Christmas Craft Night: Mason Jar DIY

I had so much fun hosting last year's Christmas Craft Night, where we made these adorable "Season's Greetings" card holders, that I knew it was going to be an annual tradition.

I loved how our fall craft was open ended and had so many possibilities, so I wanted to do something similar. Everyone gets the same items and we can make them all our own! That vintage, farmhouse, rustic feel is super popular this year (thanks, Joanna Gaines!), so the mason jar was the clear winner among my girlfriends.

Each guest got three mason jars (I picked Ball wide-mouthed smooth-sided quart jars from Target) and #allofthesupplies. Ten ladies came, and they each chipped in $10 for the jars and extras.

Of course, a few weeks ahead of time, I shared endless links to ideas across the internet. Who knew there were so many Christmas craft ideas using mason jars? I also cut a few decals using my Silhouette Cameo 2 using removable vinyl to use as stencils on our jars. 

As usual, the results were amazing! Admittedly, we had a few #craftfail moments. Turns out the acrylic craft paint we used needs to be super wet or completely dry before peeling off the decal stencil. A few of us peeled it up when it was a bit tacky with some messy results! Nothing some touch ups with a small paint brush couldn't fix though. And it adds to that "rustic" vibe we're all going for anyway, right??

And then my silly friends knew how much of a clean freak I am and snuck out to my front lawn in the dark to use fine glitter. Turns out using adhesive spray near your hands while glittering can lead to some sparkly fingers long after the party is over! Side note: my lawn still looks pretty magical...

Also, who knew that epsom salts can look like snow? Some used it to coat the outside of jars, and others used it at the bottom of their jars to hold a tea light candle in place. 

A few of us used the letters J-O-Y on our jars to make candle holders. Mine were painted in white with a gold glittered lid. But it was looking a bit bland once it hit my mantle, so a few sprigs of faux winter berries transformed them into vases.

But probably my favorite project was done the next day while I was crafting with my boys. I glued a small fake tree to the bottom of a jar and filled the bottom of the jar with about an inch of epsom salts mixed with a little silver glitter. I glued a few iridescent snowflakes  randomly around the sides using tacky glue, and finished it off with some red twine. It turned into an adorable winter scene on my coffee table!