DIY - Decoupage Mason Jars & Flower Arrangement

The idea for this craft came to me when I was wandering the aisles of my local craft store. It's based on a activity my mom did with me when I was little, and I would say the decoupage portion is still super kid-friendly! The main part of this activity is tearing tissue paper and basic decoupage, a.k.a. "gluing things messily with a paintbrush" - a great craft for kids with a lot of enthusiasm and not too many fine motor skills. (;

The ribbons and flower arranging are better-suited for an adult, so this is a perfect mommy-and-me craft. It would be a cute gift for grandparents or other family members, and could also make for adorable centerpieces at a DIY wedding.

Skill level: Very easy!
Age: Decoupage: 5+ with supervision; flower arrangement: 15+.
Cost: For me, $9 excluding reused materials.
Time: 45 minutes to an hour for decoupage; 30 minutes for flower arrangement.

Supplies:
Silk flowers - I got these on sale for $5 at Michael's. I bought them in a set, but feel free to experiment with different flowers and colors!
Mason jar - $2.
Foam brush - 1" works best for this, but any will do! I bought this one for $0.49 at Michael's a few weeks ago.
Mod Podge - This super-popular decoupage glue can run a bit expensive (about $7 for an 8oz jar), so in a bind, you can mix kid's craft glue (e.g. Elmer's) and water at a 1-to-1 ratio instead. Just make sure it has a gluey, not watery, consistency!
Tissue paper -  I tend to have tissue paper lying around for my Etsy shop, but if you don't have any, you can buy a big package for about $5 at your local craft store.
Flower foam - Buy the size that will fit in your Mason jar; I got a pack of two for $3.50!

Step 1: Preparing the jar

The first thing I did was fit the flower foam in the mason jar before it became sticky with glue. As the mouth of the jar was slightly narrower than the jar itself, I had to shave my foam down a little by hand - luckily, that's easy to do with a little rubbing! It's okay if the foam is a little loose in the jar; the flowers will fill the space and hold it in place later.

Step 2: Tear the tissue paper into small pieces
This part is fun for kids! Rip the tissue paper into lots of pieces of different sizes. It's fun to use many different colors, and don't be afraid to be messy; the more random the size and shape of the pieces, the more cool and interesting the jar will look later.

Step 3: Decoupage
It may sound daunting, but this step is super easy! Using the foam brush, spread some glue over a section of the jar.

Add the tissue paper pieces on, and tap them down with your finger. Don't be afraid to let them overlap! Start with the larger pieces, and use the smaller pieces to layer over them later.

After you "tap" the pieces down with your finger, dip the foam brush in the Mod Podge (or decoupage glue) and run it over the tissue paper again. This will glue them down and allow you to layer new pieces on top. Add more layers of tissue paper and repeat these steps for the whole jar until you're happy with the look!

Yep, that's my momma in the background!

Step 4: Flower arranging

Using a wire cutter, cut the stems from their bundles with about 3-4" of stem remaining per flower. Stick these stems into the foam.

Experiment with the height of and angle of the flowers, with those in the middle sticking up slightly higher than those along the edges.

Tah-dah! Time for extras!

Step 5: Ribbon trim

For the final step, I used some extra ribbon in coordinating colors to tie around the mouth of the jar. Using a match or lighter, you can hem the ribbon's edges so they don't fray later.

And there you have it! A fun, easy craft that's kid-friendly and makes for a great gift or DIY home decor (especially for broke college students like me).

 

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