​Christmas decorations: Lights in jars and bottles

At Wares of Knutsford, we have noticed a real spike in demand for homemade decorations. Our customers have told us that they are keen to make their own festive decorations this year, and we love the trend! For one thing, it allows us all to be more creative and to have fun expressing our own style. For another, it's inherently environmentally-friendly as we get the chance to reuse bits and pieces that we have around the house, to buy materials that are kinder to the environment (such as glass rather than plastic) and to create beautiful and personal pieces that will be cherished by the family for years to come, rather than ending up in landfill!

So whether you are a seasoned crafter or dipping your toe back into creative waters, here is a great way to get started - simply by using the glass jars and bottles that you probably already have around the home (or topping up your collections at Wares of Knutsford) and using them to create pretty decorations that won't break the bank.

Making Christmas decorations in glass jars and bottles

It's amazing just how beautiful the simplest of decorations can look with a little time and care. Take battery lights, for example. There has been a real trend in recent years for placing strings of battery lights into glass bottles and jars and the resulting effect is quite astonishing.

Of course, where Pinterest and magazines start, shops follow, and we've been amazed at the prices that some of these decorations go for... so why not just make your own at home? It couldn't be easier.

1. Pick your jar or bottle

Have fun here with shapes, coloured effects and sizes. A large hurricane glass would look show-stopping filled with larger lights, but a tiny glass jam jar could be repurposed into a sweet little decoration, perhaps with a battery-operated tealight that will be safe around children. Be creative and look around the house for supplies. You can also buy a wide range of new glass bottles and jars online at Wares of Knutsford. We have clear and coloured glass of different sizes and with a variety of stopper types. You can use them for your decorations and either save them for the following year or repurpose the glass for jam-making, gifting or storage. Whatever takes your fancy! That's the beauty of glass. It isn't just beautiful to look at, it's also extremely durable and reusable.

2. Choose your lights

Simple warm white lights look extremely stylish but coloured LED lights are fun and perfect for children. You can buy small strings of LED lights that are powered by recyclable batteries in small units and these are compact and easy to style.

3. Have some fun!

Your decoration could be as simple as a string of warm winter lights gathered in a Mason jar. Or you might choose a fancier set of lights in a large tall glass, such as shaped coloured lights in a fancy design. A series of small glass jars or bottles grouped together into a trio with tiny lights will look beautiful as an accent on a mantelpiece or on a tray with festive firs and pine cones. Experiment with different sizes for a variety of effects.

Try combining lights in glasses with other decorations too. For example, sparkling baubles will really glitter when they are grouped in a large hurricane or bowl-shaped glass with tiny lights. Glitter balls will create a truly eye-catching decoration, or go for more natural accents such as cinnamon sticks, dried orange segments pinecones.

Why not make some little illuminations for the kids? Get some screw-top glass jars and glue a small battery-operated tealight to the top. In the glass jar make a little montage of Christmas characters such as a small Father Christmas, snowman or trio of glittering trees.

Or why not gather a series of coloured wine bottles and use strings of LED lights to create a colourful, eye-catching display that will look wonderful for a party? You can use paint spray or paint, glitter spray, stickers, coloured tissue. Anything that takes your fancy to create beautiful colours and shades, plus ribbons, baubles, accessories and anything with festive sparkle, colour and light to make your illuminated glass decorations. They make wonderful table centrepieces too or a little nightlight gift for children.

Share your work!

We'd love to see your creations so please share them with us on social media or via our email address - our team are on hand to answer any questions that you might have or to provide and guidance on any of our products. We pride ourselves on offering excellent service at Wares of Knutsford and we have a huge range of glass bottles, jars and other accessories for your Christmas crafts and makes, as well as everything you could possibly need for the kitchen!