Illuminating Mason Jar Hacks To Light Up Your Home And Garden

Mason jars are so useful around the home. Sure, they're great for canning but the amount of DIY projects they've spawned make them the OG of crafting in our eyes. Need a hack to organize your kitchen cabinet clutter? Yep, Mason jars can do that. Ran out of plant pots and need some place to house your pothos ASAP? Plop it in a Mason jar (and read this guide on indoor plants you can grow in jars and how to do it successfully). It might be needless to say, but we'll say it anyway: The abilities of Mason jars are only as limited as your imagination. 

Besides being hardworking storage containers, Mason jars also happen to be a charming, low-cost hack to create some magical lighting moments. With a few basic supplies and affordable battery-powered or plug-in lights, you can whip out inexpensive lighting features in just a couple of hours. Spoiler: There's even a way to make a real, portable lantern. To source these ideas, we turned to TikTok where we found a bevy of crafty ways to use our trusty Mason jar buddies to create illuminating experiences for your yard, garden, and home, that are easy to do and will add a little glow to any space you choose. Here are a few of our favorites, plus some tips for making them work. 

For this DIY, the creator places a solar yard light into a Mason jar that's got some glass beads in it, secures the solar light with some glue and twine, and hangs it from a hooked stake. The glass beads give a little extra sparkle, and you can even switch them out with different colors for a seasonal display, just use a light that screws on. We found a solar light specifically for Mason jars from Amazon for $24.98 that looks similar to what @Diamond Dawn used. Alternatively, you can purchase an 8-pack of Mason jar fairy lights from Amazon for $19.99 which also comes with wire hangers. 

Love the industrial look but don't have the budget for a full-scale black pipe setup? DIY some super cool industrial pendant lights using Mason jars and Edison bulbs like this TikTok shows. The main job is making a big enough hole in the jar lid for the pendant light (plug-in pendants like this light socket from Amazon for $12.99 eliminate any need for electrical work). You can hang these individually or group them together in varying lengths to create a gorgeous chandelier or wrap the cords around a piece of reclaimed wood for an elongated overhead lighting display that looks way more expensive than it costs, but don't worry; we'll never tell. 

Get into the Halloween spirit with these super cute Mason jar night light lanterns. You could use light coats of paint or tissue paper and glue/Mod Podge like this TikToker does. Add fairy lights or a flameless LED tealight candle inside, and then screw the lid on, and you're ready to go. You can also decorate the lids like this video shows by adding cute witch hats or spray painting them to look like pumpkin stems. One addition that would make this even better is adding a chain to the lid so that you could hang it in the trees outside for a little spooky décor. 

Prefer to get into the winter vibes? In this video, we get to see a plain Mason jar transform into a glittery winter wonderland lamp that's perfect for snowy days. One thing we particularly like about this is that the DIYer used Mod Podge and glitter to coat the inside of the jar instead of the outside, negating the annoying, never-ending chore of cleaning up loose glitter. Fairy lights with a blinking or twinkling effect are a great addition to larger jars like this DIY uses, but a flameless LED tealight ($6.78 for 12 at Walmart) would work in a smaller jar, too. 

This DIY uses waterproof LED lights and fresh flowers to create gorgeous displays that would be great for spring décor or even as centerpieces at parties or showers. If you want to use fresh flowers, you'll need to find fairy lights that are waterproof, but don't worry, they're easy to get. We found a set of six on Amazon for $5.94. If you'd prefer to play it safe you could opt for either wrapping the outside of the jar in lights or using dried flowers and skipping the water altogether. For a dynamic display, grab Mason jars in different sizes to create a tiered centerpiece.

If you'd like to use Mason jars for a permanent pop of lighting in any room, give this TikTok a view. This DIYer uses battery-operated fairy lights and dried flowers to create a beautiful and rustic wall sconce that hides how simple it is to make. Like the creator, consider using remote-controlled lights that can change their lighting pattern or color to lend a more dynamic-looking display. You can also switch out the flowers for seasonality, adding colorful leaves and small pumpkins for fall or holly branches and mistletoe for winter, creating wall art that caters to whatever vibe you're feeling. 

This TikTok video shows how to create an actual, portable lantern that's useful for camping and night fishing, but which can also be beautiful on a patio. Mastering this Mason jar hack in case of a power outage could also be handy. Like this TikToker shows, the jar should be mostly full of water for safety; you'll only need a little bit of oil to maintain the flame. Keep an eye on the flame at all times, and don't let too much of the wick get exposed so the flame can't get overly high. You may want to practice creating the rope handle a few times before carrying the lit lantern, too. 

For this dreamy floating candle DIY, the creator suggests using lemon, lime, rosemary, and lemongrass to repel bugs — but note that efficacy is anecdotal. There are some DIY mosquito repellents and traps you can make that have science behind them, but most herbs and essential oils aren't as strong as you might hope at keeping bloodsucking pests at bay. However, these floating candle holders are gorgeous and should smell amazing. Swap out the ingredients to customize the idea to your party or aesthetics, like dried rose petals and rose oil for Valentine's Day-themed events or peppermint oil and spruce sprigs for winter vibes. 

Want something more natural-looking for your winter décor? Instead of glitter, this DIYer uses Epsom salt to create a snow-covered Mason jar. The fresh sprigs of pine and tea light make this a beautiful Mason jar project that needs only a few materials you could probably scrounge up right now. You may want to consider coating the inside of the jar instead to avoid needing to clean up any wayward crystals. You can also put a plant tray underneath the jar to catch whatever sprinklings of salt or pine needles fall off, and if you're wary of flames, simply replace the tealight with an LED version instead.