18 Amazing DIY Mason Jar Hanging Lights for Inside and Outside

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Lighting isn’t cheap these days, and yet stylish lights, whether indoor or outdoor, go a long way in setting a great ambiance. One great way to bring a rustic charm to your lighting is by using the classic mason jar to bring a touch of elegance and class to your lighting.

I’ve featured my favorite 18 DIY mason jar light projects. Don’t break the bank on expensive lighting – these indoor fixtures, pendants, and chandeliers will be a simple way to up your light game. And, the outdoor lighting ideas will help elevate any patio, with most of them being solar powered.

Light Fixtures and Hanging Lights

Starting with the easiest of the projects, creating DIY mason jar hanging lights and fixtures is a simple, easy task but one that will have some great payoff.

1. Mason Jar Hanging Light

A hanging blue mason jar light

This tutorial walks you through how to make a hanging mason jar light. 

You can use this hanging light almost anywhere in your house, although this guide shows it being used by a bed for a light.

This is a great way to hang lighting in tight corners or areas where you don’t have space for a lamp on a table.

Add it as a part of other bedroom projects like creating your own pallet wood headboard. And, this DIY project is super simple.

Bonus points for using a colored jar to give off a different color cast.

Check out the tutorial her​e​​​: abeachcottage.com

2. Mason Jar Light Lantern

Hand holding a fairy light mason jar

These hanging mason jar lights are perfect for summers outdoors on the patio, by the pool, or for entertaining.

They aren’t electric, so you’ll use candles for lights. Or, you could also bundle up some string lights that are battery operated. 

Because the candles sit so far inside the jar, they don’t get put out from wind. This is the perfect project if you want mason jars with lights inside. 

The guide gives you the option of having clear glass jars, or spray painting the inside of the mason jar for a color hue.

Laura, the creator of this project, even shows you how to pour your own candles for the mason jars, so they fit perfectly!

If you need, learn how to drill a hole in a mason jar for hanging lighting.

For the full list of plans, visit: makelifelovely.com

3. Frosted Mason Jar Christmas Lights

​This Christmas DIY project is perfect to get your house ready for the holiday spirit, utilizing mason jars. The basic idea is that you use mason jars to spell various words such as “joy” or “peace”. Made to mimic traditional luminaria bags, these jars cast off a warm glow for your holiday decor.

Christmas frosted Mason jars

You’ll need to pick up some script letters at a craft store, and you’ll be using a frosted glass spray paint. Beyond that, this project is relatively easy, and you can have the choice about what you want the word to say.

Learn more: thebudgetdecorator.com

4. ​Inverted Mason Jar Light Fixture

​Unlike the other projects features so far, this one turns into an actual light fixture that you hang on your wall. If that sounds a little scary, don’t be alarmed – Katie and Eric make the whole project super simple.

A mason jar turned light fixure

These two envisioned this project for their RV, but it can be fashioned for any home or cabin. You will need some basic electric cords and wires, along with some metal pipe for the fixture. But, once you have the supplies, this project is actually relatively easy.

Use this as more than just a DIY craft but as a true home improvement project.

Make this at home: thebudgetdecorator.com

5. LED Mason Jar Light

A hand holding a jar with fairy lights inside

​If the last project was a little complicated for you, then you’ll love this one. This is also a great project for a mom to do with young kids. 

So incredibly simple, you’ll be a little bummed you didn’t think of it yourself. Quite literally all you need is some LED strand lights and a mason jar.

This project is great to do so you have some instant, easy table lights you can go to your closet and whip out in no time.

Make several and you can fashion a centerpiece out of them with some eucalyptus leaves.

Take a look: madincrafts.com

6. Multiple Mason Jar Lights Fixture

Sea of mason jar lights

This hanging collection of mason jar lights are very homey and will work great for a farmhouse decor home. Super simple to make, it just involves threading white Christmas lights into mason jars and hanging with burlap (or rope of choice).

For the full set of plans: madincrafts.com

7. Hanging Candle Mason Jar Light

​A small little roundup of examples of what you do with mason jars, I loved the images on this article. I was especially drawn to the large tabletop image that showcased dozens of mason jars with lights in them.

It’s a good reminder that you don’t have to spend a lot of time and money on tools and supplies to create basic decorations. In these examples, you can use real candles, or pick up some battery operated versions.

Candle within a mason jar tied to a tree

Mason jars also gave you a blank canvas, so that you can modify the decor around them depending on the theme. However, they are a great to-to for almost any tablescape.

See the project here: tworingstudios.com

8. Mason Jar Light Fixture

A mason jar attached as a light fixture

This is another version of my previous example, using an actual light fixture to have mason jar lighting.

This example is incredibly detailed and do-it-yourself, not requiring nearly as many tools or parts.

Lots of pictures show the process you go through, including a caution about not cutting your finger while doing the work.

​It’s a good reminder to make sure you know how to use all of your saws, drills, and tools.

The finished product was installed in their bathroom, and the final pictures are really inspiring.

For the detailed plan, visit: blesserhouse.com

9. Woodland Backlit Mason Jar Light

​Get in the holiday spirit with these festive and fun patterned mason jar lights. You’ll need to download your preferred pattern, which is great way to get a cool design. I feature downloadable scroll saw patterns for the same reasons, and they are incredibly popular.

Woodland style mason jar light

Once downloaded and printed, you cut the pattern out and then affix it to the inside of the mason jar, similar to some of my 4th of July DIY project ideas​. After that, the rest of the DIY project is a cinch to finish.

