I’m loving everything about my latest home project, this blue mason jar wall bouquet! I adore the button flowers that remind me of Dr. Seuss’s truffula trees. I was pleased to find that the blue jar was simple to make with materials I had at home. (I did purchase the pictured flower stems for the bouquet.)
The Dilemna
My basement bathroom doesn’t get a lot of use when Shawn and I are the only ones home. But when I have overnight guests, of course I want it to look inviting. And when the whole family gets together, it’s possible to have four people sharing this bathroom for showering and morning routines. So I wanted lots of towel space.
I have one medium and one large towel bar along the wall next to the shower. (And yes, only in my house would you also find a print of Van Gogh’s Starry Night above the towels.) So when it came to that space above the toilet, part of me wanted something artsy with a feminine feel and the other part of me wanted a place for more towels.
A Multi-Purpose Solution
My solution was to mount a double-prong hook. This way I could hang something decorative, but swap out for a towel when my house is overflowing with guests!
I have botanicals in other parts of the house and whimsical art in the basement. Bringing both of these together, I envisioned a whimsical bouquet. I have gobs of canning jars and I knew that I blue one would be sweet. Mine were all clear so I set out to create a blue mason jar wall bouquet on a budget.
Tinting Mason Jars
Many directions for coloring jars involved purchasing Mod Podge. Well, I didn’t really want to buy this for one solitary project, and I know from past experience that regular school glue is an acceptable substitute. I was also leaning toward projects that featured inexpensive food coloring rather than glass paints.
And that’s how I stumbled on this simple DIY that I decided to use, HGTV’s How to Tint Mason Jars.
Following this video, I got a really good idea on how much food coloring to use. For my jar I used 30 drops, which was an average between two of the jars she colored in the video.
The jar tinting required glue, food coloring, a jar, a baking sheet, wax paper, and disposible container for run off. Easy peasy. I had all that on hand.
I decided to attempt one jar, and just trust that it would work. Following the video directions, I mixed the food coloring and water, added glue, sloshed it around in the jar and poured out the excess.
I followed the baking directions, but if I were to do this again, I would bake my jar longer on the first side before flipping it over. My finished jar was slightly streaky and I think I could have avoided this by more diligently removing the excess colored mixture or by baking it longer upside down. It was when I flipped the jar that streaking began.
The jar was the perfect shade of blue for my bathroom! Now to finish the project.
Creating a Wall Bouquet
My remaining materials were twine and floral picks. The twine I used was Merchant 41 Decorative Trim, Natural. 100% Jute in a spool that measured 1/4 inch by 5 yards. I couldn’t find the exact spool online but this one is pretty close. Digging through Hobby Lobby’s online store is a bear because they don’t have their items tagged well, but there were a few of the picks I could find similar to what I purchased in the store . I used the Blue Billy Button is a dark blue, but also a lime green, and I can link the flat eucalyptus but can’t locate the seeded eucalyptus.
Along with some other floral picks, I arranged these in my hand and bound them together with a grocery twist tie. Then I covered my wire tie with floral tape.
Hanging the Jar
I wanted the twine to hang securely. So I held the bouquet up under my mounted hook and measured off enough twine to hang to the right length, wrap around the jar lip and leave several inches for tying. I haven’t included pictures of my knot because it’s rather messy, but it is hidden by the bouquet. Rest assured it is quite stable.
And a note on cutting twine – you don’t want the ends to unravel on you. I like to wrap tape where I plan to cut and then just cut through the tape so that both cut ends are sealed.
As you tie the twine for the jar, be careful to rest the knots in such a way that your jar can still lie flat against your wall without twisting. The double hook also ensures that your bouquet hangs nicely and doesn’t twist. Once your jar is in place, simply pop in the bouquet you’ve tied.
The Mason Jar Wall Bouquet Results
I’m super pleased with the results! The steaking on the jar is hardly noticeable and the color is spot on. And the Billy Buttons, especially the lime green, really add the whimsy that I was looking for. I’d love to hear your additional thoughts and comments.
