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Turning Mason Jars Into a Creative Light Fixture

I just love mason jars, those wide-mouth glass canning jars that hold everything from strawberry jam to fireflies. That’s one reason I’ve fallen for the DIY mason jar light fixture made by Taylor of the MaryJanes & Galoshes blog. 

Although Taylor originally wanted it to light up her gazebo, she loves it so much she’s going to relocate it to her living room.

Taylor glued the jars to a wood plank, stuffed strings of Christmas lights into the jars, then hung the whole thing in her gazebo, giving the fixture a saloon-meets-fairyland feel.

It all took only four hours (not including drying time for the stain) and $31 to build. Can’t beat that!

How She Did It

Taylor takes you step-by-step in her tutorial. Here are the basics:

• Decide how long you want the fixture and select a plank accordingly. Taylor used a 2-by-12-inch plank that she cut 4 1/2 ft. long.

• Lay out the mason jars (without tops) and cut holes in the plank using a hole saw bit the size of the tops of your jars. Sand the board until smooth.

• Drill two smaller holes in each end to attach rope to hang the fixture.

• Stain if you like.

• String 6 ft. of rope through the end holes.

• Glue the open end of the jars into the plank. Wait 48 hours for the glue to cure.

• Stuff jars with Christmas lights.

• Hang.

Lessons Learned

• In her tutorial blog, Taylor says to use construction adhesive to glue in the jars. But she now refines that because construction adhesive “isn’t real pretty and can be seen through the glass.” She advises using a clear epoxy instead.

• Choose lighting with a brown cord, which is less conspicuous than white or green cord.

• Make sure you tie a secure knot when hanging the fixture. “Obviously, if this thing fell it would be a huge glass mess,” she says.

Here’s What it Cost

• 12 mason jars: $5 from a flea market.

• Rope: $5.

• Stain: Free, because Taylor used what she had on hand.

• Wood: $10.

• Christmas lights: $8 (off-season).

• Adhesive: $3.

Total: $31

For more ideas on how to use mason jars, check out our 5 Bright Garden Lighting Ideasand 5 Deck Makeover Projects Under $300.

Check out the other stories in our Perk Up Your Patio series: A Pretty Pergola Goes Up in Only 14 Hours and Making a Vertical Garden Out of an Old Window Frame. At the end of the month, you can vote for your favorite.

Be sure to see our other amazing projects series, including our laundry room redo ideas, our fabulous pantry projects, and these delightful stairway makeovers.

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon/House Logic

Search for your next dream home

What I Wish I Knew When I Bought My First New-Construction Home

Building a new home lets you personalize your house for today’s needs and tomorrow’s dreams. Here’s how to plan your new home for future needs.

When I was designing our dream home 15 years ago, I was chasing around our toddler while laying out rooms and selecting finishes.

Back then, I didn’t let Ben out of my sight and couldn’t imagine a time when we wouldn’t be attached at the hip. So, I selected new-home options perfect for parents of a 16-month-old, never questioning if they’d work for parents of a 6-year-old, or 16-year-old.

Here are things that seemed like a good idea at the time.

Kitchen/great room combo: I figured one big space would be great for watching tiny Ben while I was cooking; he’d drum on a pot while I fixed him buttered noodles. But Ben grew up and now likes to watch “Law & Order” on TV while I talk on the phone with my mom, and my husband runs the disposal after dinner. The room sometimes sounds like Grand Central, and I now dream of a separate family room and a little less togetherness.

Two main-floor bedrooms: We downsized our master suite to squeeze in a second bedroom next to us — perfect for soothing a preschooler’s nightmares. Turns out kids outgrow nightmares, but skimpy closet space is forever.

A pass-through instead of cabinets: I gave up two kitchen cabinets to cut a pass-through from the kitchen to our mud-cum-crafts room so I could keep an eye on Ben’s finger-painting sessions. Ben hasn’t dipped a finger in paint in 12 years, and I could really use that storage now.

The Future is Now

If I were buying a new home today, I’d do things differently: I’d crystal-ball my thinking and plan for my future needs. That’s the beauty of buying new construction: You can focus on want-to-dos, rather than to-dos — even if you can’t anticipate all your wants.

Luckily, builders know the life of a new home is a journey, and have consultants who help you fast-forward your thinking about features you can install now that will make life easier later.

I brainstormed with a couple of executives from Toll Brothers and Ryland Homes about some forward-thinking, new-home options.

• A main floor den that could be converted into another bedroom as your family grows.

On a related note, see how people are reinventing their living rooms.

• Bedroom soundproofing to ensure privacy.

