Why Old Glass Jars Are a Maker's Best Friend

If you have ever peered into a cupboard and found a small army of empty jam jars, you are already sitting on a supply of one of the most useful craft materials around. Glass is sturdy, heat-resistant to a sensible degree, and takes decoration beautifully. It also costs nothing, which matters a great deal when you are testing designs for a market stall or a small online shop.

Lanterns made from jars are one of those rare projects that suit a beginner on a wet Sunday afternoon and still sell well at a Christmas fair. They can be rustic, elegant, seasonal or plain. Better still, each one takes under an hour once you have the method down, making them genuinely viable as a small-batch product rather than a hobby that eats your evenings.

What You Will Need

Gather everything before you start, because the tissue paper stage is messy and you will not want to be hunting for a paintbrush with glue on your fingers.

• Clean glass jars — 200ml to 500ml work best. Jam jars, pesto jars and Kilner-style clip-tops all behave well.
• Tissue paper in your chosen colours. Cheap tissue works better than the thick craft stuff, as it soaks up glue more evenly.
• PVA glue diluted roughly half and half with water, in a shallow dish.
• A flat brush about 2cm wide for smoothing.
• Galvanised garden wire, around 1.2mm to 1.5mm thick, plus round-nose pliers and wire cutters.
• Tea lights or LED faux tea lights, plus a little sand or fine gravel.
• Methylated spirits or white vinegar and a cloth, for shifting sticky label residue.

Cleaning and Preparing Your Jars

This step is dull but it decides whether your finished lantern looks handmade or homemade. Soak the jars in warm soapy water, then scrape off labels with a plastic scraper rather than a knife, which scratches the glass. Any stubborn gum will lift with a cloth dampened with white vinegar or methylated spirits. Wash again in hot water, dry thoroughly, and check the rim for chips. A chipped rim is a safety risk with a naked flame, so retire that jar to the pen pot drawer.

If you want a frosted look, a light rub with fine wire wool on the outside gives a soft, sea-glass finish that scatters light nicely. Wipe away every trace of dust before you begin gluing, as tissue paper will happily glue itself to grit.

Applying Tissue Paper for a Glowing Finish

Tear the tissue into pieces roughly 3cm across rather than cutting them. Torn edges blend into one another and give a lovely mottled surface, whereas cut edges sit in visible straight lines. Work in small sections, brushing diluted glue onto the glass and then laying the tissue down, painting more glue over the top. Overlap each piece slightly so the jar is fully covered with two thin layers, not one thick one.

One colour gives a clean, contemporary look. Two or three shades in a patchwork give that stained-glass feel that sells particularly well in autumn and winter. Leave the base and top rim bare if you would rather the glass still showed through, or cover the whole thing for an opaque, softly glowing lantern. Set the jar upside down on a sheet of baking parchment to dry overnight. A hairdryer on its coolest setting will speed this up if you are on a deadline, but heat will wrinkle the tissue, so keep the nozzle moving.

Making the Wire Handle

Cut a length of wire about 60cm long. Wrap it around the neck of the jar, just below the rim, and twist the two ends together tightly with your pliers to form a double band. Then shape the remaining wire into an arch above the jar, hooking the ends back under the band and twisting them closed so nothing sharp is left poking out. Run your thumb along the whole handle to check for burrs — this is the single most common complaint from customers.

For hanging lanterns, a three-strand handle wrapped at the top with a small wire loop is stronger and looks more considered than a single arch. If you would rather not use wire at all, a length of jute twine wrapped several times around the neck and knotted works just as well and adds to the rustic feel.

Finishing, Lighting and Selling Safely

Pour a 1cm layer of sand or fine gravel into the base. It hides the metal cup of the tea light, stops it sliding about, and — usefully — absorbs a little of the heat. A standard tea light burns for around four hours, which is plenty for a dinner table.

Safety points are not optional if you are selling these:

• Never cover the top of the jar. A jar with a lid or a tight-fitting decoration above the flame can crack or overheat.
• Use LED tea lights for anything hanging or for outdoor use, and say so clearly on your label or listing.
• Warn buyers against moving a lit lantern and against placing it on a cold stone windowsill in winter, where thermal shock can split the glass.
• Label every lantern with a short care card — a folded business card with two or three lines is enough and doubles as marketing.

For pricing, add up your materials honestly. A jar is free, but tissue, glue, wire, sand and a tea light come to roughly 60p to 90p per lantern. Price at three to four times your material cost to cover your time and packaging, and offer a set of three in a kraft gift box — bundles are where most small makers find their profit. Take photographs against a plain linen backdrop with the lantern lit and unlit side by side, because the difference between the two is what convinces people to buy.