Etched Mason Jar Candleholders

Etched_Mason_Jar_Candleholders
Etched votive holders have been around for a while and are always pretty on a dinner table, in the window or just about anywhere. DIY your own etched candle holders using cast off jars and create just the look you want!

Things you’ll need:
Jars
Contact paper
Etching cream
Foam brush
Craft knife or die cutter

Things to do:
1. Using your craft knife or die cutter, cut pretty shapes out of the contact paper. You can either make a cut out stencil or use the pieces cut out and etch everything but the shapes.
2. Clean the glasses well and dry completely. Smooth the stencils on where you want the etching to be.
Etched_Mason_Jar_Candleholders2
3. Brush the exposed glass with a thick coat of etching cream and allow it to set according to the manufacturers directions.
Etched_Mason_Jar_Candleholders3
4. Wash the cream away with warm water and remove the stencils. Dry and insert the candles for use.

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19 Comments

  1. What a beautiful finished piece…… I am going to try this.. thanks so very much for the idea…

  2. CUTE! Ive seen those a lot, but totally havent thought about DOING them! Ohhh, the possibilities -)

  3. I love mason jars and have quite a few. What a great idea. I never thought about changing their look. Thanks so much for a new craft idea.

  4. How and where do you dispose of the water once youve washed the etching paste off with the warm water? I love this craft but can no longer buy etching cream here (Perth, Western Australia) for general crafting due to it being quite toxic to dispose of. You really have to think of the environment before using this stuff.

    1. I believe that you can add baking soda to your water/etching cream solution and it will become neutralized if it is in small amounts. Just keep adding baking soda until the bubbling stops. I have also heard that you can reuse the cream as well. I have never personally tried this but many other people have told me that you can scrap the cream back into its original container and keep using it. You can do this by using a flat edged plastic ice scraper, or even a paint scraper. This would def. cut down on the disposal issue. If you are not comfortable with these ideas, if you have a local waste processing plant, you can dispose of your water/etching cream solution there.

  5. These look beautiful. Can just imagine a group of them round the fireplace on a cold autumn/winter evening, or dotted about in the garden in the summer, hanging from trees…lovely!

  6. I like to make jams and preserves for gifts. Just imagine homemade goodies in a beautifuly etched jar.

    1. Great question Sue! Yes, the jars can be used for canning again assuming that you have etched on the outside of the jar. I would not recommend etching the inside of a container if you are planning to use it for food. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

    2. It actually says on the packaging not to use etched jars for canning as the etching compromises the integrity of the jar. Youd be better off using frosted vinyl instead of real etching.

  7. After etching, I took a canning lid and cut a hole in it to fit the .97 Solar lights at WalMart. Take the bttm post off and place light in jar with solar panel on outside. I lined the front porch with them and they are so pretty!!

  8. Would you happen to know if etched mason jars can be wed to can food like jelly, jam, or chutney. I think these jars would make homemade food gifts e travel special and when empty they are a candle holder …great idea!

  9. Holy cow auto correct really got me that time. What I meant to say was…can these etched jars be used to can food like jelly, jam, and chutney. They would add a touch of elegance to home made gifts. After the gift is eaten they have a nice candle holder…great idea!

    1. haha no worries Adriane! Yes, these jars can most definitely be used to hold foods since the etching cream is applied on the outside of the jars. The only suggestion I would make would be to make sure that your recipients know that they should hand wash the jar afterwards, as the etching may come off in the dishwasher. I really really love your idea though and I think it would make a fabulous gift! I may have to think about “stealing” this idea 😉 Thank you so much! Please feel free to post your finished products on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/factorydirectcraft), I would love to see how they turned out!

  10. I have used etching cream on clear, slumped wine bottles but the etching was so faint it could barely be seen. Ive used two different brands of cream, and both results were the same. What am I doing wrong? I left the cream on until it dried even!! Could it be the type of glass? Thanks.

    1. I would assume that it would be the type of glass. I would suggest trying a different type of glass to see if you have better luck. In the project, we used a regular mason jar. We have also used it on glass bowls, and ceramic bakeware with no issues. Please let me know if you have any more issues, happy crafting!

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