Use Window Cling Decals To Bring Festive Thanksgiving Charm To Simple Glass Jars

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Thanksgiving-themed window cling decals have long been the go-to decor item that hurried homeowners use to decorate their windows for the holiday. Turns out that all those clingy vinyl stickies have decorative uses beyond your window panes. Take your old Mason jars. They're just ripe for a fall holiday repurpose — one that combines the simplicity of window decals with the handsome silhouette of the jars and throws in a cloth covering for good measure. The result? A charming Thanksgiving-themed jar that works for all kinds of festive holiday displays, from table centerpieces to fireplace mantels.

This budget-friendly Thanksgiving decor offers you a good excuse to reuse your glass jars. Although the window clings provide much of the craft's detail, don't overlook the jars' decorative potential. For example, you don't have to use just plain jars for this: Many are made from colored glass. If you have some that sport fall colors like yellow or orange, use those. As for the decals, choose a design that highlights the imagery of the fall holiday. These Xendelow Thanksgiving Scarecrow Window Clings are an example of what you're looking for. These types of window decals come in big sheets, and most have at least a few images that are small enough to fit onto the side of a jar. Finally, you'll need some harvest-themed fabric.

The tools for this are basic. You'll need pinking shears (the ones that cut a zig-zag edge), a pen, and something that'll help you draw a small circle. The saucer from a teacup set or even something like a Nicpro 22-Piece Compass will do. The circle should be slightly larger than the mouth of the jar.

Kick this DIY off by pulling or cutting the window cling decals off the sheet they're attached to. Almost anything goes in terms of how you arrange them on the jar. That said, using a mix of small, medium, and large decals will create the most variety, and thus create more visual interest and flow. Next, make a topper for the jar's lid out of your fabric by tracing around the teacup saucer (or whatever you're using to create a round shape) with your pen, then cutting out the circle with the pinking shears. If you're working with a repurposed Mason jar, you can place the flat piece of the jar's lid on the mouth of the jar, and lay the circle of fabric on top of that. Finally, "trap" the fabric under the ring portion of the jar's lid to keep the material in place. 

Although this DIY keeps things simple, there are a couple of easy ways you can dress up the jar even further. For example, try spraying something like Rust-Oleum Frosted Glass Spray Paint onto the jar's exterior before adding the decals. Then, drop a string of fairy lights into the jars to create glowing Thanksgiving-themed lanterns for your porch to welcome your guests.

Or, decorate three to five glass jars of varying heights and place them on a riser in the middle of your holiday table to make a centerpiece. Called layering, this decorative technique helps you create the focal point of the arrangement. Fill the jars with items like lights, acorns, pine cones, and other items that further convey the imagery of fall. These additions add beauty and charm to the Thanksgiving piece without making the craft complicated to put together.