Mason Jar Pendant Lights (repost)

So, my Hallway Wall Art, is turning out to be the most popular thing I've ever posted (second is definitely this adzuki bean soup which is somehow always at the top of the views. More mysteriously, this old random post mentioning the Children of the Corn is also always high on the list- you wouldn't believe how many people get here by googling that). Anyhow, I figured I might post a few other decorating related posts from the archives... first up are these mason jar lights, which frankly, were adorable. Enjoy!


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Ok, so people all over the interwebs are making these mason jar lights, and they're so cute I finally couldn't stand it any more (who are these people, you ask? some of them are here, and here and here...)

I wanted a weekend project, but I'm kind of swamped these days, so basically was going for pretty much instant gratification- I wouldn't call the results here instant, but it was close. I followed the instructions over at secretpocketblog, and I suggest you do the same. If you can find vintage, or colored, jars, that would be really cute, but I just used regular mouth quart canning jars by Kerr, which I got at Smart and Final. I then went and got cord components from Ikea ("Hemma". unfortunately, they force you to buy a lightbulb you don't need with it, but oh well). The lightbulbs I used here were display bulbs (found easily at the drugstore)- 40W clear Showcase/tubular bulbs.

The basic idea is simple- you trace the outline of the circle where the lightbulb screws in onto the flat part of the jar lid. Then, you use a hammer and a flathead screwdriver (on top of a board, or something you don't mind the screwdriver punching into) to punch out the circle. Stick the fixture through, screw on the bulb, screw on the jar, and you're set!

I felt like the light was a little industrial for my living room (although it would be great over a desk or workspace), so I used some fabric I had sitting around and wrapped it around the jars and glued it with a glue gun.

The light these put out is so nice and warm (without actually seeming like colored lights, which might be a little much) and the curves of the glass make light patterns on the ceiling. I love them! (note- it is REALLY hard to take a good picture of a lit lamp, turns out, but these at least get the general idea across).