Thursday, December 4, 2008

Gift Idea # 6 - Mini Mason Jar Collage

25 Days of Gifts

#6 - Mini Mason Jar Collage

Yep, you read that correctly ~ Mason (or Ball) Jar lid collages!! Now, this is something I stumbled upon by accident. One of my boys was honked off about something (I'm sure it was because I'm such a mean parent!) and slammed the door on one of my Hoosier Cabinets ~ in the process knocking off one of my soybean candles. These particular candles are made in jelly jars. Of course the glass jar didn't hold up well in the crash so while I was cleaning up the mess I set the ring/lid on the cabinet and finished what I was doing. When I was done I noticed the way the lid and ring were setting looked like a little shadow box!!! Well of course I had to give it a try and this is what I came up with!

Grandma's Mason Jar Lid Collage

Grandma_mason_jar_lid_collage

I made it for my French grandma - hence all of the french looking accents.

Her fav. color is red btw (the ring is actually more red in person...).

Initially I traced the lid onto a piece of acrylic/transparency (old packaging is great for this!) (this step is optional btw). The lid & ring were then inked with Cranberry AI's. I created the collage on the inside of the lid leaving about 1/8" space around the outer edge (you'll see why later). You can't really tell by the photo but there are dimensional tiles and raised pieces (using foam). There is plenty of room for 3-D goodies in this collage.

**Optional - cut the traced piece of transparency and attach it to the ring. This is going to be a faux piece of glass to protect your collage.

Next, I took foam tape and line the inside of the ring. Despite the foam being double sided I used E-6000 to attach it. I needed to make sure it stays in place. This foam tape is what will hold the collaged lid creating the shadow box effect. Just apply a dab of E-6000 around the rim of the tape and place the collage in the ring. Let it dry completely. Last, affix a metal picture hanger on to the back of the collage with E-6000.

That's it!
You have you're very own mason jar lid collage!

Fun huh? I love making these...it's fun to see what you can do with such a small size. The wide-mouth ring/lids are much easier to work with though because of their larger size. Either work great though :)

Have a great day friends!!

8 comments:

  1. What a clever idea. You never ceasae to amaze... Now to find some mason jar lids...thanks!

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  2. It's fantastic - love all the elements you've added - I have some lids somewhere - thanks for the inspiration

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  3. Fab idea and it looks wonderful. So different. Must try it! xx

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  4. I LOVE this. Awesome!

    And, LOL - you are going to laugh when I tell you what I made YOU! (I haven't sent it yet, but it is all ready to go when I can get a quick box together for you.) I did something similar with the top lid of a tuna can! Don't worry, it doesn't smell fishy (well... not TOO much anyway *grin*). It's dimensional, but not as much as your shadow box lid. I used Glossy Accents to layer papers, tiles, beads, watch parts, etc. in the lid. I LOVE projects like these and will definitely keep my eye out for a suitable, deeper lid. Very cool.

    Great minds think alike... again!

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  5. What a great idea! I'm not sure I could have seen past my anger (at the kids for breaking something) to see any possibility in what remained. Great job!

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  6. Great inspiration coming from a mishap!
    ava, cottagerca

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  7. This is beautiful and very unique! Who would have thought a piece of art could be made out of a mason jar lid?

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  8. What a fun way to combine lots of elements.

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Thanks for your thoughts and comments!