sequin mason jar vase how to

June 12, 2013 By Linda 9 Comments

I’ve been remiss. I’ve kept you in the dark.

Can you forgive me?

I promised a tutorial on the sequin mason jar vase I shared last week. You know the post, right? The one where I ran a giveaway for a case of amazing blue Ball mason jars …

… and before I get to the ‘how to’ part of this post, how about I finish up that piece of unfinished business. Because the giveaway is closed. A winner has been chosen. And notified by email. And I have her address (congratulations Nancy T.) and her prize should be winding its way to her soon …

Now, I told you this project was super simple, right? Like super duper simple. So don’t blink …

How To Make Mason Jar Vase with Sequins

Step 1: Take some Mod Podge gloss and brush some into the bottom and around the top of the mason jar …

Step 2. Dump in sequins, put on the top and shake …

Step 3. Let dry overnight. Style with flowers …

Now, keep in mind that Mod Podge is, at its core, glue. So you can’t put water in these vases.

I found a pin on Pinterest that said you can just add water and sequins to your vase. They claimed some some would float and some would sink. So I tried it. And, for this project, I can tell you it didn’t work as envisioned No, I can do one better. I can show you …

See? Okay, some did float. Some did sink. But the overall effect was a mess …

I may need to pin it to a pin-fail Pinterest board.

You Might Also Like:

Mason Jar Window Treatment

Mason Jar Sewing Kit

Mason Jar Project Gallery

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red, white & blue mason jars

June 10, 2013 By Linda 58 Comments

A tutorial on how to make American flag red white blue mason jars.

Did you ever invite yourself to a party?

And I’m not talking about some coy, roundabout way of trying to pull an invitation out of someone. Listening with rapt attention as they regale you with tales of their past parties. Gasping and laughing and expressing with great enthusiasm about how much fun it sounded …

… letting your voice trail off as you look longingly at the storyteller. Hoping an invitation would be forthcoming. I mean, you did laugh at all the rights spots, didn’t you …

No, not that kind of inviting yourself. I’m talking about the brazen-put-someone-on-the-spot-with-a-direct-invitation-invite-yourself invite.

Yeah. I did that.

It was about seven years ago. At a party with the full extended family. And my husband’s nephew’s wife’s mother (got that?) and her family were talking about their annual Fourth of July bash. And all could think is that I needed to be a part of all that crazy fun. About how I needed to be included. So I did it. I asked if we could could get an invitation …

And the rest, as they say, is history ….

So in honor of our wonderful, annual Fourth of July hosts, I decided to make a appropriately themed gift to properly thank them for overlooking my rudeness and welcoming us into their family celebration …

… with some red white blue mason jars. Of course. This time painted and distressed with stars and stripes. And put together to make an American flag.

How to Make American Flag Red White Blue Mason Jars

I started by painting two jars white and one blue using craft store acrylic paint (Americana Snow White, Primary Blue, and True Red) …

Then I moved on to the stripes …

Followed by the stars …

And then I distressed them using sand paper. I also used an emery board on the smaller spaces around the raised lettering …

After a coat of clear enamel spray paint …

They’re ready to party! 🙂

PIN IT!

You Might Also Like:

American Flag Mason Jars #2 (click here)

Union Jack Mason Jars (click here)

How To Paint & Distress Mason Jars (click here)

For more mason jar project ideas, check out my mason jar project gallery by clicking here …

And for even more inspiration, check out my mason jar blog …

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a sick day. almost.

May 20, 2013 By Linda 18 Comments

Painted mason jars in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.

I had every intention of calling in sick today.

But it wasn’t going to be a real sick day. Because I’m not sick. I was going to give you the fake sick call-in …

* Cough *

Hellooooo ….

That was going to be my opening. The fake cough followed by the gravely, drawn out hello. Spoken softly. Almost a whisper …

* Cough *

Another cough for good measure. Followed up with …

I’m not feeling so good today ….

* Cough *

*Cough *

* Sniffle *

And then I would give you my litany of fake ills: My head hurts. My stomach is queasy. I feel weak. I’m burning up. I was up all night ….

* Cough *

But somewhere between my viewing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on ABC Family and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 on my Amazon Video Library, panic set in …

… my cursed, ingrained goody two shoes nature kicked in …

And I realized I just couldn’t do that to you.

Fake coughs and fake illnesses couldn’t be used to mask the fact that I have no new projects to share. That nothing was worked on over the weekend…

I mean, really? How could I find the time with all that Harry Potter viewing going on …

So instead, I show up here first thing all bright-eyed-and bushy-tailed …

… to give you yet another shameless plug for my Etsy shop!

The Annie Sloan Chalk Paint mason jar collection. Painted in Old White. And distressed. Of course.

