DIY Rustic Planter Box & Mason Jars

These rustic Planter Boxes filled with painted mason jars are so stylish and versatile!  How many times do we make things that can only be used for one thing? This is why I LOVE this little piece of décor! You can use them in so many different ways, such as a flower bouquet centerpiece on a table, or as holders for silverware, office supplies, cooking utensils, and anything else…the sky is the limit!

I am excited to be able to use this fabulous little box of cuteness not only for my holiday décor to put my silverware in, but also for year round flowers or greenery that can be changed out as the seasons  come and go.  Now, I don’t have to put this away  and store it after the holidays because I have  100 other ideas I can use it for in-between holidays as well.  I hope you love it as much as I do!

DIY Rustic Planter Box & Mason Jars

Tools:

• Nail gun with 1 1/4in nails (you can also use wood screws but you’ll need to drill pilot holes before drilling in the screw to prevent splitting the wood)
• Chop saw
• Black or rusty-colored paint (I touched up the silver screws that were used to mount the handles)

Supplies:

1. Two 1x3s at 3 7/8in long (I basically cut my boards to 4inches, then shaved off just a tiny bit more)
2. Two 1x3s at 13 1/4in long
3. One 1×6 at 13 1/4in
4. Two rustic handles (mine are cast iron, bought at Hobby Lobby HERE)
5. 3/4in screws to mount on handles
6. Old wood stain & paintbrush (if you use new wood & need to make it look old).  I used my homemade DIY Weathered Wood Stain.
7. Three mason jars (you can use either the quart or pint size)
8. White matte acrylic paint or chalk paint.   I would also recommend sealing them with a spray matt sealer if they are going to be in any contact with water.
9. Sandpaper (I use 60 grit)
10. Paintbrush
11. Jute string
12. Scissors

Build the box:

Start with the 1×6…

Nail together the 1×6 and both of the longer 1x3s as shown below.

Then, nail on the two shorter 1x3s.

How easy was that?  Now you are ready to stain or paint your box. I used my home made stain (See above for recipe link in directions) to give it an old, weathered look. You could dry brush a color of your choice as well and it would look just as great!  If you would like it sealed, you could spray on a matt sealer here.  I didn’t on this one.  Next, screw on the handles.  You can use a little black or rusty-colored paint to touch up the silver screws used to mount the handles.

Prepare the Mason Jars:

Paint the jars by flipping them upside-down first (If you use disposable plates to paint them on like I did, it makes clean up easy peasy).  I added 3 coats of paint for an even-looking coverage, making sure the paint dried completely between coats.

Sand off some of the paint here and there to give a worn look, especially on any raised areas on the glass such as the letters on the jar, and the neck of the jar where the lid would screw onto.  I also sanded a few small flat areas here and there, but didn’t overdue it. Be sure to spray some sealer on them if they are going to be in contact with any water.

Wrap some jute string around the neck of the jar and tie it off with a bow.

Now you are ready to put something inside the jars and you’re done.  Beautiful!

DIY Rustic Planter Box & Mason Jars