Fancy Dancy Mason Jar Upcycle
Welcome to Swap It Like It’s Hot! (More formally known as the Flea Market Swap.)
The Gist
Lauren (ahem…that’s me) goes thrifting for treasures with potential. Treasures to be given a fresh coat of paint or disassembled and reimagined into something completely new.
She can spend $10 max.
Then, she packages up said treasures and sends them to Meagan. It’s up to Meagan now to transform them or use them however she likes!
Meanwhile, Jessica goes thrifting for treasures with potential, packages them up, and ships them off to Lauren.
Lauren opens said package with said treasures, and with Mangey’s assistance, she sizes them up.
Treasure #1: The platter might be real silver and worth a mint, so she sets that aside until Antique Roadshow comes to town.
Treasure #2: The candlesticks are her first effort, however, her plan for repurposing them into a bracelet display goes south and quickly. Mark reminds her of these wise words by C. S. Lewis:
We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.
Time to turn back.
Treasure #3: She’s unexplainably drawn to the pretty little knobs on the trinket box.
And while the box itself is lovely, she can’t think of a use for it right now. So, she decides to salvage the knobs for a brand new purpose. Time to swap it up!
Determined not to buy anything new for this “Swap it Like it’s Hot” project, she rummages through her craft bins in the basement. Like any reputable hoarder, she has collected quite an array of mason jars. Big’ns, medium sizes ones, and littl’ns. So, she grabs one of each (one for each knob) and sets to work!
She’d love to share with you all the step by step for how she gave these jars a fabulously feminine makeover using the knob pretties as her inspiration. She will also seamlessly transition from talking about herself in the third person to the first person…because, well…things are getting out of hand. {Smile.}
Let the Swap It Like It’s Hot games begin!
Tutorial
Step 1. Gather your supplies! For this project, here are the supplies I used:
*Note: some of these are affiliate links meaning I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase after clicking through. Thanks for helping to support my site!
- 3 mason jars with lids
- 3 decorative knobs
- 3 nuts (size 1/4″) or washers
- small screw for marking
- power drill
- 320 grit sandpaper & wet rag
- foam brush
- Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White
- Modern Masters Metallic Paint in Olympic Gold
- hot glue
- Glue Gun Helper
- decorative lace
- optional: E-6000 glue
- optional: Polycrylic sealant spray
Step 2. Drill holes in the centers of your lids. Before drilling, Mark had a great tip and recommended I create a tiny indent with a small screw first. That way, my drill bit had a place to settle into and was less likely to skid off center as I drilled. So schmart that one.
Then, I used a drill bit on my RYOBI Power Drill that was just large enough for my knob screw to fit through (approximately 1/8″). I actually drilled through while the lid was screwed onto the jar to help with stabilization.
Step 3. Gently sand your metal lids. Then, I decided to give my lids a light sanding using 320 grit sandpaper. Even though I planned to paint the lids with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I did a bit of research first and discovered from Simplicity in the South that the paint is less likely to scratch off over time if you give the paint a roughened up surface to hold onto. This is more important for metal than wood…and as you recall, I did ZERO sanding on our Hot Drinks Station Hall Table before painting it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It has held up wonderfully!
After sanding, I just clean off the dust with a wet rag to ensure it was all ready for its first coat of paint!
Step 4. Apply 3 coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. What I love about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is that no primer is needed…so I went ahead and used a foam brush to apply my Pure White Chalk Paint to my two lid pieces.
I proceeded to give the inner circular disc a total of 3 coats since it was white and needed it, though you may find that you need less for different colors.
Step 5. Apply 3 coats of Modern Masters Metallic Paint. I wanted some contrast between the inner disc and outer ring of the lid, so I gave it a gilded look with some Modern Masters Metallic Paint in Olympic Gold…and 3 coats gave a good, solid covering!
It really is as bright and bold in person as it looks in person!
Step 6. Seal your lid with Polycrylic Sealant Spray. I do love me some Polycrylic sealant spray and you can read some of my tips for using it on furniture here. But I do love the spray version in a can for metallic items and items with a lot of grooves and detail; it’s also great on white paint because it is non-yellowing.
So, I gave my lids a few coats of the sealant spray with ample dry time. This probably isn’t 100% necessary since I don’t expect my mason jars to have much wear and tear…but it can’t hurt!
Step 7. Screw on your lid knobs. I sought counsel from my resident carpentry expert (the hubs!) on how to go about attaching my fancy knobs to my lids. Mark recommended using a washer or 1/4″ nut to help secure the knob on the inside of the lid, so the screw doesn’t pass through the hole over time.
Step 8. Optional: glue together your two lid pieces. If you want to make the lid one piece altogether, you can use a super powerful glue that works on metal like E-6000. This stuff is Awesome-with-a-capital-A, but you don’t want to get it on your skin, so be sure to use rubber gloves while putting it to use. But you can just screw the top on your jar to let it dry!
Step 9. Add some twine or lace for added embellishments! I initially planned on stopping here, but once I saw the lids on my jars, I felt like they needed an extra oomph at the end. Then, the lightbulb went off! This was the perfect opportunity to put to use two of my Christmas gifts from my Mama & Papa: a three-spool set of fun lace and twine from Anthropologie…
…and a Glue Gun Helper to help protect the fingers from those nasty blisters. We’ve all been there! (And I have the scars to prove it.) Seriously, this is the best gift to give a crafter. I can attest.
