Say goodbye to the boring pencil cups that are sitting in the corner of your desk and say hello to DIY mason jars! This easy and inexpensive craft will make your desk area a more personalized and inviting space to accomplish your daily work – and will leave your friends wondering where they can get their hands on one! The best part about decorating these mason jars is that no artistic skill is needed – all you need is your personal style!
Stop by your local craft store to pick up these simple materials:
1. Mason jars – good brands to use are Ball or Kerr
2. Ribbon trims
3. Washi tapes – these are patterned tape rolls seen above in the blue and striped patterns
4. Decals – the easiest to work with are 3D scrapbook stickers
5. Hot glue gun and corresponding glue sticks
6. Scissors
Prepping
Before you dive into decorating, clean your jar using basic household cleaning supplies to rid of any spots or streaks that may be on your jar. Remove the price sticker as well. We all know that those price stickers can be a pain to remove so I recommend using Goo Gone. This product quickly works wonders to strip the adhesive residue from the jar. Lastly, remove the lid and pop out the center piece of the lid so that you are left with the outer rim to put back onto the jar. (See picture below.) Now you will be able to put all of your writing utensils into the jar!
Measuring and Applying Materials
Measure out your tapes and ribbon trims before applying so that they will be the appropriate lengths for where they are being placed. Application of materials is super easy! The tapes will stick to the jar on their own; however, you will need to use your hot glue gun in order for trims and decals to stick.
Tip: Apply the glue to the trim or decal you are working with first, rather than applying the glue to the jar and sticking your material onto the glue spot.
Decorating
Here comes the fun part where no rules are necessary! How you decorate your jar is all up to you! One tip that I have for decorating is to use similar styles and color palettes that coordinate with your dorm’s theme for a more cohesive feel. I also recommend covering the entire metal rim with your Washi tapes and ribbon trims because it adds a nice contrast to the transparency of the jar. Mix and match your tapes and trims on the jar. Create patterns with your materials through repetition of color and through how you arrange the lines of trims and tapes. Place the decals anywhere your heart desires! A substitute to object decals, such as flowers, can be scrapbook letter decals. With these, you can create a bold word statement or add your own personal monogram. If glam is your middle name, you can cover the rim or the base in glitter! Doing this is a little messy, but the outcome is stunning! Just grab a paper plate and pour the glitter into a pile. Working in roughly 1 – 2 in. sections, squeeze hot glue onto the designated area, and quickly roll the section in the glitter pile until fully covered.
Overall, these DIY mason jars are an easy, inexpensive, and quick craft to do – the perfect combo for us college students! Happy decorating!