This is a sponsored post by Green Works and I am so excited about it!
I love a good mason jar hack and this one was done before I even knew what “hacks” were!
When I was little, we used to visit my grandparents on Hilton Head Island. It was my favorite place to be. My grandma, mom, brother and I would go biking or go to the beach- just exploring the island. While we were out, my grandpap and my dad would be busy working in my grandpap’s garage. He was so organized and creative! This hanging mason jar organizer was just one of his little ‘hacks’ that made life easier!
You can hang your mason jars anywhere that works – your office for paper clips, rubber bands, etc… or your garage for nails, screws, bolts (this is what my husband does) or even your pantry for things like chip clips.
So here is how I decided to upcycle our mason jars:
1- Clean the mason jars. I used the Green Works wipes because they are always right there on my pantry shelf (they are so easy to grab when I need a cleaning wipe)
Next I filled up my jars with things for the garage.
Next we measured where we wanted the lids to go (spaced out evenly):
We pre-drilled a hole in the wood, drilled a tiny hole in the lid (just to know where the center was) and then drilled the lid into the wood.
We drilled all of our mason jar lids into place:
And then we were able to just screw on the mason jars themselves. They screw on & off pretty easily, depending on what you have inside of the jar.
When all of the jars were screwed on, we were able to take the piece of wood out to the garage and turn it into a floating shelf:
My husband even used it to store other things on top:
Overall, it is an easy upcycling idea. Take something that you have lying around the house and repurpose it to something useful!
Linda says
I would upcycle mason jars and use them as vases for flowers and fill them with not only water but also colored marbles and other items and use them as decor.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Sounds beautiful!
Michelle J. says
I’d make an herb planter.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh- I need to learn how to do that!
Joan Kubes says
I’d like to try and make this hanging jar project.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Its so easy!
Sonja says
My daughters upcycle all kinds of creations. My youngest redesigns clothes, and she made a night light out of an old vitamin bottle.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
No way! I’d love to see that one!
HS says
I will do DIY mason jar drinking cups.
Evie B. says
I would love to upcycle mason jars like you did above and use them to make decorative wall sconces with candles inside to light.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh that would be beautiful!
Elena says
I would fill old Mason jars with wax to make DIY candles
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
My brother makes his own candles, too!
Harmony B says
I have an old table I want to make into a charging station for the kiddos electronics. I just have to find the time
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
I want to do that, too!! (& have the same “time” issue!!)
Julie Wood says
We had some leftover Copper Piping and I used it to make a unique Jewelry Stand for my necklaces and bracelets!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
How fun!!
Kim Henrichs says
I love this idea!!! We are currently going through a stack of pallets out back and making planters for the garden.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh- I have so many pallet ideas!! 🙂
Stephanie B. says
I’d use pretty blue mason jars to organize my cosmetics in the bathroom!!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
I love blue mason jars. I need to get some for our bedroom (its a light silvery-blue) 🙂
Ridhima says
I love to use mason jars to have my smoothies. I would also try this hanging diy mason jars in my son’s room for storing legos, crayons etc.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh – I should use them for my smoothies, too!!
Shannon Wooten says
Live the look! I would maybe use them in the bathroom for cotton balls, q-tips, hair rubberbands, etc… 🙂
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
I think that’s a fantastic idea!
Haley says
My husband works on a farm so it’s pallets everywhere! We are making book shelves for my sons room and a headboard for our bed. Fun projects!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
I would love to do some pallet up-cycling!
Ashara Slagger says
Something I find myself upcycling is old fabric into items like handkerchiefs and reusable bags.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
There is a book about that (fabric into handkerchiefs) that our kids love, but the name of it is slipping my mind… 🙂
Kahlia says
I would love to try your shelf idea for my girls’ art supplies. I would need at least 5 jars for pencils, markers, crayons, glue sticks and scissors! We have a book shelf that would work perfectly for that project!
Darby says
For my daughter’s first Christmas last year, I made her a set of giant blocks out of old cardboard boxes I “rescued” from my workplace that were destined for the dumpster. I pushed in the flaps on one side, covered the remaining 5 sides with brown paper bags I had saved from grocery shopping trips, then I reinforced all the edges of the boxes with colorful duct tape (some I already had on hand, some I purchased for the project). I’d chosen certain sizes of boxes for this project so I was able to make 6 sets of 5 nesting blocks each. We keep several sets in her room and several in our living room. Not only are they fun for stacking or carrying toys, when nested and turned on one end they become the perfect temporary side table for a stack of library books or my big cup of water next to her recliner while I’m rocking her to sleep. I hope she’ll want to decorate the paper sides with drawings when she’s a little older. We love our upcycled “box blox!”