For more information, visit: hometalk.com

Chandeliers and Pendant Lights

Pendant lights are lone lights that hang down, typically from the ceiling. Whether suspended by a cord, chain, or metal rod, they are popular options to use over kitchen counter tops, islands, and as features over dining room tables.

In essence, chandeliers can sometimes be described as a collection of multiple pendant lights, although they are often far more complicated and decorative than that. Chandeliers hang over dining room tables, or often in high-ceiling rooms.

Mason jars make wonderful decorative additions to your classic pendant light or chandelier. And, since chandeliers especially can be expensive, you don’t need to spend a lot of money buying one. Creating your own variation can also save you a lot of money.  I’ve gathered my favorite projects that you can follow to make your own.

10. DIY Mason Jar Pendant Light

Hanging mason jar lights

If you’ve been out to virtually any restaurant in the last few years, you know the the classic Edison style light bulbs are everywhere.

From trendy bars to upstart breweries to classy restaurants, this light bulb is being used all around.

Angies List shows how to utilize this style of lighting in a pendant, which also incorporating a mason jar to house it.

And, instead of a series of pictures to show the steps, there is a wonderful quick video that you can watch, walking you through the install process.

Check out the full tutorial on: angieslist.com

11. Hanging Mason Jars Light Fixture

Group of lights in a mason jar

Another similar take on a simple DIY pendant light that incorporates mason jars, this goes through the full install of the light. So, if you don’t already have an existing outlet or electrical cord where you want the lighting, this might be a good one to follow along with.

More over at: designsponge.com

12. Mason Jar Light Chandelier

​Moving beyond just pendant lighting, Instructables put together a 10 step process for creating a DIY chandelier from mason jars. You’ll see that the first several steps are very similar to building a homemade pendant light. With a chandelier, you’re really just building a series of them.

Mason jar chandelier

I love the box that the guide shows you how to create, which houses all of the wiring as the light meets the ceiling. The author gives you a complete and thorough breakdown of every single part you need, and even how much everything costs.

Learn more about the project here: instructables.com

13. Stained Mason Jar Pendant Light

​Lowe’s makes this project a walk in the park with incredible simple,step by step instructions. When every step is no more than 1-2 sentences, you know they’ve done a good job breaking it down.

Close up of colorful mason jar pendant lights

A nice twist that they add is to add stain to the outside of the mason jar. After 15 minutes, they wipe most of the stain off, but the residuals create a really cool and custom look to the mason jar light.

To learn how to make this project, visit: lowes.com

14. Mason Jar Pendant Light Chandelier

Mason jar chandelier

My favorite of all the DIY mason jar projects in this section, you’ll find a wonderful walk through for building a chandelier of pendant lights in this article. Simple to build yet very elegant and sophisticated, this set of lights would be perfect for over top a DIY farmhouse dining room table.

You might benefit from a more sophisticated saw for this one. There are some great entry level table saws you can buy for a very affordable price, so don’t let that stop you from considering it.

Check out the detailed plan here: thesummeryumbrella.com

Outdoor Lighting

There is perhaps no better place for mason jar lighting than outdoors on a patio. Summer nights outside, lit by the warm glow of a fire pit, or coming from hanging or freestanding mason jars – it’s hard to imagine a more idyllic scene.

​Sprucing up the yard and outdoor space during summer time is nothing new. Here are my favorite outdoor mason jar light projects.

15. Outdoor Mason Jar Lights

Fairy lights inside a mason jar

This great set of plans walks you through how to create and hang mason jar lighting from your outdoor umbrellas.

Big, detailed pictures show you the step by step process for getting these put together and hung.

Two options are presented – one for hanging with wire and keeping the battery pack up in the umbrella arms, and another for hanging with twine and not having any power running to it.

Hang these up and enjoy an upgraded ambiance while you sit by your fire pit on a summer night.

See how this project is made: blueskyathome.com

16. Solar Powered Mason Jar Lights

Self-sustaining mason jar lights

What a wonderful concept – self sustaining outdoor solar lighting made from mason jars.

This wonderful DIY project makes use of standard stake solar lighting that is sold on Amazon, and a couple of other things you’ll have around your house.

If you like the idea enough but don’t want to do the project yourself, you can also buy solar mason jar tops on Amazon and then just screw them on yourself – voila!

Get more lighting inspiration for your outdoor fire pit here.

​For more information, visit: gardentherapy.ca

​17. Mason Jars Drop Down Light Fixture

Mason jar lights chandelier hanging on a ceiling

A different take on the same project as above, this example shows you several different ways to use your finished product.

Take a look at this project is made: diyprojects.com

18. Double Sconce Mason Jar Light Fixture

This project combines several others that I’ve featured into one beautiful finished product. Taken a light fixture and fashion it into a solar lit mason jar fixture.

In this example, the article takes the classic outdoor double sconce and turns it into a mason jar light, complete with solar power. This project involves some spraying painting and drilling through glass, so you’ll have a little bit more work ahead of you than in some other projects I’ve featured.

Mason jar lights

With over 100 pictures walking you through the step by step process, this truly is a wonderful tutorial and a high quality DIY project.

H​ere is the full set of plans:​ thenavagepatch.com

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Allen runs a popular home website, and understands what it takes to educate audiences through online content. Through his focus at home, Allen developed an insatiable appetite for home improvement projects that he could do for cheap on weekends. Over the years, he has gained valuable experience, which he shares in detail in articles like How to Build A DIY Dining Room Table. His ability to clearly share these DIY ideas is a huge asset, and he is a valuable resource to the home improvement community.