Thrifty Gifty #2—Use Glassware to Create Beautiful Display Pieces

Joining Made it Monday at The Persimmon Perch.

Thrifty Gifty is a series running through Christmas of very inexpensive gifts you can make with thrift store and dollar store finds. There will be linky parties every Friday in December before Christmas for you to share your ideas.

This one has been around the blogosphere recently in various forms. I gave some basic pointers and showed how to make a mini cake stand in this post.

There are so many things you can do with this basic concept that I think it’s worth revisiting. This time I’m going to show you some really pretty DIY apothecary jars.

For any of these projects, you will need candlesticks. In a pinch, you can buy these at a dollar store, but I like to find a variety of heights and shapes at thrift stores. It gives you more options and adds interest, plus they are often under $1 at a thrift store. For the best contact when gluing, try to find ones with a decent flat surface at the top edge, rather than just a a thin rim.

For apothecary jars, you will need covered glass jars. The types of jars shown below are quite easy to find and come in different sizes. They should cost anywhere from .50 to $3 at a thrift store, although in my experience, $3 is really a little too high. I don’t spend that much on them anymore because I know I will find them for less somewhere else, soon.

I happened to have several different sizes of the straight-sided ones, so that’s what I’m going to use. After applying some E-6000 glue to the top rim of the candlestick, center the jar on top of it and let it dry. That’s it! Done!

I think this is really beautiful! See how having the different heights is much more interesting than having three of the same exact candlestick from the dollar store?

BTW, I just noticed that mine have a really similar look to these from Pottery Barn, without the $39-$69 price tag.

Below, I went with two jars of the same size at different heights. Filled with peppermint sticks, they look really festive! (I didn’t actually glue any of these because I wanted to show several different styles.)

You should be able to make one of these jars for $1-$3, not including the glue, which will last you for many more projects. My guesstimate on my cost for all three jars in the top picture is about $5.25.

One pointer for you: you do need to give some thought to scale/proportion. In this photo, the candlestick base is really too big for the jar. A much larger jar might work, but in my opinion this candlestick is better suited for a cake plate.

And here’s one final idea: while I was taking photos I thought of these votive holders I found not long ago at Dollar Tree. They would also work quite nicely atop a candlestick, and at about $1.50-$2 each to create, they would make an inexpensive and pretty gift!

Use your imagination with this concept. What else would look fancier with a candlestick base?