I just put a dab of hot glue at the start and finish, just under the jar threads, pressed down the lace while wearing my finger guards, and voila! My Fancy Dancy Mason Jar Upcycle was complete!
The After
I filled them to the brim with some craft supplies that have been floating around the bottom of different Tupperware boxes. Neglected they will no longer be!
Now, my white button collection, Silhouette sketch pens, and clothespins are so much more likely to be put to good use now that I can see them displayed so artfully through the pretty glass. Presentation goes a long way for me when it comes to motivation.
While the three pretty knobs on my jar lids may be purely decorative, this little Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear do bring me a smile…and gave me a good excuse to dust off those jars and give ’em a higher purpose!
So, thanks Jessica for sending me a box of thrifted treasures to play with! And a big thanks to Charlotte for being our coordinator extraordinaire. I had a blast on my first round of Swap It Like It’s Hot. And I doubt it will be my last.
The Thrifted Fun Doesn’t End Here
All week, my Swap It Like It’s Hot cohort have been sharing how they transformed and upcycled their thrifted finds. Peruse the blogs below to see some majorly dramatic before-and-afters. If it doesn’t inspire you to make a thrift store run this weekend, well, then I don’t know what will!
Day 1- Monday
Run to Radiance // Decor Adventures // Year of Serendipity // 58 Water Street // Don’t Disturb This Groove // Like Saturday // Artsy Chicks Rule
Day 2- Tuesday
Two Purple Couches // While They Snooze // The Gathered Home // Black and White Obsession (You’re here) // Ciburbanity // Restoration Redoux // Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer
Day 3- Wednesday
Primitive & Proper // Queen of Everything // That’s My Letter // Finding Silver Pennies // Migonis Home // Windgate Lane
Day 4- Thursday
I Am a Homemaker // Town and Country Living // Thoughts from Alice // Our Southern Home // Chic Little House // SG Style // Two Thirty~Five Designs
Day 5- Friday
Gourley Girl & Guy // The Thinking Closet // The Charming Farmer // 2 Little Superheroes // Shades of Blue Interiors // Live Pretty on a Penny
Sometimes I link up these happenin’ parties.
*Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase after clicking through, The Thinking Closet may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping to support this site!
A very clever upcycle! I don’t think I would have come up with re-purposing those knobs in the way you did. I was excited to see you were able to use the lace trim and the glue gun protector-kit for this project. What a fun flea market swap y’all did. Looking forward to checking out at least some of the other ones!
By the way, I have two LARGE (like 2 gallon) peanut butter jars that are empty and clean. Used to use to store flour and sugar. Do you have any use for them?
Oh yes! Your gifties played a major role in inspiring this upcycle! Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness there.
I have some big glass jars of my own for our sugar and flour that have served us well (based on yours), but thanks for the offer! Maybe they’re contenders for the O.G. Bazaar this summer? Someone will treasure them!
These are the prettiest little jars ever!! I love the knobs on top. I’ve become somewhat of a hoarder lately of spaghetti jars and the like because “I can do SOMETHING with it eventually”! And now, I can! Adorbs, and pinned!
Aw, shucks. That’s high praise! Thank you, Amanda! And yes, I’m a jar hoarder, too…and now that I’ve put these puppies to use, I’m itching to collect some more. #oldhabitsdiehard
So glad to know that you found some inspiration in this here project and that your spaghetti jars might get a new lease on life now! Also, thanks so much for the pin-love. You rock!
Oooh, these are the prettiest craft supply jars I ever did see! Love the touches of the lace and twine 🙂 Oh, and I’m totally adding that glue gun helper kit to my Christmas list for this year!
These are adorable Lauren! I love that you went from three sparkly knobs to white and gold and glass and lace craft storage! Brilliant! 🙂
Very cute, Miss Lauren! XO
I think the three upscale jars look cool–I can hear them speaking unintelligibly to each other now, sort of like minions. (You can tell I’m out of my element, or bailiwick, or comfort zone commenting here.)
Dad
Cutest ever mason jars!!
Nancy
How original and SO pretty! I love these mason jars, I think the handles on them are my favorite part. I did not know you could buy finger guards to protect yourself from a hot glue gun… I must find these and where were they when I did my burlap ruffle tree skirt last Christmas?!
Those are so cute! Great job!
Ahhh, those knobs are absolutely lovely! So glad you were able to give them new life in a totally new way WITHOUT spending a pretty penny. And hey, I may have to go hunting for that hot glue gun helper. No more taking a deep breath and wincing every time we need to re-position that hot glue!
these jars are adorable! they look so pretty- i think emmy would love this kind of organization for her stuff!
Lauren these are super cute! I love the way you gave these jars a whole new look. I’m always on the look out for creative solutions to store every day office and craft supplies. They get out of control so quickly. This series has been so much fun! Hugs for a great weekend, Coco
SOOOO fun! Love the mason jars… You should totally write a book! 😉 xx