You can find them by clicking here …

Shameless, I tell you …

You know what? It probably would’ve been better if I had just called in fake sick after all …

🙂

Painted Mason Jars in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

If you want to make your own painted and distressed mason jars, I’ve created a step-by-step tutorial . You can find it by clicking here …

How to Paint & Distress Mason Jars (click here)

Ombre Mason Jars (click here)

Spring Painted & Distressed Mason Jars (click here)

You can find even more mason jar craft ideas at my project gallery. Click here for more …

I even have a second blog dedicated to all things mason jar. Just click here …

Finally, if you’re looking for mason jar crafts ideas for kids, check out my book by clicking here …

Ombre mason jars

May 14, 2013 By Linda 20 Comments

How To Make Ombre Mason Jars in Blue.

I remember when ombre came into style the first time around. And I have to admit that it’s taken me some time to wrap my head around its comeback …

I mean, who can blame me? I’m a product of the 70’s. The very same decade that is not known for its fashion or style highs. Just the lows. Lots and lots of lows in various hues of brown, orange, and apple green …

* Shudder *

So I hung around on the sidelines while others went crazy with the ombre projects. Walls and furniture and vases and lamps and cakes.

Wait a minute … did I just say cakes? Yup, someone even made an ombre cake. And it is A.MAZE.ING!

So when it came to stocking the Etsy shop with painted and distressed mason jars, I thought it might be fitting to create an line of ombre mason jars …

… painted and distressed in shades of blue.

How To Make Ombre Mason Jars

They were pretty simple to make. I just started with blue paint and painted one jar with the undiluted color. Then I added some white and painted the second jar. Added more white, painted the third jar. For the final jar, I started with white and added just a drop of blue.

Then I sealed them with this product to protect them from scratches.

And I’m happy to report that I just sold a set of these blue ombre mason jars. But don’t worry. The shop has been restocked …

I’m beginning to think this new mason jar business venture might actually work out …

🙂

PIN IT!

Ombre Mason Jars in Blue

If you want to make your own painted and distressed mason jars, I’ve created a step-by-step tutorial. You can find it by clicking here …

How To Paint & Distress Mason Jars (click here)

Spring Mason Jars (click here)

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Mason Jars (click here)

You can find even more mason jar craft ideas at my project gallery. Click here for more …

I even have a second blog dedicated to all things mason jar. Just click here …

Finally, if you’re looking for mason jar crafts ideas for kids, check out my book by clicking here …

ice box cake … and a mason jar fail

April 29, 2013 By Linda 9 Comments

It was just a matter of time, wasn’t it? What with all those mason jar projects I’ve been tackling as my surgered finger heals.

It’s been a good run.

Well, some of my loyal readers may think otherwise. You don’t fool me. I can hear your sarcasm dripping thick in the comment threads …

I thought I had another brilliant mason jar idea up my sleeve: recreating one of my favorite childhood desserts in a mason jar. An ice box cake. And this recipe couldn’t be any easier to make. I mean, it only has four ingredients:

1. Chocolate Wafers

2. Heavy Whipping Cream

3. Sugar

4. Vanilla Extract

The super simple recipe can be found on the side of the box. It amounts to combining the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and whipping it up with a mixer until it forms peaks. Then you simply spread some whipped cream on a wafer. Put a wafer on top. Spread more whipped cream on that wafer and so on and so on …

My idea was to layer the whipped cream and wafers in the mason jar. You know, a dollop of whipped cream, followed by a wafer, followed by a dollop of whipped cream, followed by a wafer …. layered all the way until I hit the top.

But the whipped cream wouldn’t dollop neatly in the jar. And it smudged all over the sides. And you couldn’t see the wafers. They got lost in a sea of whipped cream dollops ….

In the end, it was just a big messy jar of wafers and whipped cream. Granted, a deliciously-scrumptious-melt-in-your-mouth messy jar of whipped cream and chocolate wafers.

So I was forced to go with plan B. Just stacking them up on a platter …

… to make little single serve ice box cakes. Single serve little ice box cakes that my teen son devoured in two bites.
And I’m thinking this fail may be a sign. You know, a sign that screams STOP IT WITH ALL THE MASON JAR PROJECTS ALREADY!
Yeah, they’re wearing thin on me too. Maybe I should start a burlap projects series …
Or book pages …

or …

If you’re NOT sick of mason jar projects, you can find even more at my Mason Jar Project Gallery here …

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mason jar centerpiece

April 23, 2013 By Linda 16 Comments

Mason jar centerpiece idea for table – weddings, showers, holidays.

Where were all the mason jars when I got married almost 19 years ago?

Probably hidden behind pantry doors – or in the dark recesses of basements – being used as they were intended to be used. For canning.

When my father walked me down the aisle so I could say my “I do’s” to my beloved husband, those mason jars were busy working hard to keep those stewed tomatoes stewed …

… and those pickled beets pickled.

