I remember back in the day when Pinterest first came out – for a while, I was confused how it was different than Tumblr and I put off getting an account.  But, over time – and the occasional peak at some kickass pin boards – I discovered that Pinterest was the perfect list-making tool for those out there like myself who enjoy being visually stimulated.  As with any new social media tool, the first thing I did was sit there with my new digital moniker in hand, stare at the computer screen and mumble to myself “Now what?!”  What I really should have said was – Now, what do I share?

You can compile pin boards on literally anything and everything under the sun like new recipes, fun nail polish colors, potential breeds for your future puppy, dream vacation spots, wardrobe upgrades, etc, etc – Maybe you’re beyond single but you love the idea of planning your dream wedding?  You can create a pinboard for that.  Or, let’s say you want to travel to Europe for a 20 day backpacking trip – you can save everything from destination photo spots, ideas for brunch, youth hostels, things to pack and books to read before you go into a pinboard.   I’m sure you get the picture – they’re as creative, whimsical or as literal as you feel like and have definitely become one of my online guilty pleasures.  Hands down, my favorite board to maintain is my DIY craft board because there’s nothing quite as rewarding as hand crafting a gift – whether its for family, friends, a stranger, your pets or yourself.

One of the more hilarious things about Pinterest is the perceived high arts + crafts skill levels of the people posting.  For example, last year around Cinco de Mayo a blog I follow posted an awesomely daunting baking post about whipping up some Pinata Cookies.  They were rainbow, donkey shaped cookies filled with M&M minis…..so, naturally, I had to try it – right?  Well, suffice it to say that didn’t go so well.  At one point I had a picture, but I quickly deleted it in humiliation….after texting it to three of my friends so at least someone could get a good laugh out of it. Thankfully, there’s a website – Pinterest Fails – entirely devoted to people like me who have failed at Pinterest inspired arts, crafts or cooking adventure and lived to tell about it.  And yeah, even though that round of Donkey cookies ended up being a total bust – I discovered that I thoroughly enjoy finding new opportunities and ideas, otherwise known as “Pins” to their online community, to conquer.

Time to repurpose!

One of the things I’ve learned my years of beading and crafting is that you need to learn how to work with the world around you – there are ample resources at your fingertips if you simply open your eyes and look.   Maybe you’re a wino in training – save the bottles and you could convert them into a menagerie of things: vases, candle holders or an essential oil diffuser; save the wine corks and you could create a pinboard, coffee table top or incense holder.  The opportunities for recycling and re purposing materials are endless if we just take a chance on our intuition and creative powers!  One thing that I’ve been compiling en masse lately are large mason jars – from pickles to pasta sauce and back down to large candles – I had a whole host of unused glass around the house.  I promised myself that eventually, I’d find a use for all of them – so I converted a few into change holders so I could keep track of quarters for the laundry, then another three into containers for my makeup brushes, eyeliner and mascara so I could keep them organized.  Well, that was a while ago and I was thirsty for a new project – after a few hours online, I had it all figured out; and quite frankly, was a little dumbfounded I didn’t get the idea on my own.  One thing that old mason jars – especially the candle holders – do exceptionally well….is (drumroll please) holding candles; tealight candles to be precise.  Per usual, I improvised from both the instructions and equipment in the original post because I’m a badass that abides by my own rules…plus, I trust the supplies I’ve acquired over time.  The end result? The perfect holiday decoration! The mason jars transform into awesome orbs with a glittery glow that you can place all around the house for some holiday flare. Now let’s get crafty!

The View From The Top

Glitter + Glue – the essentials

Supplies:

• Mason Jars [Pro Tip] – Next time you burn through a candle, keep the surrounding glass casing so you can reuse it!
• Glitter: Silver, Gold, Irridescent, Multicolored….you get it, just make sure it’s sparkly and shit.
• Craft Glue and small Brush[Pro Tip] I recommend Martha Stewart Crafts Decoupage ‘Glue + Sealer Brush Applicator’ because (a) its amazing and (b) the little applicator brush is perfect for this task
• Aluminum Foil
• Scissors
• Tealight Candles
• Ribbon

Swear By It: Martha Stewart Crafts Glue with Brush Applicator

Get your scissors and ribbons ready

Aluminum Foil and my trusty Hole Punches

Tools

• Scissors –> Next Level Crafty: Shaped Hole Punchers

Instructions – Time: 15-30  minutes depending on how anal much of a perfectionist you are

• If you’re reusing an old candle – handwash the glass candle holder to remove the outside label and leftover wax, then dry before next step
• Use a small applicator brush to cover the inside of the glass in a layer of glue (but not the bottom!)
• Dump a sizable amount of glitter into the glass and tumble it around until evenly distributed
• Wait about 5 minutes to see where the glitter dries – retouch if necessary.
• Cut a section of aluminum foil to fit around the top
• Choose one of two adventures:
• (a) Get your 1st grader snowflake making skills on: Bend the foil twice and cut a few geometric shapes – voila, snowflake!
• (b) If you’re a next level ninja and have shaped hole punches, bend that foil and then let the foil have it
• Light a tealight, light it and place it in the candle holder
• Put your patterned aluminum foil on top and tie the foil down to the holder with a section of ribbon
• Voila, you’ve successfully started your army of sparkly candle holders!

The Final Product