I don’t know about you, but I can’t throw away glass jars. I always clean them and stick them in the cupboard, then I’m overrun until I load them up and put them with my donation goods every few months. 

TikTok creator Kellyn (@easygrowing) takes her old jars, cleans them, and creates the prettiest little jar lanterns with pressed flowers, fairy lights, and twine. Below I show you what she did and give you some alternatives of your own if you don’t have the same materials. 

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How to Make Upcycled Jar Lanterns

What You Need:

• Empty glass jars
• Pressed flowers
• Mod Podge
• Paint brush
• Battery-operated fairy lights
• Twine
• Hot glue

Clean out the jars and get all the adhesive from the label off the jars. Dry them thoroughly. Paint Mod Podge in small batches and press the flowers, then paint over them again to seal them. 

On the lip of the jar, attach a twine handle with hot glue like she shows in the video. Wrap twine around the lip of the jar to hide the ends of the handle.

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Put battery-operated fairy lights inside the jar and hang this pretty, summer lantern.

Related: Turn a Basic Vase Into Custom Art With a Little Air-Dry Clay

Easy Swaps If You Don't Have These Supplies

There are a lot of variations and alternatives you can use with this craft. If you don’t have pressed flowers, you can cut out pieces of floral tissue paper and do the same thing with Mod Podge that you would with the pressed flowers. 

If you don’t have twine, you can use wire, yarn, or ribbon. And for anyone not wanting to put battery-operated lights outside, most dollar stores have some kind of solar light that can be taken off its stake and put in the jar. 

How to Press Flowers for Crafts

I love pressed wildflowers, which is what Kellyn appears to use in this DIY. You can purchase pressed flowers online or in craft stores, but it’s so easy to make them yourself that you could also do that.

Pressing flowers does take some time, and they’ll have different drying times depending on how big they are, what type, etc. Some bulkier varieties may not press at all and might become moldy, so stick with smaller, more delicate blooms. Most instructions I’ve found online say to check them daily until they’re dry.

Related: Woman Creates the Most Stunning Faux Flower Chandelier for a Dreamy Garden Look Inside

An Upcycled Alternative to Waste

These jar lanterns look rustic and very pastoral, and I think they’re absolutely charming. If you can’t stand to throw out jars, but also need to use up the ones you have, this is a perfect craft. Hang them up or gift them to friends. It’s an easy craft that will give you the feeling of summer all year long.