Do Mason Jars Make Good Candle Jars?

Mason jars are a type of glass jar used for home canning and preserving food. The mason jar was invented and patented in 1858 by John Landis Mason, a tinsmith from New Jersey (Wikipedia). The threaded glass jars allowed people to preserve fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, and other foods for long-term storage. Mason jars were manufactured and popularized by companies like Ball Corporation starting in the late 1800s (History of Ball Mason Jars).

While mason jars are still widely used for canning and food storage today, they have also become popular for crafts and home decor. One creative way to reuse mason jars is as candle holders. The glass jars make attractive, inexpensive containers to hold candles, providing a rustic, vintage look to home decor. Using mason jars for candles is a fun DIY project that gives new life to the versatile glass jars.

Advantages of Mason Jars

Mason jars make for an excellent candle container choice for several reasons. First, mason jars are inexpensive and reusable. Since mason jars are so commonly used for food canning and storage, they can be purchased very affordably at most grocery stores and retailers. The glass is durable enough to be washed and reused multiple times without breaking down. This makes mason jars a budget-friendly option compared to more expensive, decorative candle jars.

Additionally, mason jars are durable and heat resistant. They are designed to withstand high heat from pressure canning, withstanding temperatures up to 250°F. This makes them an ideal choice for holding a burning candle, as the flame will not cause the glass to crack from the heat. You don’t have to worry about the jar breaking while the candle is lit.

The wide mouth openings of mason jars also allow for lots of creative candle designs. You can add whole botanicals, floral arrangements, beads, seashells and more to the candle wax. The wide openings make these candles fun to create. Finally, mason jars have a great vintage, rustic aesthetic that makes them visually appealing. Their simple, unornamented look gives homemade candles a charming homemade touch.

Best Candles for Mason Jars

When selecting candles to use in mason jars, opt for pillar candles that fit well and are easy to insert and remove from the jars. Pillar candles come in a straight cylindrical shape that slides neatly into the opening of most mason jars without extra effort needed.

Look for candles made from soy wax, vegetable wax, or other natural waxes rather than paraffin wax. Natural waxes like soy and vegetable-based waxes burn cleaner and are considered more environmentally friendly. According to Village Craft and Candle, natural waxes are also recommended because they adhere well to glass surfaces like mason jars. Paraffin can pull away from the glass as it melts.

Some top natural wax pillar candles to use in mason jars include Yankee Candle’s Eco Soy Wax Pillars, Village Craft and Candle Soy Wax Pillars, and Mrs. Meyer’s Soy Candles. Make sure to select a pillar diameter that fits well into your mason jar with a little room to spare – around 1/2 inch is ideal.

Jar Modifications and Accessories

Modifying mason jars with paint or distressing can allow you to customize the look to match your home’s decor. Popular paint techniques include ombre, stripes, or monogrammed designs. Always use a paint formulated for glass to ensure proper adherence and safe curing. Distressing the jars gives an antique, timeworn appearance. This can be achieved by lightly sanding the glass or using chemical antiquing solutions.

Handles and hangers enable the jar to be transported or displayed in more ways. Wire bail handles clamp on the rim of the lid for easy carrying. Twine handles made from jute or fabric strips allow for hanging the jar from nails or hooks. Metal hangers and stands provide a stable base and decorative accent.

The mason jar lids serve a practical use for extinguishing the candle flame by capping the jar. They can also be incorporated into the décor. Painting the underside of the lid creates a fun pop of color when removing the lid. Affixing baubles, flowers, or other trinkets to the top of the lid adds a playful and crafty touch.

Filling and Wick Tips

When filling mason jars with wax to make candles, it’s important to leave enough room at the top for the melted wax to pool properly. Generally, you’ll want to fill the jar only about three quarters full to allow space for the wax to liquefy across the top as the candle burns. This wax pool is essential for even burning and maximum fragrance dispersion.

The wick should be centered in the middle of the jar before pouring in wax. Use a glue gun, glue dot, or wick stickers to adhere it in place. The wick should extend a few inches above the top of the jar, and can be trimmed down once the candle is poured and set. For a mason jar, a good rule of thumb is to cut the wick so it is about 1/4 inch taller than the jar. The proper wick height prevents tunneling and ensures the wax pool reaches the edges of the jar as the candle burns down.

