list. The jars get sprayed cream, the lid and one small pine cone get sprayed gold, and then cut out vintage pine cone images are decoupaged onto the glass with Mod Podge, about four to a jar. Pillar Box Blue supplies those images as a free download. Print them on a laser printer if you have one, because inkjet ink smears the second wet decoupage glue touches it. The little gold pine cone glued dead center on the lid is what makes the jar.

Get the full tutorial at Pillar Box Blue.

5. Corn Husk Wrapped Mason Jar Vase

Corn husk wrapped mason jar vase tied with twine holding cream and orange dahlias beside a mini pumpkin

Dried corn husks, jute twine, a vintage mason jar and whatever is still blooming. Masking tape holds the first few husks in place, then the top layer tucks into the folds of the ones underneath so the tape disappears completely. Tie it off with jute and it is ready for the table in about five minutes. The maker filled hers with dahlias and set it beside ornamental gourds, but any bright garden bloom does the same job.

Get the full tutorial at Garden Therapy.

6. Chalk Painted Mason Jar

Two chalk painted mason jars in white and soft gray holding white blossoms and green leaves on a counter

Chalk based paint is the easy way into painted jars, because it grips glass without primer and it distresses smoothly instead of peeling off in sheets. Two coats, half an hour of drying between them, then sand lightly by hand with 220 grit or finer and wipe the dust off with a damp towel. Seal with clear acrylic spray. One smart step from the maker: put your hand inside the jar, paint the rim first, then stand it upside down to do the rest. Leave the inside unpainted so it can still hold water and fresh flowers.

Get the full tutorial at Maison de Pax.

7. Galaxy Mason Jars

Galaxy mason jars painted purple and pink with star shapes cut out and lit from inside by tea lights

The galaxy is nothing but paint. Acrylic gets mixed one to one with pouring medium, poured down an upside down jar and pushed around with a drinking straw until the colors marble. Then the paint dries a full 24 hours before tiny stars are cut out of the hardened film with a craft knife, so clear glass shows through wherever the star is. A metallic or pearl acrylic is worth the extra money here. Slide a flameless tea light inside and no two jars come out alike.

Get the full tutorial at One Little Project.

8. Mason Jar and Burlap Fall Centerpiece

Four burlap wrapped mason jars spelling FALL in black letters, each filled with red and yellow daisies

This is one of ours, and it is the centerpiece I reach for when people are coming over and there is no time to arrange anything properly. Jars get wrapped in burlap, clustered on a tray and filled with whatever says fall to you: seasonal blooms, wheat, berries, or all three at once. The tray is the trick, because it turns four separate jars into one deliberate arrangement. Cheap, fast and it reads as rustic rather than unfinished.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

9. Fall Leaf Mason Jar Candle Holders

Row of orange mason jar candle holders with paper leaf tags and lace, lit from inside against a dark wall

Also ours, and the one that photographs best once it gets dark. Real or faux autumn leaves get pressed around the outside of the jars, and a candle inside lights them from behind so the veins show and the whole jar glows amber. A row of them down a table or along a porch rail is genuinely lovely. Real leaves need to be properly dry before they go on, or they curl away from the glass as they shrink.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

10. Mason Jar Oil Candles

Pin graphic reading DIY mason jar oil candles smell great showing three jars of fruit and coffee beans lit

Oil candles burn cleaner and longer than wax, and they let you show off whatever you put in the jar: sliced fruit, coffee beans, cranberries, cinnamon sticks. Ours uses a jar, lamp oil, a wick and a bit of decorative filler, and the filler is what makes it a fall piece or a Christmas one without changing anything else. They smell good and they are far more forgiving than pouring wax, which is why they are my standing suggestion for anyone nervous about candle making.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

11. Mason Jar Lid Pumpkin

Three panel graphic showing an orange mason jar lid pumpkin with a moss stem and hands threading the rings

