Glue gems onto mason jar for a brand new DIY

Stop tossing out old jars! This quick and easy upcycling project transforms a glass jar into a dazzling holder that you can use to organize just about anything in your home. Placed in the bathroom, it can corral makeup brushes, cotton rounds or cotton swabs, all while adding a bit of style to your countertop. Set one on a desk to hold pens and pencils, or place a votive candle inside for a centerpiece that glows with the colors of the gems.

You can find the flat glass gems used in this project at almost any craft or hobby store. Although you’d ordinarily use the gems to fill vases or aquariums, the flat backs make them ideal for gluing to the outside of a jar. This project uses opalescent gems to give the container a soft, pretty style that would match a pastel-painted room, but you can use any color you like. You could even buy a bag of multicolored gems and make a set of eye-catching rainbow holders for the whole house.

Materials
- 1/2-pint Mason jar
- Gold metallic paint
- Small paintbrush
- Flat glass gems
- High-temperature glue gun
- Hot-glue sticks
- Ribbon, 1/4-inch wide
- Scissors

Instructions
1. Remove the metal lid and band from the jar. Discard the lid and paint the outside of the band gold. Allow it to dry.

2. While the paint is drying, glue the flat glass gems to the outside of the jar. Start by gluing a gem along the bottom edge of the jar, then gluing more next to it until the bottom edge is full.

3. For the next row of gems, position the first gem between two gems from the row below. This will allow you to stack gems snugly and form perfect rows. Continue adding gems in this way until you’ve covered the jar.

4. Wrap a piece of ribbon around the metal band and cut to the appropriate length. Put a small line of glue on the band, then glue down both ends of the ribbon. Trim any excess ribbon.

5. Screw the band onto the jar.