Mason jar centerpiece

I've been in love with Mason jars for years. I used them only for canning until about two years ago.

I'm still canning with them, but I've also branched out to painting them to use as centerpieces, mantel decorations, etc.

On Etsy and Pinterest I've long admired painted Mason jars tucked into shallow wooden boxes and used for flower arrangements.

I almost bought an old wooden box at a flea market last weekend, but I wasn't sure it was the size I needed.

On Sunday it occurred to me that Ken could probably make me the wooden box, so I showed him photos on Pinterest of what I needed, and he promptly got to work.

Soon I had a small, shallow wooden box just the right size for three one-pint Mason jars.

Now it was time for me to get to work.

I stained the box a somewhat dark color.

 

Then I got out my acrylic paints, poured some pure white into a small container, added a few drops of brown paint, stirred in some Plaster of Paris, and now had chalk paint.

I gave the jars two or three coats of the paint.

While the jars were drying, I went outside and cut some hydrangea blossoms.

 I sprayed the jars with an acrylic sealer, placed the hydrangea blossoms in them, tied a bit of jute around the neck of each jar, and that was it.

I'm enjoying my Mason jar centerpiece. I've seen them priced from $25 to $40 on Etsy, but mine were practically free. And I had fun putting it all together.