DIY Mason Jar Chandelier Project

We have a plethora of tools in our home, I’m quite proud to say that I’ve mastered all of them! My husband is very handy and over the years he’s been kind enough to teach me how to use them properly and gain confidence to fly solo on some projects. This week my friends at Home Depot asked if I’d be interested in reviewing the RYOBI 18V ONE+™ 18GA CORDLESS BRAD NAILER and of course I jumped at the chance.

Knowing that I needed a project, I began looking around the house for ideas. While there were many, I’ve been meaning to get started on a DIY Mason Jar Chandelier for our back patio. I am really digging mason jars these days and I just knew they’d lend the homey look to the deck which I’d been wanting.

Mason Jar Chandelier DIY Project

What You Need:

• 2 – 5′ deck board (I chose cedar)
• Mason Jars
• Hole saw bit the size of mason jar lids
• Stain or water sealer
• RYOBI 18V ONE+™ 18GA CORDLESS BRAD NAILER
• Chop saw
• Sander
• Drill
• Adhesive
• Measuring tape
• Chain
• 6 hooks that screw in
• 1 O ring

I began by laying my deck board onto our outdoor table to determine what length I wanted the longest, middle piece to be. The length I liked was 3 feet long, I marked it and cut it to length using a chop saw.

Next I marked 2 more cuts at 2 feet long each, these are the side pieces.I cut each piece and began placing the mason jars onto the boards to decide on a pattern I liked. I used the measuring tape to make sure I had equal spacing between each jar. Once I had a pattern I liked, I drew an X in the centre of each jar and drilled the holes with the hole saw drill bit.

Make sure you drill all of the holes from the same side, that way if there is any splintering you can flip the board.

Now I sanded the 3 boards until they were smooth to the touch.

Next step was to make 4 support pieces which attaches the three boards together. I took the remaining deck board piece and marked a line down it 2″ wide. Using the skill saw, I cut the length and repeated the process.

Then I laid out the 3 boards an equal distance apart and marked 4 support pieces from the 2″ pieces I’d just cut. These support pieces sit flush with the ends of the outer 2 boards, so I marked and cut them to size.

Using my Ryobi Brad Nailer from Home Depot, I affixed the 4 support pieces (one on each end and the other 2 between the rows of mason jar holes) into place and VIOLA I had a frame!

This tool is fantastic, it’s light in my hand and the Lithium battery lasts 4x longer than normal cordless tools. This girl takes a very long time making sure all of my cuts are right and pieces are lined up so the battery life is fantastic for me. I can imagine that it would be handy when we finally do all the trim work in the kitchen as well.

The Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ System introduces the next generation in cordless convenience. This 18 gauge brad nailer features Airstrike Technology, which eliminates the need for noisy compressors, bulky hoses or expensive gas cartridges. This means faster setup and easier maneuvering on the job site.

Onto the jars! I unscrewed the lids and set the middle caps aside because we just need the screw lid part of each. I squeezed glue into each hold, careful to keep the underside (which people will see) of the wood dry. Next I squeezed in each of the lids, trying to keep them as straight as possible. Finally I used the RYOBI Brad Nailer to tack them into place.

My adhesive required 15 minutes to set, so I sat back and waited patiently…..ok so not so patiently but can you blame me?

Once it was safe to move the piece about, I flipped it over and screwed in a threaded hook into the ends of each board. These are the hooks the chain will attach to so I placed them evenly in the corners of the outer pieces of wood and the centre of the middle one. I also added in 3 screws to each support piece for extra support.

I had the fine folks at Home Depot cut my chain into 3 pieces for me; 2 – 6 foot lengths and a 7 foot length. This was the right height to hang the chandelier from the hook at the centre of the gazebo above the table.

I threaded the chain onto the O ring and hooked it from end to end on the centre piece. I repeated this for each of the end pieces and found I had to play with it a bit to find level.

In the end I’m in LOVE with our new mason jar chandelier! Right now I have little tea lights in it but we are going to get some more twinkle lights and run them from the existing lights in the gazebo, down the chains and into the jars.

The RYOBI 18V ONE+™ 18GA CORDLESS BRAD NAILER far exceeded my expectations. It was simple to learn, had appropriate safety precautions and I was able to manoeuvre into the tight places easily. It even has a light which made it simple to see when I was angling into the mason jar lids. I’d recommend this product and will be on the hunt for more projects around our home.

Disclosure: I was provided the RYOBI 18V ONE+™ 18GA CORDLESS BRAD NAILER by Home Depot in order to perform this review, all opinions are my own.