Mason Jars and Dried Flowers

What a pleasure to see you!

We're finding new uses for mason jars and dried flowers.

Anthropologie

This photo is the inspiration for today's "blah to TADA!" transformation. They are essentially candle jars but look at the dried flowers and leaves pressed between the glass lid. Aren't they darling?

I've made it a habit to collect flowers and leaves wherever I go. It's my form of nature appreciation and these make good materials for arts and crafts.

I usually put them in between pages of a book or in my flower press. I let them sit there for weeks until they are flat and dry.

I also save all kinds of bottles like this mason jar. Then I thought, "I can use this to show off the pressed flowers I collected!"

Apart from the mason jar, I found some card stock or thick paper and an acetate sheet. I used the lid of the mason jar as a template to cut the card stock and acetate. 

Now for the assembly: place the metal lid on the mason jar.

Then put the card stock/paper circle on top of the lid. 

Add a pressed flower that fits inside the paper circle with just enough margin. You may attach the pressed flower to the paper with white glue and a small paintbrush and let this dry.

Top with the acetate circle that acts like the glass top of a picture frame.

The metal screw band will secure everything. But to keep all these layers in place (they will unravel when the mason jar is opened), it might be a good idea to glue the edges of the layers together.

Here are the different pressed flowers I used:

Experiment with dried flowers, too:

This is a dried up hydrangea flower I foraged in winter.

Off it went into the flower press.

I left it to flatten for a few weeks.

And here's what they look like all flat. It's a good idea to press a full flower and also separate petals.

Just follow the layering process to decorate the mason jar lid. In the end we'll have these unique jars that can be used for packaging or gift wrapping...TADA!

And that is how I turned some mason jars and pressed flowers from "blah to TADA!"

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