Like most crafters, I have a slight obsession with mason jars. People love them because there are endless ways to decorate them and they can be used in so many ways… and what I really love is that I can buy them in bulk and let my creativity really go wild by decorating them in every way imaginable.

With all the barbeques and family get-togethers coming up for Memorial Day, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to create a patriotic jar. After a little planning, about 20 minutes total of craft time, and some fresh flowers from the grocery store, I had the perfect patriotic center piece that would be perfect for not only Memorial Day but also the 4th of July!

Materials:

• Glass Mason Jar (or Bisque Mason Jar)
• Acrylic Paint
• Paintbrush
• Jute Macrame String
• Ribbon or Burlap
• Masking Tape
• Sand Paper
• Glue Gun

I promise this craft is painless and quick, however, you may get a little paint on you… but whats crafting if a little mess isn’t involved??

Start by taking your masking tape and place it around your jar creating about one inch stripes. There’s no need for fancy expensive painters tape here, since you will be distressing the the jar with sand paper and embellishing it with jute string later. Once all of your tape is in place, you can begin to paint the jar with acrylic paint.

You may need to do two coats if the paint is looking slightly see-through or streaky. Once everything is dry, you can begin to carefully peal the tape off. Don’t worry if the edges are not perfect!

Once you have all the tape removed, take your sand paper and begin to distress the red and blue stripes.

Take your jute string and measure enough pieces to fit around each stripes edge and then glue into place using your hot glue gun. For the final touch, you can add a burlap bow.

Now go outside or go to your local grocery store to get some fresh flowers! The great thing about using mason jars instead of actual flower vases is that even after your flowers need to be thrown out you can use the jar for so many other things. I used mine after to store paint brushes!