The best possible use for the canning rings nobody ever has a use for. They stack and thread together into a plump little pumpkin, with a cinnamon stick pushed in for a stem and raffia tied around the base. Ours is quick, costs almost nothing if the rings are already in a drawer, and it sits happily on a shelf from September through Thanksgiving. Paint the rings if you want orange; leave them bare and it reads farmhouse instead.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

12. Burlap And Lace Mason Jars For Fall

Pin graphic titled Fall Jars showing painted jars wrapped in burlap and lace holding cream sunflowers

Chalky paint, burlap, lace trim and dollar store sunflowers. The jars get at least two coats of paint, and the first coat has to dry completely or the second coat pulls it back off. A band of burlap goes around the middle with a dab of hot glue at the back, lace goes over the top of the burlap, then the flowers drop in. Sand a few spots first if you want them distressed. Any jars work here, including peanut butter and salad dressing jars.

Get the full tutorial at Crafting in the Rain.

13. DIY Sand Art Painted Succulent Terrariums

Three jars layered with black and white striped sand, each holding a spray painted succulent in blue or pink

Childhood sand art grown up. Faux succulents get spray painted and left to dry completely, then colored sand goes into the jars in layers, alternating colors and tilting as you pour to make chevrons and stripes. The painted succulent presses into the sand at the top. A funnel and a small scoop make the layering far easier to control than pouring straight from the bag. They work as a centerpiece or as a row of them along a desk or counter.

Get the full tutorial at The Pretty Life Girls.

14. Super Simple Mason Jar Candles For Fall

Mason jar candle holder wrapped in twine with a dried orange flower, holding a lit white pillar candle

A jar, a pillar candle, a wrap of twine and a dried flower head. The whole appeal is that there is nothing to buy: the candle you already own, the twine is from the garage, the flower can come off a wreath you are not using. A sand or seed layer in the bottom holds the candle steady and stops it rattling. It is the item on this list to make when guests are twenty minutes away.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Design Fanatic.

15. Scarecrow Jar Fall Craft

Scarecrow mason jar painted with a face, googly eyes and orange felt nose, topped with a burlap hat and raffia

A pint jar painted to be a scarecrow face, with googly eyes, an orange felt nose and a mouth drawn on with a black paint pen. Burlap is traced around the lid and glued on for the hat, with raffia tucked underneath for straw hair and a ribbon band around the crown. Use paint made for glass. Fill it with candy and it becomes a hostess gift or something to leave on a neighbor’s porch, which is exactly what the maker suggests.

Get the full tutorial at The Country Chic Cottage.

16. Maple Tree Leaf Globe

Mason jar snow globe holding water, a bare twig tree and orange confetti leaves, with silk leaves on the lid

A snow globe for autumn, made with a twig instead of a tree. The jar fills with plain tap water, a stick gets hot glued to the inside of the flipped lid so it stands up like a little bare tree, then the rim is glued and the lid screwed on. Silk leaves and twine dress the outside of the lid. The falling leaves are metallic confetti, and the maker cut hers from a chili pepper garland. No oil needed, since the confetti is already weighted.

Get the full tutorial at Premeditated Leftovers.

17. Polka Dot Mason Jars

Pin graphic reading DIY Polka Dot Mason Jars, showing white painted jars with pastel dots holding pink roses

Wash the jars, wipe them down with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, then two coats of white, drying between them. The dots go on with a round foam stipple brush, which is the tool that makes them even instead of blobby. Let the whole thing dry overnight before two coats of soft touch varnish go over the top. The maker used DecoArt fluid acrylics, and the same process takes any color you like, including a harvest palette.

Get the full tutorial at The How-To Home.

18. Chalky Painted Mason Jars

Pin graphic reading Chalky Painted Mason Jars showing teal, blue and gray jars holding white hydrangeas

Plain glass jars from the craft store, two coats of Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint, then clear wax over the top for protection and to deepen the color. The colors used were Everlasting, Escape and Yesteryear. The paint dries to a flat matte and goes on smoothly, and the maker sanded over the raised lettering afterward so the embossed words show through as distressing. Faux hydrangeas finish them. That sanding trick is the one to remember on any embossed jar.

