If you've ever been in our store, you know we like to use jars in a lot of different ways. One of our favorites is to put a moss or bark covered wire around the top lip and create a handle. We started selling the wire product because we love using it, and we always have jars to go with!
We usually have a votive candle flickering inside. It's a great, safe way for us to have candlelight glowing in the store. The contents that cradle the votive change seasonally; birdseed in the spring, white or colored sand in the summer, acorns in the fall, and epsom salts in the winter. The contents change, but the handle and the candle stay the same. I even used charcoal bits, above. I thought it would be helpful to show you how we tie the handle on:
Leave a couple inch tail under your thumb as you create the loop of your handle. Hold down the other side of your handle with your index and middle finger. Without cutting the wire, continue wrapping the wire under the lip of the jar and all around until back where your index finger is. Do this 2 times. With a wire cutter, cut a tail about the same length as you left at the beginning. Tuck the end through the loop of your handle and wrap around going up. Wrap your first end the same way. Voila!
I did the same treatment with twine and some small neck bottles, knotting at the handles instead of wrapping:
Kee-ute! Now they just need some fresh flowers! Everything is better grouped, don't you think?
I first tried them hanging from a shepherd's hook in the garden, but realized I wanted to see them more often. Hence, they are on my screen door. A good reminder for Mr. Freckles to not slam the door!
Back to the jar thing...I wanted to try the handle with some rope for a more nautical/beachy look. My "usual" way didn't work, the rope was too thick, but here's what we came up with (Happy Girl was my hand model =)
Cut your handle length first, leaving about 3 inches on either side. Wrap another section around and under the lip of the jar and knot in front. Before tightening, tuck the handle ends around and under to create a little pigatail on either side.
With a clear jar, you can add sand that will coordinate with your party. White sand and shells for a maritime look, colored sand for a fun beachy party. Hang them from a shepherd hook stuck in the beach by the lake, or in a pretty pot of flowers by the pool. I even circled them around our campfire chairs with citronella votives when we were camping.
Hope your brain is churning with ideas! Go grab some canning jars-they shouldn't be filled with garden produce yet! FYI...bark wire and moss wire can be found at your local crafts store in the floral dept. Rustic twine and rope can be found at your local home store. I picked up the blue colored sand a couple years ago at Wal-mart. It was a Crayola product. I saw it in bright green, purple and pink (and blue).
Recent Comments