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh no way- that’s a really fun idea!! I might have to try that one!
Chris says
I really need to organize my garage and the shelf with hanging jars would be a perfect starting point!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
🙂 This is perfect for a garage space!
Jessica moser says
For my wedding we are using old wine bottles we are spray painting them gold for our centrepieces. #pickme #winwin
Debra Strain says
I am going to use mason jars to get my office, craft room organized.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
🙂 Good thinking!
Dorothy Boucher says
I love this idea and I would actually do something like this , I have been saving my old coffee cans, So I think I would use the gift card to help me out finish my project, Which is for the bathroom, I want to use my old coffee cans to attach to wood or a bracket of some sort, and use them larger for towels and face cloths… and also the smaller ones I want to use for personal item such as make up, his thing(deodorant , shaving cream n so on )
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
LOVE it! (& I have your email 🙂 Thanks for leaving it though!!)
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
My husband uses old coffee cans for organizing the garage- they are the perfect organizer!! 🙂
Dierdre Baker says
We hang mason jars on our wooden fence and plant annual flowers, mostly wave petunias, in them. It adds more color to our garden.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
OH that’s so smart. We are going to have to do that!!
Katelyn Orick says
When we moved into our house last July the homeowners left all kinds of goodies like old windows, a sturdy little end table they built, garden containers, and lots of stuff in the shop! Then I actually have mason jars and wine bottles I have collected to use for our wedding/reception( we are already married but didn’t get to have real wedding at the time) that is going to be in our yard! I think we are going to use the end table in our landscaping and put flowers on top and in the drawer keep some garden tools. For the containers( I think I am going to paint them something fun) and we are going to starts a mini garden on our back deck and already getting started on it! I am thinking I might make the mason jar shelf for the hubby for Father’s Day! I think he would live it!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
OH I love to find old things. Have you seen where people turn old doors & windows into picture frames? Those are adorable!
Brittany says
I love this!
I have been saving baby food jars for an organizing project. I think I’ll clean them out and use them to store office supplies. 🙂
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
My mom said that, too (try baby food jars next time) 🙂
Alicia Andersen says
I like this idea and it seems simple! I use mason jars in my bathroom for makeup brushes, q tips, hair accessories, etc 🙂 love them!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
I should do this. I love bathroom organizers!
Cynthia Ivy says
I would love to do this mason jar floating shelf for outside. t would be cute to have on the wall of the back of my house so when all the kids are here swimming they could put their keys, & things out of their pockets in the jars & put their phones on the shelf!! I love this mason jar shelf because I can think of so many places to put it. It would also be cute in my laundry room to collect all the little things out of the pockets 🙂
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
That’s a great idea!! (both of them!)
Lauren says
I would upcycle cardboard boxes for containers.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
I love when people use those diaper boxes for that!
nicole dziedzic says
I would love to use a few of our old mason jars we have sitting in the basement to make some bird feeders to hang up around outside.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh- I need to learn to do that!
Ronald Gagnon says
I would use the1 GW Glass & Surface Cleaner to green up my cleaning of so many of my surfaces
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Ahh… yes!
Jen Wehr says
Will be making a patio set from wood pallets my hub’s work had to get rid of. Need outdoor furniture and this will be a fun project!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
I need to do some pallet ideas, too!
Maria Kertesz says
Hmmmm…I’m not sure…I do know that I want to up cycle a favorite pair of my girls baby Pajamas into a teddy bear. Have you seen those yet? They are SO cute and a perfect keep sake. I also LOVE this idea of the mason jars hanging. I can see these hanging from under my kitchen cabinets and the possibilities would be ENDLESS!!! Thanks for sharing Becky 🙂
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
My sister in law does that, too. She did that with her grandma’s clothes. 🙂
Kelly says
I love the idea of the mason jars for the screws/bolts. I am going to do this in our greenhouse. I am thinking I am going to put up 1/2 gallon jars too to house my Green Works cleaner. For easy access and to keep them fresh and not let the dirt get to them.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
THanks. ) Oh- I like that idea!