Credit: Toll Brothers, Inc.

• Roughed-in plumbing and electric for an eventual attic or basement bathroom and kitchenette. If you don’t have the resources now, this is a great way to plan ahead. This extra living space not only could accommodate elderly parents or boomerang kids, but will increase the value of your home when it’s time to sell.

• A double-deep, tandem garage that can fit three cars now, but can be walled-off later to add indoor space for an extra bedroom or bathroom.

More: Attic conversions | Garage conversions

• Upgraded structured wiring throughout that can handle a souped-up Internet connection and other tech revolutions. Handy if you telecommute.

• Temporary partition walls that attach to hardwood flooring, rather than subflooring. If you eventually want to combine bedrooms — kids move out — you’ll only have to do a floor repair and refinishing, rather than patch a gaping hole.

• Plywood sheathing behind drywall and tile in bathrooms. These sheets of plywood let you attach grab bars anywhere without hunting for studs.

Credit: Mosby Building Arts

Grab bars aren’t just for our later years. They’re also good for kids and aching weekend warriors who need a little help getting into and out of a tub.

• An addition. If you can site your home to accommodate a bigger footprint later, plan to run conduit through exterior walls for future electrical and plumbing needs.

Credit: CQ Surveying

Unless you’re psychic ...

You’ll never know today exactly what you’ll need in the future: It’s hard for me to imagine life beyond next Tuesday.

But choosing options for tomorrow is one perk of buying new. These forward-thinking selections can mean years of enjoyment as your family changes, and can make it easier to sell if moving — and buying new again -- turns out to be the best alternative.

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon/House logic

Can You Make It Through This Short Film Without Crying?

Nothing to do with Real Estate but cute nontheless




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Help find SAM!!

I AM LOST! WON'T YOU PLEASE HELP ME GET BACK HOME! My name is Sam and I know I shouldn't have left my yard, but, I did and can't find my way back home without your help! I am a friendly yellow lab - 10 yrs old, 85 lbs, eyesight failing

Last Seen March 20 at 11:00pm - Three Creeks Neighborhood. I know my family misses me terribly and are worried sick. If you see me, or perhaps you have taken me in out of the goodness of your heart, for which I do appreaciate, but, I wanna go home. Please call my daddy, Tony Gorski, at 443-618-2511. 

PLEASE HELP ME FIND MY WAY BACK HOME!! PLEASE SHARE THIS ON YOUR PAGE!
... YOUR FUREVER FURRY FRIEND - SAM

Supersized Crabs Bad News for Seafood Lovers

The giant crabs are coming. And they're hungry.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina's (UNC) Aquarium Research Center have found that higher atmospheric levels ofcarbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas that's linked to global warming— are also causing crabs to grow to bigger, faster and stronger, according to the Washington Post.

As the oceans absorb significant amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the water becomes more acidic and carbon-rich, and these higher levels of carbon are giving rise to the supersized crabs.

That's bad news for oyster lovers: The shellfish are a favorite food of crabs, and big, ravenous crabs can wipe out an oyster bed in record time.

"Higher levels of carbon in the ocean are causing oysters to grow slower, and their predators — such as blue crabs — to grow faster," Justin Baker Ries, a marine geologist at UNC, told the Post.

Moreover, the fast-growing crabs have less meat in them, making this doubly bad news for fans of seafood.

It's been known for some time that as the oceans become more acidic, the shells of sea creatures — from microscopic plankton to oysters and scallops — are becoming thinner.

Nowhere is this change in ocean water chemistry more dramatic than in the coastal zones of thenortheastern United States. In a 2009 study published in the journal Geology, the UNC researchersfound that Chesapeake blue crabs grew nearly four times faster in tanks containing water with high levels of carbon than in low-carbon tanks. Fast-growing crabs also have insatiable appetites. In a 2011 experiment, UNC researchers placed mud crabs and oysters in a high-carbon tank environment.

The result was "like watching lions tear apart lambs," the Post reports, as the aggressive crabs ripped open oyster shells and gobbled up their insides.