And when Mike and I took to the dance floor to dance our first dance to “Be My Baby,” those mason jars filled with tomatoes and beets and various other fruits and vegetables could only dream of one day being the center of attention as a mason jar centerpiece on reception hall tables …

If only they knew back then what they would grow up to become …

… and in how many crazy ways we would use them.

Repurpose them ..

Paint them …

Cook in them …

Mason jar centerpiece them …

and fall head over heels in love with them!

🙂

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You Might Also Like:

Sequin Mason Jar Vases (click here)

Mason Jar Window Treatment (click here)

Mason Jar Sewing Kit (click here)

For even more non-traditional mason jar ideas, check out my Mason Jar Gallery.

salad in a jar

April 22, 2013 By Linda 19 Comments

To wear pants with a zipper.

A noble goal. A shrewd dieting strategy …

and a goal and a strategy I wish I’d formulated myself …

But, alas, it was the brilliant idea of this brilliant blogger.

Now, she has yet to share this goal – or strategy? or combination of both? – on her blog. So, being the good and gracious friend that I am, I opted to beat her to the proverbial blog-world punch …

and claim it as my own (cue evil laugh).

I think there could even be a movement behind the “To Wear Pants with a Zipper” dieting strategy. Kind of like the old bra burning movement of the 60’s, we can rally women to burn their yoga pants …

* I see a giant yoga pant burning bonfire in the Target parking lot *

Because, let’s face it, at the end of the day yoga pants aren’t anything different – or better — than the elastic waist pants our mothers (and grandmothers) wear. They may cost more. They may look more stylish. But unless you’re at the gym … on your way to the gym … or on your way home from the gym … the truth is, you’re wearing elastic waist pants. Period. End of discussion.

And how deceptively comfortable they are, right? All winter long lulling us into a false sense of security. When, in fact, a single Medium size yoga pant has the ability to stretch to accommodate not just one … not just two … but upwards of three pants size changes. Stretching to accommodate a 10 … a 20 … even a 30 pound weight gain!

And when the snow clears. And the sun comes out. And the temperatures begin to finally ~ finally ~ feel like Spring, us yoga wearing pants women will be in for a rude awakening …

* Shudder *

But fear not. I’m here to help. I’ve finally embraced Weight Watchers online in earnest. My membership may date back 45+ days, but my full-on, hard-core participation kicked-in last week …

And I’ll bring you along for the ride. Starting with a Weight Watchers 7-point BLT Salad recipe …

A recipe which, to the consternation of my teen son, I opted to put in a mason jar …

But this recipe works equally as well as a non-jar salad. You know, the traditional ~ yawn ~ make it in a bowl salad.

The recipe can also be adapted to make a BLT sandwich. Just replace the bread crumbs with two 35-calorie slices of reduced-fat bread. And use just two tablespoons of the dressing on the bread.

BLT Salad in A Jar

(Yield: 2 Servings)

4 slices reduced-fat bacon

14 grams fat-free croutons (approx. 14 croutons)

2 medium fresh tomatoes

2 cups romaine lettuce

2 cups iceberg lettuce

2 scallions, chopped

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

2 TBS 2% milk

2 TBS low-fat sour cream

1/8 tsp salt

Crisp bacon and crumble. For the dressing, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, chopped scallions, and salt. Put the dressing in the bottom of the jar; layer lettuce on top …

… and then keep on layering in the ingredients …

Topping it all off with the crumbled bacon. Yum …

When you’re ready to eat it, just put on the lid and shake it all up!

And as I type these words, I am wearing pants with a zipper. Not my goal pants with a zipper. But pants with a zipper nonetheless …

🙂

a million miles an hour

September 19, 2012 By Linda 21 Comments

That about sums up my life these days.

That’s what was going through my mind today as I beat the clock to the post office to get a custom order pillow there in time for overnight delivery.

That’s what wakes me long before the alarm goes off each morning … as my mind races with lists and to do’s and a juggling of priorities.

Promises made … contracts signed … expectations set … pillows ordered …

… all while I stress about things that may be slipping through the cracks.

I haven’t been this crazy hectic busy since 1997.

And don’t get me wrong. Crazy hectic busy is good. It means the Etsy is successful. It means I have freelance public relations work. It means the blog has sponsors …

But every once in a while, I need to stop.

Stop and sit back.

Stop and enjoy that my children are finally back in school. And not because I want them out of the house. But because I know they … like me … need that outside stimulation to keep them fresh and motivated and active.

Stop and register the first sights and signs and smells of autumn.

And stop and admire the fall-inspired mason jar votives I hung on the back porch …

… as they swayed violently in gale force winds …

*Sigh*

Maybe tomorrow night I can truly sit back, relax, and enjoy how they remind me of canned cranberries …

… and the promises and expectations of a delicious Thanksgiving feast replete with turkey and stuffing and sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce …

That is, if I can stop moving at a million miles and hour.

P.S. Sharing my votives over at Rhoda’s and Sarah’s too …

P.P.S. If you want to know how I made these, click here …