Ashley Bunch says
I have thoroughly enjoyed your blog and have read almost every posting.
I have wanted to do that mason jar hack for a while now too.
Also on my list of up-cycling projects, I want to add hairpin legs to a tabletop we came across and I want to modify or refinish our old sturdy country dining room chairs. They were my mother-in-love’s and have hopefully many more years on them, but look dated. : )
Thanks for your great posts!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Thanks, Ashley!! That just made my day!
Kristyn says
I want to create something like this but for my bathroom. I also saw a really cool wind chime made out of a mason jar that I would love to create!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
OMG – that’s a fantastic idea!
Tanya says
We will be making table center pieces for my daughter’s graduation from wood scraps and old glass bottles. They will make cute flower vases for the tables.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
FUn!
Tanya says
We will be making flower vases for my daughter’s graduation. The vases will be centerpieces for the tables, and we are using old glass bottles and scrap wood. There will be 3-4 clear bottles inside a wooden frame, and each bottle will hold a single flower.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh that’s a great idea. Congrats to her!
Carol Rask says
I use Gw all purpose cleaner. Believe it or not, my three little dogs have their own bedroom, so I put the puppy pad into the closet, since there is really no need for the only one sweater that they each have… Lol. So I hang the GW cleaner bottle,and Febreze bottle from the clothes hanger bar going across. There’s also enough room for the garbage can… I even put a small motion light in there so they can go toidy if they need to. I don’t get calls, ( or barks) from the next room saying let me out. : )
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh that’s a great idea!!
Liz PArks says
I would use the small 4oz mason jars, label them and use them for spices and seasonings in the kitchen!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Great thinking!
Judith Martinez says
I have been saving blue jeans to cover a couch I want to use in my basement.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
You must be great at sewing because I can’t even imagine. Good for you!!
Alex Flipse says
I have used a lot of cardboard I recycled from boxes that were mailed to me, as well as crystal light containers, toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, and many more things, to make my granddaughter a doll house she loves!!! We both are decorating the outside w unused wrapping paper, and when she sees something mommy or daddy are going to toss, she says, “No! Nana can use that got my doll house!” I love teaching her about reusing and making something beautiful out of it!!
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh my goodness- that is adorable! I need to tell my husband that idea.
Lori says
Oh gosh, I’ve done so much upcycling. We have this old Asian inspired little cabinet that my husband and I pulled from a dumpster … wow, 8 years ago, at least. It’s been home to books, canned goods, and it’s latest upcycling has been in the form of a mini-bar in our dining room. It fits the liquor and some vases, and on the top is a pretty piece of china and some regularly used liquor and wine. But is that re-using it, or upcycling?
I’ve also used my mason jars for storage of my daughters spoons and for my measuring spoons, I’ve cut up little cardboard boxes (for stuff like granola bars) and used them as dividers in a drawer, I found an old plant hanger (for the ceiling) and upcycled it to be a banana bunch hanger underneath my cabinets. I’ve taken old blocks of wood that were going to be tossed and used them as garden plant markers. The list goes on! 🙂
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Great ideas. I love the cardboard box divider idea!!!
Elle says
I have leftover tile from a bathroom renovation (wall,floor and shower) and would like to use that for artwork.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Great idea! We used our little tiles as coasters. (with pictures on them)
Amanda Sakovitz says
I would use mason jars to display my nail polishes. I think all the different colors would look really pretty.
jenn sparks says
I would like to try this hanging jar shelf idea for my craft room! I am also planning to upcycle some old food containers for my art supplies. pringles paintbrush holder anyone?
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Sounds awesome!
Diane says
I love to upcycle. I save everything from cans to cardboard. It drives my husband crazy but he ends up loving what I come up with. I have kept every diaper box we’ve bought, I cover them in contact paper and use them for all kinds of organization projects. There are so many cute craft projects on pintrest using cans of various sizes for holiday decorations that I am excited to try. Thanks for the mason jar idea Becky.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
I love pinterest for that, too! 🙂
Thomas Murphy says
I want to upcycle some wine bottles into vases.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Love it.
shaunie says
I would love to make the mason jars to hang . I would love to have these in my kitchen and store spices in.
Becky (Your Modern Family) says
Oh!! good idea!
Lisa Brown says
I would cover a wine bottle with twine and fabric for a nice vase for flowers.
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
Lauren E. says
I turn old wine bottles into hummingbird feeders