Lighted Holiday Potpourri Jars

By Rachel Paxton

Lighted potpourri jars are a festive addition to any holiday decor. They are inexpensive, easy to make, and make great hostess gifts.

SUPPLIES:

1 package Christmas lights (20-bulb strand)

Wide-mouth canning jar

Potpourri

Holiday ribbon Pinecones, small holiday decorations

Doily or holiday fabric cut to fit over the mouth of the canning jar

Glue gun

DIRECTIONS:

Plug in light strand and see if any bulbs are burned out and need to be replaced. Arrange light strand and potpourri in canning jar while lights are on so you'll be able to get it just right and be able to see what it will look like when it's finished.

Place doily or fabric on top of jar, arranging the cord of the light strand so it's coming out where you want the back to be. Tie some ribbon around the neck of the jar to hold the fabric in place. When you get it arranged the way you like it, use the hot glue gun to glue the fabric and ribbon down in several places so it will hold.

Decorate the outside of the jar with festive decorations like pine cones or artificial holly berries. Craft stores have a variety of holiday decorations you can cut apart and re-arrange any way you like.

Experiment with different potpourri scents. The lights in the jar will warm up the potpourri and help the scent fill the room. These jars are very pretty and will look different depending on if you use clear or colored lights. These are great for last-minute present ideas or hostess gifts. Happy holidays!

Copyright 2002.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, and frugal family fun, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com To subscribe to their monthly newsletter send a blank e-mail message to FreeRecipes-subscribe@egroups.com