Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Mason Jar Mantle Makeover



I just love glimmer and glow, so when my creative daddy suggested we give the mantle in our living room a makeover involving mason jars and rope light, I was all for it!

It was so super-simple and easy, it's not even funny. But the effect is dazzling!

Here's the before picture...
Nice, if simple. We liked it but were ready for something different. 
After:
And..... BOOM. Just like that, our fireplace and mantle became the focal point of our living room. That shiny light on the woodburning stove is actually one of our freestanding mason jar lamps from this tutorial! 
It is really hard to capture on camera the delightful cozy glow of the jars, lit up from below by the strand of rope light, but I snapped some shots for ya...





All you need is...

  • A six-foot length of rope light (We found ours at the Home Depot for $7.48)
  • Mason Jars in whatever colors, sizes, and styles you like!

We tacked the rope light to the wooden mantle with little nails and a hammer, to keep it straight and even, because when it came out of the package it wanted to curl. :)

Let us know if you try this EASY, simple, DIY mantle makeover, we would love to see your variations!

Blessings,


You will find us linked up at some of these fine sites.

50 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks Keri! We're glad you stopped by! :D

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  2. wow that is so neat and so simple i think even my non-creative person could make it.:) I enjoy reading your blog.....lots of neat and helpful ideas for a wide range of things! Blessings to both of you!
    kelly kauffman

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    1. Well hey there, Kelly! You? Non-creative? Pshaw! :D You could definitely do this and it would look pretty in ya'll's house, too! :D I'm so happy to hear that you've been enjoying the blog. :) Blessings to you too!
      Love,
      Julia

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  3. Oh my gosh...this is SO pretty! :)

    I would LOVE for you to join my Blog Hop this week! :)

    http://www.pluckys-secondthought.com/pluckys-blog-hop-4-with-co-host/

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    1. Haha! Thanks, Jess! Ooh, an invitation to a blog hop - we love those! :D We'll definitely check it out. :)

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    1. Thank you, Marilyn! (I do too. I think it's there to stay for a really long time.) ;)

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  5. So beautiful! I'd never thought of an idea like this...and with mason jars too! How creative! :D I do love how cozy it looks.

    ~Rachel~

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    1. Thanks Rachel-dear! We love the cozy look too, and have been enjoying it in our living room. It's especially pretty in the evenings! :)

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  6. I want to do that!!!! BUT... we have a brick mantel not sure how I would tack the lights down. Any Ideas?

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    1. Hi Lidia!
      Well, perhaps you could try stretching the rope light out ahead of time and weighing it down with heavy objects until it was straightened... other than that, perhaps thin strips of duct tape? ;) As long as you had something in front of it, the tape shouldn't show much.

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  7. Pinning to my Mason Jar board. Cute idea!

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    1. Thanks Di! We love it when people pin our stuff! ;)

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  8. Beautiful glow! I have to wonder how many Mason Jars you own? : ) Thank you so much for sharing on Show Me Your Plaid Monday's!

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    1. LOL - good question, Chandra... short answer: lots. ;) Once upon a time {before Mason jars were all the rage} we bought a whole van-load of old jars at an estate sale for the grand sum of $2, which was the basis of our collection. :D We use them for canning, but have discovered they make great home decor as well! Thanks for coming by to comment! :)

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  9. Looks awesome..I have a collection of various candle containers and jars that I am looking to do something similar with. Thanks for inspiring me to get off my booty and do it! Hope mine looks half as good!

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    1. I'm sure they'll be delightful, Heather! This would be so pretty with differently-shaped glass objects! We're proud to be a motivation to "get'r'done!" :D

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  10. This is stunning! The more jars, the better the effect :-) Thank you for sharing at our ALL MY BLOGGY FRIENDS party !

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    1. We're thrilled that you liked it so much, Linda! Thanks for hosting the party, it's awesome! :D

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  11. Love it, so cute and cozy looking!!! I don't have a mantle but if I ever do I know what it will have on it!;) Thanks!! -Abby

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    1. Thanks Abby! Yep... it's a nice idea to file away for the future. :)

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  12. Your mason jar mantle looks amazing! It's so pretty!
    Leslie
    House on the Way

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  13. This is such a simple, rustic and beautiful mantel idea! Very creative

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    1. Thank you, Angela! Simple and rustic is our style by default, since we live in a log home. :D Glad you liked this idea!

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  14. You kill me with all of your cute jar ideas!! Thanks for linking this up at the Make Bake Create Party this week!

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    1. Haha! What can we say, we love Mason Jars. :D You're welcome, and thanks for hosting! :D

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  15. wonderful and artistic, love it. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things hop xo

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    1. Well, thank you, Katherine! :D Your blog hop is so much fun, thanks for hosting. :)

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  16. They look fab! Trying to think what the British version of 'mason' jars would be............


    www.piskycoveblog.com

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    1. *dances around the room at the sheer delight of having a British blog visitor* Ahem! ;) Sorry. :D I love Great Britain, Jane Austen, and Sherlock, so excuse my excitement... welcome to our blog! I'm not sure what the British equivalent would be for a mason jar, but you could definitely do this makeover with an assortment of glass vases and bottles. <3

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  17. You're quite welcome! Thanks for stopping by! :D

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  18. Wow! I thought there were candles inside all those jars to create that lovely glow. Great idea! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Haha, yes... the camera doesn't pick up the distinct little spots of light from the rope light very well. In person it's easier to see. :D Thanks for stopping by! :D

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  19. Absolutely gorgeous! Wow, you are so talented!
    Following you from Aloha Friday.
    http://mydevotionalthoughts.com

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    1. Aww, well thank you, Ruth! The credit for this idea goes to my clever daddy, actually. Thanks for commenting and we'll stop by your blog! :)

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  20. This looks so stunning! Love it! Pinned this! Thanks for sharing these on Two Cup Tuesday at Pint Sized Baker I hope to see ya again on Monday night!

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    1. Yay! We're glad you liked it! Thanks so much for hosting and we'll definitely be back. ;)

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  21. WOW!!! Now that's what I call eye candy!!

    Thanks sooo much for partying with me! Can’t wait to see what you link up at The DIY Dreamer… From Dream To Reality tomorrow evening!

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    1. We're delighted that you liked the makeover, Christine! We'll come and party at your link-up for sure, don't worry! :)

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  22. Beautiful and simple. They look quite romantic too. Thanks for sharing on Thursdays Treasures. This will be a feature.

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    1. Exactly, Christie - it's a soft, homey, romantic feel! YAY! Thanks for featuring us, we're honored. :)

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  23. This is absolutely gorgeous! It's amazing what some candles and mason jars can do! I now want to put them in every corner of my house :) Thanks so much for sharing with us at Weekend Wonder! Hope you're having a lovely day!

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    1. Thanks! What I love about the rope light is that it gives the same quaint glow as candles but without the mess. :D Hope you're having a lovely day as well! <3

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  24. Lol! We love chickens! Thanks for the invite and we'll definitely check out your blog hop. :D

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  25. This is AMAZing! LOVE LOVE LOVE. Pinning immediately. Would LOVE for you to come and share this on my blog tomorrow at THE Pin It Party! Dets here:http://creativegeekery.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-pin-it-party-email-reminder.html

    XO, ellie

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    1. Thanks for pinning our makeover project, Ellie! And thanks for the invite, we'll come check it out! :D

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  26. Oh these look so great!

    I do hope you'll link up at the Mommy Archive this week - we're focused on mason jar crafts and ideas, Alice @ Mums Make Lists

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    1. Thanks for the invite! It's cute because I just linked up! :)
      Have a great day!
      Gloria

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