DIY: Mason Jar Lights

I really love these mason jar lights! It makes me think of being a kid and catching lighting bugs at my grandparents house in the summer. We would always put a little grass in the bottom of the jar in case the lighting bugs got hungry. Thinking back now I don't know that lighting bugs eat grass, but as a kid, a little grass would feed anything.


(via design*sponge)
growing up in the south, i have a special place in my heart for mason jars. i enjoy them filled to the brim with icy sweet tea, but this fun project from d*s reader whitney gaylord may be my new favorite way to enjoy them. unlike most of our other diy projects, this one will require a bit of professional help (installing anything involving electricity is no joke) but the majority of the steps are easy to handle and will require only a quick call to your local electrician (home depot offers these services, too) to install the final project. click here for the full instructions or just click “read more” below - thanks to whitney for sharing!

mason jar lights
what you’ll need:-vintage mason jars-hanging lamp kit with low wattage bulbs (try your local lighting store, home depot or lowes)-ceiling light plate
1. punch holes in each mason jar lid, large enough to fit the light bulb cords through (appx. 1 inch). as always, be safe and use gloves and a steady hand when punching holes. to punch the hole you can use either a hammer and nails (which you’ll need to then widen for the cords) or a larger tool that you can tap through.
2. unscrew the lid, insert the bulbs into each jar, feeding the cord through the holes in the lid. whitney suggests using a lamp kit that includes tension clasps to keep the bulb from sliding.
3. tighten the lid back on the jar and adjust the bulb to its desired height (using the tension clasps).
4. using a store-bought ceiling light plate- drill holes into the plate to pull all of your cords through (depending on how many jar-lights you will be hanging). pull the lights through, allowing enough cord to hang the lights at your desired height, and then tie a knot at the top to keep them from falling back through the ceiling plate.
5. contact your local electrician to install the lights into your ceiling- we do not suggest trying to install these yourself unless you’re a trained electrician.