Just listed Queen Anne's County

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