DIY A Stunning Graduation Centerpiece Using A Mason Jar

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Who knew that an old Mason jar, a couple of ribbons, and a plain piece of wood could be turned into a snappy graduation DIY centerpiece? Despite being inexpensive, this craft looks pretty at the center of the celebration table. More importantly, while the basic design of it is fairly straightforward, it's one that's easily personalized to fit the graduate in your life. You just need to select the right colors for the ribbons inside the jar and for a few other features.

Craftsy DIYers can find most of what they need to complete this craft at Dollar Tree, including the Mason jar. You'll need to fill it with ribbons boasting the colors of the graduate's school. While any colored ribbon would work, you may want to add a little bling to the piece by swapping the ordinary ribbon for some NiArt Self-Adhesive Crystal Rhinestone Diamond Ribbon. Or make a mixture of both kinds. You'll also need some school-colored yarn. More specifically, you'll need both colored ribbons AND colored yarns. One can't substitute for the other.

The jar itself is topped with a square piece of Dollar Tree craft wood colored in the shades and hues of the alma mater. Some 2-inch wooden craft numbers will be used to remind party participants of the year the graduate finished school. Finally, building this DIY centerpiece into a cohesive whole requires some spray paint. You'll also need a hot glue gun and a pair of scissors.

There are a few elements in this Mason jar centerpiece that give off the "graduation" vibe. The first is the wooden craft square topper you paint in the school's colors and glue onto the jar lid with the glue gun. After this topper is glued to the lid and you screw the lid back on the jar, it'll look like the Mason jar is wearing a graduation cap. Tassels made from the yarn are glued onto the wooden graduation cap, right in the middle of the cap. You can ensure the tassel stays securely fastened to the topper by pinning it down with an upholstery tack from Homdire Store.

Glue the wooden numbers in a square formation. They should indicate the year of graduation. If the school has two colors, you could paint two of the numbers one color and the other two the other color. Curls of decorative ribbon go into the jar to show off the school's colors. You can repurpose any leftover ribbon here if you have some. Alternatively, you can decorate the jar's interior with more than just ribbons. For example, try puffs of crinkled tissue paper with sparkles on them. Or try using some glow-in-the-dark ribbon from Dollar Tree so the piece still works once twilight falls. To elevate this setup even more, consider getting two tealight candle holders and spray painting their lids in the school's colors. Fill them with school-hued candles and flank the finished Mason jar graduation centerpiece with them to create a lighted-up Mason jar centerpiece worthy of the celebration.