By Marc Lallanilla, Assistant Editor | LiveScience.com – 21 hrs ago

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40 slip Marina-Chester MD-One Half Acre Zoned Suburban Industrial

$399000 40 Slip Marina (Chester, MD)

Offered at $399,000 1743 Little Creek Road Chester, MD Click Here for More Information

DESCRIPTION Little Creek Marina-Kent Island. A true Gentlemen Marina offering 40 Slips-Easy access to Eastern Bay. One Half Acre Zoned Suburban Industrial. Tons of potential and possibilities with this unpolished gem. Dream the dream or live the dream....up to you

SELLER CONTACT INFO Dina Baxter Rosendale Realty 216 Island Plaza Court Stevensville Maryland 21666 (410) 643-2166 dina@dinabaxter.com

Posted: April 06, 2013

Check out Casper! Pit Bull Terrier: An adoptable dog in Stevensville, MD

  

CASPER

Pit Bull Terrier: An adoptable dog in Stevensville, MD

Medium • Baby • Male

 

I know.  I am the cutest thing on earth.  Thank God the breeder dumped me at animal control with my brother.  Now, we're with a rescue who will make sure we go into safe and loving forever homes.  I am 8 weeks old, up to date on my shots, happy, confident, affectionate, and playful. I live with two other big dogs and am learning good dog manners from them.   I am working very hard on my housebreaking and sleep quietly all night long with my foster mom.  Homeowners over 25 please call 443.871.6181 to apply. 

MORE ABOUT CASPER

Spayed/Neutered • Up-to-date with routine shots • Primary color: White or Cream

CASPER'S CONTACT INFO

Island Puppy Rescue, Stevensville, MD

• 443-871-6181
• Email Island Puppy Rescue
• See more pets from Island Puppy Rescue
• For more information, visit Island Puppy Rescue's Web site.

Springtime Gardening and Landscaping Safety

Call Before You Dig: In most areas, an organization or public official needs to give approval to excavate even the smallest areas. This is because of the damage and destruction that can result if an unaware homeowner compromises a natural gas or electrical line. Major utility providers will almost always send a representative to the proposed dig site to evaluate the safety of the proposed location. Utility lines and pipelines are often located deep underground, often with a marker indicating their depth. If the proposed excavation is extremely dangerous, a building inspector or code enforcement office may become involved and deny the necessary permit. Never dig without notifying the utility providers. Otherwise, you could experience tremendous loss and put other people in danger.

Keep an Eye out for Dangers: Gardening is a favorite spring pastime, but beware of potential dangers lurking in your lawn and gardens. Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are dangerous plants that can cause life-threatening reactions in many people. Know how to spot them and safely remove them from your property.

Also, keep an eye out for pests. Moles, chipmunks and other small animals present little threat to your family, but if you find a nest of field mice, a litter of baby raccoons, or any other potentially dangerous animals, call the local authorities to request traps or removal services.

Insect threats are also common in the spring. If you notice a beehive, wasp hole, or termite nest, call the exterminator or carefully remove the hazard on your own. Wear protective gear and a mask if you are working with dangerous chemicals. Spring is a good time for this extermination, because in many areas of the country the fledgling insects have not yet hatched or are still docile and harmless.

Don’t Overdo It: Most people have limited physical activity during the winter. Therefore, be extremely cautious when starting outdoor projects in the spring. Just because you could easily lift your mower over a walkway in September does not mean that you won’t hurt yourself in April if your muscles are out of practice.

Take your projects slowly. You do not want to spend the rest of the spring recovering from a muscle injury that could have been avoided easily.

April Showers: The old adage is true – April showers do bring May flowers, but they can also bring dangerous conditions in some areas. Spring storms may cause flooding or power outages. If you live in a flood-prone area, be prepared. Keep your basement clear and keep your belonging off of the floor as much as possible. Most items damaged by floodwaters become unsafe and need to be replaced.

Power outages are almost always uneventful, but it is best to be prepared. Candles are an excellent source of light, but they should never be left burning unattended. Avoid accidental fires by being vigilant when burning candles during a power outage.

Unplug your electrical equipment. A single power surge can destroy computers and stereo equipment. Once the power is on again, plug in only one item at a time.

Spring is a wonderful and beautiful season. It is the perfect time to pay attention to your home and garden and ensure that the rest of your year will be free of danger. Protect your assets against the damage caused by springtime storms and heavy rainfall that are common in many areas during April and May. If you take preventative measures now, you can relax knowing that you have taken the necessary steps to increase the beauty and safety of your home and garden.

BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION-104 Hammond St Easton 21601

Offered at $164,999 104 Hammond St Easton Click Here for More Information

DESCRIPTION BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION for this price!!!!!! Ready in 30 days!! 3 Bedroom, 21/2 bath colonial ...almost done includes cherry, upgraded cabinets, full appliance package including washer and dryer, and breakfast bar. Sit on your front porch and watch the world go by!! Where else can you find all this brand new for this price?? See it and fall in love!…

SELLER CONTACT INFO Dina Baxter Rosendale Realty 216 Island Plaza Court Stevensville Maryland 21666 (410) 643-2166 dina@dinabaxter.com