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Hello fellow mason jar lovers! In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to make a quart size mason jar box or trough. I made a few of these for gifts this year, and they were big hits. But I almost didn’t do the tutorial because they seem overdone.
Except for one thing.
I couldn’t find any plans that would hold three quart size mason jars somewhat snugly. And I wanted to see the Ball logo when the jars were sitting in the box.
As you can see, this just wasn’t cutting it.
So I drew up my own plans and decided to do the tutorial after all. For all of the picky people like me 😉 I even made the plans printable for you.
They are fairly easy to make and this would make a great beginner project. So let’s get to it!
DIY Quart Size Mason Jar Box Supplies
- 1×4 Board 4 feet long
- 1×6 Board 2 feet long
- Finishing nails
- Wood Glue
- Sand Paper
- Hammer
- Handles (optional)
- Wood Filler (optional)
- Paint or Stain
*Note, if you are buying new wood, the 1×6 may start at 4 foot lengths. Most places like Menards, Lowes and Home Depot have a scrap section though, so you can check there for shorter lengths if you wish….
The handles pictured with this box I found at Hobby Lobby. They have a great selection of rustic handles that you will find on sale frequently for 50% off.
DIY Quart Size Mason Jar Box How-To
First we are going to cut our boards with a miter saw. Start with the 1×6, we just need one board 13 1/2 inches long. For the 1×4 we are going to cut three boards 12 inches each, and two boards 5 1/2 inches each.
After your cuts are made sand down the rough edges.
The box is assembled by placing the 1×4’s on top of the 1×6 base. I lined everything up and then used wood glue to hold it in place. After the glue is on, pile on some heavy books and let it set about an hour or so to get stuck. It’s much easier to nail when everything is already in place.
After the glue is set, flip your box over so the bottom is up. Hammer finishing nails all along the bottom edge, so they go into the 1×4’s. You want at least 2 nails on the shorter sides and three nails on the longer side. Then you will want to nail the sides of the short ends also.
Remember we cut three 1×4’s that were 12 inches each. That third piece we are going to glue to the inside bottom of the box. This will give the mason jars that extra height so we can see the Ball logo.
Finally, we need to clean the wood up and get all that dust off to get ready for paint or stain. I like to use a microfiber cloth or sometimes I suck it all up with the vacuum.
This box I did the base coat with a dark stain and then brushed over that with a light grey chalk paint. I finished it off by dry brushing a cream colored chalk paint.
After you are done with your paint or stain be sure to add a sealer. My favorite is General Finishes Water Based Top Coat in Satin which you can find here. It goes on smooth and since its water based clean up is a breeze.
If you are adding handles that is the final step. Center your handle and mark the holes for the screws. Use a drill bit smaller than your screws to pre-drill the holes. The screws will go in much easier and stay straight.
Quart Size Mason Jar Box Printable Plans
I made the plans a printable PDF to make things a bit easier. Simply fill out the form below for the password to the Free Plans and Printables Page. You will get exclusive lifetime access to all of my printables.
Chris Butler has helped thousands of crafters learn how to use their Cricut machine without feeling overwhelmed. She is a best selling author and an up and coming designer. For fun Chris enjoys designing SVG Files, hanging out with her family (preferably at the lake), traveling, and volunteering at her church. She is a wife and mom of two crazy fun kids.
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