When making mason jar candles, following these simple filling and wick tips will result in the best burn and fragrance throw. Leaving ample headspace allows for ideal wax pooling, while centering and trimming the wick promotes an even burn. With the right pour and wick, mason jars can make excellent candle vessels with beautiful results.

Safety Considerations

When using mason jars for candles, it’s important to keep safety in mind to prevent fires. Some key tips include:

Place jars on nonflammable surfaces like trays or plates made of glass, metal, or ceramic. Avoid setting them directly on wood surfaces according to this source.

Keep jars away from drafts, vents, or air currents from fans, air conditioners, or open windows. Drafts can cause rapid, uneven burning and excessive dripping as recommended by the National Candle Association.

Never leave a burning candle unattended. It’s safest to blow out jars when leaving a room or going to sleep. Leaving candles burning can lead to wax pooling out or jar breakage over time.

Scent and Fragrance Ideas

One of the best parts of homemade mason jar candles is choosing your own custom scents. There are many options for adding appealing fragrances to your candles using natural ingredients.

Essential oils are a popular choice to scent candles. You can use single note oils like lavender or lemon for a straightforward aroma, or blend multiple oils together for more complex scents. Just a few drops of essential oil per candle is usually enough for strong fragrance. See masonjarcandlesco.com’s soy candle collection for essential oil scent ideas.

Dried flowers and herbs can also be used to provide subtle natural scents. Some options are rose petals, jasmine, chamomile, mint, and basil.adding a tablespoon or two of dried botanicals to the candle wax will infuse the candle with the delicate aromas.

Spices like cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, nutmeg, and clove can be placed inside the candle jar for warm scents reminiscent of baking spices. Just be sure to remove the spices before lighting the candle so they don’t ignite.

With so many options for custom scents, homemade mason jar candles make great gifts and home accents that can be tailored to individual scent preferences.

Creative Designs

Mason jars provide a fun canvas for creating unique candle designs. You can layer wax colors to achieve an ombre or striped effect. For example, you can pour blue wax first, let it partially set, then add a white top layer for a waterscape design (source). Or pour alternating stripes of different colored waxes to make striped pillar candles.

You can also embed objects in the wax while pouring to create embedded decorations. Try pressing flowers, seashells, pinecones, glitter, beads, sand, or other items into the wax before it fully sets (source). This adds visual interest and a customized look.

Another unique design is a ‘moon candle’ made by pouring alternating layers of white and colored wax. As the candle burns down, a crescent shaped design is revealed. For floating decorations, pour a layer of one color wax first. Let it partially set, then sprinkle items like dried flowers, herbs, or glitter on top before pouring a clear top layer to encase the decorations. The items will appear to float inside the candle.

With some creativity, mason jars can be transformed into stunning handmade candles that make great gifts or home accents.

Displaying Mason Jar Candles

There are many creative ways to display mason jar candles to enhance your home’s decor. Grouping jars together creates a beautiful cohesive look. Place 3-5 candles of varying heights on a mantel, console table, or shelves for visual impact. Arrange by color for a monochromatic look or mix and match colors and styles for an eclectic feel.

Windowsills are ideal staging areas for mason jar candles. Line them up to greet guests with warmth and light. For a rustic touch, stagger the jars across the length of the sill at different heights.

Hanging mason jars also helps showcase their charm. Attach wire or string to the lid’s handle and suspend from the ceiling or beams. Try clustering hanging jars of alternating sizes over a kitchen table for ambient lighting. Or hang them singly or in pairs along a porch or patio.

With their versatility and charm, mason jars make easy-to-display candleholders that can be incorporated seamlessly into any room’s decor.

Conclusion

In summary, Mason jars make excellent, inexpensive containers for homemade candles. Their classic style fits well with rustic, vintage, or farmhouse decor. The wide mouths allow for easily adding wax, fragrance, and wicks. The glass construction lets light shine through attractively. And the jar lids help prevent spills and contain fragrance when not in use. With some simple materials like wax, wicks, and scents, these reusable jars can be transformed into beautiful handmade candles on a budget.

Mason jars also lend themselves to many other crafty projects and storage solutions when not being used for candles. Extra jars come in handy for holding cotton balls and Q-tips in bathrooms, storing leftovers in refrigerators, housing DIY baking mixes and spices in pantries, displaying flowers or plants on windowsills, organizing office supplies on desks, and much more. Their versatility and classic appeal make Mason jars a handy item to keep around the home.