Garden Party Tea Light Holders
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
I have an almost-one-year old who eats a ton, so we always have a bunch of baby food jars laying around. I do usually recycle them, but they’re so little and cute I often wonder if I could “do” something with them. Yes, there is a part of me that is OCD about crafting… I have an instinctual drive to take junk and turn it into something useful.
Unfortunately, more often than not, my projects go from junk and, well, remain junk. Sometime things just don’t work out as planned. I’m sure everyone knows how that goes.
I also have a fetish with glass. Especially colored glass… dishes, vases, wine glasses, margarita glasses (ooo!), home decor, and garden decor. Basically anything that shimmers and sparkles. I see the endless options of stuff available to buy, but #1, there’s too much to choose from and I can’t make up my mind, and #2, my house/yard is very small and I don’t have enough room to get all the collections of 12 matching sets of this or that.
So, what’s a girl to do? Yes, that’s right, make something cheap, fun, and colored out of those baby food jars!
Here’s what you need:
2 Tbsp of Mod Podge (use the outdoor kind if you plan on using these out in the yard)
1-2 Tbsp water
2-8 drops of food coloring
This mixture will color about 3 small jars. Mix everything together, using more food color for a deeper color and less for a more translucent color. Put the mixture in the jar and swirl it around as you pour it out, making sure to coat the entire surface.
They will look sort of milky until the Mod Podge dries completely. Dry them right side up. If you dry they upside down, try to use an old cooling rack or at least waxed paper so they don’t stick to badly.
Embellish when dry, if you like, using wire around the mouth of the jar to make a hanger. And add a tea-light candle and you’re done! Enjoy your garden party!
Happy Crafting!
Lauren Kalberer