Sparkling glitter, colorful details, and a simple glass jar come together to create a cheerful Christmas candy holder that feels much more special than its inexpensive supplies.
Christmas decorating can be as simple as giving an everyday jar a festive makeover. Here, a basic mason jar becomes the centerpiece of a cheerful holiday display with painted details, glitter, rhinestones, and seasonal decorations.
The glass jar already provides part of the design, especially when you choose one with a snowflake or Christmas tree pattern. Instead of covering that detail, the craft uses paint and embellishments to make the existing design stand out.
A raised candle holder underneath changes the look of the jar completely. It gives the finished piece a decorative pedestal, while the shelf-sitter decoration on top adds the playful Christmas character.
For gifting, the finished jar can hold candy or other small treats. That makes the decoration useful as well as attractive, whether you are preparing something for a teacher, friend, family member, or holiday display.
Things that you need before crafting:
- Mason jars, preferably with snowflake and Christmas tree designs
- Two glass candle holders
- Spray paint
- Prisma glitter in white and green
- Ribbon
- Rhinestones
- Christmas embellishments such as candy canes or lollipops
- Shelf-sitter decorations such as Santa or a snowman
Tools
- Glue gun
- Glue sticks
- E6000 adhesive
- Slick paints in black, white, green, and red
- Scissors
- Rhinestone pickup tool, such as a “Quicker Poker Picker Upper”
How To Make:
Prepare the Bases
Before decorating the jars, prepare the candle holders that will support them.
Paint the Candle Holders
Take the two glass candle holders outdoors or into a suitable well-ventilated area.
Apply spray paint evenly over the surfaces and leave the pieces undisturbed until they are completely dry.
Avoid spraying too heavily in one pass. Light coats help prevent runs and uneven coverage.
Check the Jar and Lid
Choose the jar you want to decorate and remove the lid.
If the lid needs to remain permanently attached for this design, apply E6000 around the appropriate joining area and secure it carefully.
Before adding any decorations, remove price stickers or adhesive labels from the glass. A clean surface gives the glue a better chance of bonding properly.
Decorate the Jar
Highlight the Existing Pattern
Use slick paint to follow the raised or printed design already present on the mason jar.
For a snowflake jar, carefully trace the snowflake details. A Christmas tree jar can be decorated in the same way by following its existing pattern.
Work slowly around the design rather than trying to cover a large section at once.
Add Rhinestones
Place rhinestones at selected points of the painted design.
A small rhinestone pickup tool can make this easier, especially when working with tiny pieces.
You do not need to cover every part of the pattern. Leaving some of the glass visible helps keep the design from looking too crowded.
Add Prisma Glitter
While the painted or adhesive areas are ready to receive glitter, sprinkle Prisma glitter over the decorated surface.
Use white or green according to the design you are creating.
Shake away the excess glitter and leave the jar aside until the decorated areas have dried completely.
Prepare the Top Decoration
Detail the Shelf Sitter
Give the Santa or snowman decoration any necessary touch-ups before attaching it.
For Santa, small details such as eyebrows can be repainted, while rhinestones and glitter can be added to the wreath or other decorative areas.
If the snowman has uneven legs or other irregular details, adjust them before gluing it into position.
Test the Placement
Set the shelf sitter against the jar lid without glue first.
Check that it sits straight and does not look noticeably tilted. Small seasonal figurines can sometimes be slightly uneven, so this quick test makes the final placement easier.
Attach the Pieces
Join the Jar to the Candle Holder
Apply E6000 to the joining surface of the candle holder.
Add hot glue as well if you want an immediate temporary hold while the stronger adhesive sets.
Place the jar carefully in the center of the base.
Check the alignment from several sides before leaving it to dry.
Secure the Shelf Sitter
Apply adhesive to the bottom of the Santa, snowman, or other chosen decoration.
Position it on the jar lid and press gently until it is secure.
Keep the decoration centered or deliberately offset it if the design looks more balanced that way.
Add the Ribbon
Finish the Jar
Wrap ribbon around the neck of the jar and tie it into a simple decorative bow.
Choose a color that complements the glitter and painted details rather than competing with them.
Trim the ribbon ends neatly with scissors.
One Important Check
Give the glass-to-base bond time to become secure before moving the finished jar. The candle holder carries the weight of the decorated jar, so checking that it is centered and firmly attached is more important than adding extra embellishments. Let the adhesives and paint dry fully before filling or gifting the piece.
Note: If you face any hurdles in creating this project, then you can watch the tutorial here.
Fill and Display
Once everything is completely dry, the candy jar is ready for its final use.
Fill it with Christmas candy, small wrapped treats, or another lightweight holiday surprise. The raised base and decorated top make it suitable for a shelf, mantel, dessert table, or gift display.
You can also make matching jars with different jar patterns, figurines, ribbon colors, and glitter combinations while keeping the same basic decorating method.
The finished result combines an ordinary glass jar with a painted holiday design, sparkling details, a raisedndle-holder base, and a playful Christmas topper. With inexpensive supplies and a little careful decorating, it becomes a festive handmade gift or seasonal display piece.
Save this pin for future!
[…] makes this DIY Christmas decoration especially useful is the wooden base. Instead of trying to hang the large wreath, you can set it […]