Halloween Mason Jar Lanterns

Can you believe we’re almost halfway through October? If this month snuck up on you, like it did me, you’re probably in need of a quick Halloween home makeover. I tried out a Halloween version of these Patriotic Mason Jar Lanterns I found over at Addicted 2 DIY and loved them so much I did them for a neighborhood craft night! I am in LOVE with birds of any kind for Halloween (and Christmas for that matter) so I decided a “Raven with a moon” would be fun, paired with a couple of striped “Witch Stockings” for the perfect Halloween themed Mason Jar Lanterns.

What you need to get started:

• 1 Quart Mason jar
• 2 Pint Mason jars
• Paint in various colors. I used:
  • : BASE for the quarts
  • Rustoleum Painter’s Touch : BASE for pints
  • Behr sample paint Flat,  Jet Black: TOP for the quarts
  • Behr sample paint Flat,  Wild Grapes: TOP for the pints
• Painters tape: I used Scotch Blue for freshly painted surfaces otherwise the tape can pull off the base layer of paint and ruin your stripes!
• Paint brushes: I used cheap foam brushes from Dollar Tree
• Vinyl cutouts or stickers:
  • (15) ½” Stars for Quart
  •  (1) 1 ½” Moon for Quart
  •  (1) 2 ½” Raven for Quart
  •  (10) ¼” dots for each Pint
  •  Embellishments (optional):
  •  (2-4) Plastic spiders
  •  (2) Strips black “creepy” cloth, Dollar Tree

* Note: Craft paint seems to stick better than the spray paint BUT I had to make 40 of them and went the easy route. “Martha Stewart Crafts Pearl” paint is awesome but I couldn’t find a nice “witchy green.”

Instructions:

Step 1:

Make sure your Mason jars are clean and dry. Place stickers around the outside evenly.

• (15) Stars for the Quart Mason Jars
• (15) Dots for each of the Pint Mason Jars

Check that all edges are sealed with no bubbles or wrinkles.

Step 2:

Paint the base coat on each Mason jar.

• Yellow for the Quart Mason Jars
• Green for the Pint Mason Jars

It will take 2 coats to get it covered properly. Let it dry a few hours between coats and overnight before continuing.

Step 3:

Place the Raven and Moon on the Quart Mason Jar where desired
Wrap the painters tape around the Pint Mason Jars, making the space between the two about the same thickness as the tape so your stripes will be nice and even.
*Note: Press down the edges of the tape. If you want a perfect line – get a smooth Mason jar. Paint will seep under the tape at the raised lettering. I personally liked the oozing paint look for a Halloween Mason Jar Lantern.

Step 4:

Paint over the Mason jars with the topcoat:
– Black for Quart Mason jars
– Purple for the Pint Mason jars
* Note: The black has 2 coats but the purple only has 1, you can see how streaky it is. Don’t try to do it all with a single coat. It takes too long to dry and can have lots of bubbles.

Step 5:

Let it dry overnight then carefully peel off the tape and stickers. If you have a spot of base paint that peels up on your Pints, that’s a great place to glue a spider with craft glue! Tie on your “creepy cloth”, drop in a few tea light candles and admire your Halloween Lantern creations.

*Note: Don’t try to get the edge of the sticker from the paint side or you will scratch paint off. Keep you nail on the sticker and peel the edges up.

    The light will come through the clear stars and dots but also glows through the base colors. I love how the spiders show up in shadow! The perfect addition to a Halloween inspired Mason jar Lantern!

If you want more light, you can lightly the sand the raised letters. But I like the eery glow of these at night. What do you think? Gonna join me in my Raven mania? What is your favorite Halloween obsession?