DIY Weathered Wood Jar Sconces

Yesterday as Mia (our pup) and I took a walk across our property, I glanced at the small stash of scrap wood I set aside for projects.  A few short hours later, these were casting a warm glow above our fireplace ...

Materials:

6 boards 30" long
4 boards 7" long
4 hooks (for hanging mason jars)
1" brad nails
1-1/2" wood screws
8 wood shims (as spacers)
2 D-ring hangers with screws
2 picture hangers with screws
4 jars
Wire
Jute string
Salt
Candles

Tools Used:

Ryobi Cordless Mitre Saw
Ryobi Cordless Drill
Ryobi Cordless Brad Nailer
Ryobi Cordless Screwdriver 

What can I say? .. We like Ryobi! 

The weather was gorgeous - sunny and slightly cool - a perfect day for an outdoor project.  

I began by cutting all the boards to length.  Thanks to the cordless mitre saw, this part of the process was quick and easy. 

I laid the boards out to determine spacing and our driveway made a great work surface.

The thickest ends of the wood shims served as spacers.

To help find the correct placement of the shorter 7" horizontal boards,  I placed jars along the sconces and found I liked them best with 11-1/2" spacing between the 7" horizontal boards.

Using the brad nailer, I tacked the 7" horizontal boards to the long vertical boards. This secured them, allowing me to flip the sconce over to install 1-1/2" screws thru the underside with the drill.

But before putting in any screws, I made pilot holes, to prevent the dry and weathered wood from splitting.

At this point I installed D-ring hangers on the back of each sconce.

 
Flipping the sconce back over to the front, I then attached a hook to the center of each horizontal board.

That completed the sconce assembly.

Now for the jars!

You don't really have to rush out to buy brand new canning jars (unless you want to).  Any clear jar from pasta sauce, pickles, salsa, etc. work just as well.  


Wire wrapped tightly around each jar ring formed a loop for hanging.

A length of thick jute string wrapped around the top of the jar and tied in a double knot adds a rustic touch.

Each jar contains a votive candle resting on a layer of regular table salt. Epsom salt, sand or pebbles can also be used if you like.

Battery operated votives or tea lights are a nice alternative to regular candles and the jars can also be used as vases.  Be sure to check out Pinterest for lots of cute variations.


With the sconces built, I enlisted my sweet hubby to hang them above the fireplace.  He used these picture hangers to ensure they stayed securely on the wall - they're a little more heavy duty than was actually necessary, but we already had them on hand:

Picture Hanger

 
Nothing beats the fun of brainstorming a project and having it completed all in one day - that doesn't happen all that often (at least in my world).  

Thanks to all the materials we already had on hand, the total cost for this project was only $6.84 for the 4 hooks.  Yay!

Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting!

Shared with:

Across the Boulevard
My Sweet Things
Hello Little Home
Pieced Pastimes