Get the full tutorial at Mom 4 Real.

19. Apple Mason Jar

Bright red painted Ball mason jar tied with twine and two green paper leaves, filled with yellow pencils

A jar spray painted apple red, wrapped with garden twine at the neck and given two green leaf cutouts tied on with it, then filled with sharpened pencils. It is a teacher gift that takes one evening and looks far more thoughtful than a mug. Write the teacher’s name on a leaf and it is personalized in ten seconds. The jar keeps working long after the pencils are gone, as a desk tidy or a brush pot. Fill it with chocolate instead if pencils feel too on the nose.

Get the full tutorial at Tilly's Nest.

20. DIY Mason Jar Light

Pin graphic reading Mason Jar Light showing a cluster of jars full of fairy lights hanging on a porch wall

A cluster of jars hung from a cast iron swivel hook, each one holding a length of fairy lights rather than a bulb. That choice is the whole point: a 100 light string spreads a soft glow, slips straight into the jar and means no cutting of the lid, no wiring and nothing to electrocute yourself with. Wide mouth clear jars fit a full string best. Grapevine wire hangs them and burlap ribbon dresses the hook if you want it.

Get the full tutorial at All Things Heart and Home.

21. Pink Ombre Mason Jar

Row of painted and distressed mason jars shading from bright pink to white, filled with pink carnations

The most useful painting tutorial on this list, whatever color you choose. Clean the jars with rubbing alcohol and hot soapy water first, because that is why most painted jars peel. Then plain craft acrylic, no special brush and no primer, mixed with white in increasing amounts to step the color lighter across the set. Distress with 80 grit sandpaper and seal with a matte clear coat. The ombre is simply how much white goes into each jar.

Get the full tutorial at Mason Jar Crafts Love.

22. Mod Podge Flower Mason Jar

Pin graphic reading mod podged flower mason jar showing a pale blue jar decoupaged with pink paper flowers

Decoupage, done so it survives the dishwasher. Wipe the jar with rubbing alcohol first even if it is brand new, add two coats of craft paint, then brush on dishwasher safe Mod Podge, lay the cut out flowers down and seal over the top with more of it. Smooth the paper gently as you go, especially around the edges of each petal, because that is where wrinkles and lifted corners appear. Home printed florals, magazine pages or scrapbook paper all work.

Get the full tutorial at Mad in Crafts.

23. Mason Jar Fairy Lights With Pressed Flowers

Mason jar decorated with pressed flowers and lit from the inside by a string of warm white fairy lights

This one is ours, and it is the jar I would make first. Pressed flowers and leaves go onto the outside of the jar, a string of battery fairy lights goes inside, and the pressed pieces turn into silhouettes once the lights are on. Pressing is the only slow part, so start it a week before you want the jars. Pressed maple and oak leaves in place of flowers takes the whole project straight into fall.

Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.

24. Acorn Mason Jar Votives

Pin graphic reading Pottery Barn inspired Acorn Votives showing jars filled with acorns around lit tea lights

A Pottery Barn look for dollar store money, and the steps are almost funny in how few there are. Stand a small glass tea light votive in the center of the jar, drop a tea light into it, then pour faux acorns into the gap around the outside so the candle glows through a bed of them. That is the entire project. Real acorns work if they are baked first, otherwise you get uninvited guests a week later.

Get the full tutorial at It All Started With Paint, inspired by a Pottery Barn pin and a version by Confessions of a Plate Addict.

Best Mason Jar Crafts for Fall - DIY Mason Jar Ideas for Centerpieces, Wedding Decorations, Homemade Gifts, Craft Projects with Leaves, Flowers and Burlap, Painted Art, Candles and Luminaries for Cool Home Decor