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Little Brick Cottage… DIY Mason Jar Track Light

**Please Note** The little brick cottage renovation project took place and was originally posted here in 2012! It was my first project I posted on as well. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see posts on this entire project.

In the kitchen at the little brick cottage we have a peninsula in the new floor plan, and it seemed fitting to have some pendant lights hanging over that peninsula. When I started looking however, I couldn’t find anything that stayed in our budget and looked like a simple farmhouse style light.

So, as it often does, necessity led to creativity…

I made a mason jar pendant light, well 3 in fact,  to hang off the track light repurposing vintage blue canning jars and old zinc lids. (HERE you can read why I love track lighting)

I like using track lighting and how the track pendant adapter works for just this purpose. The versatility track lighting can offer, especially in a kitchen where a lot of specific task lighting is needed, is awesome. You can just add another fixture if need be and point it to where you want.

Mounted above the peninsula in this brick cottage kitchen peninsula has both small fixtures, pointed in different directions, as well as hanging pendants.

Since I couldn’t find the right look for the pendants, I decided to make them with 3 antique canning jars. Here’s how I made them:

Here are all the supplies I used for this project. The chain I had in the junk drawer, and the lamp cord too… But if you don’t have a plethora of goodies in your junk drawer, instead of piecing all the parts out, they now sell the whole kit together! HERE is a very cute black kit that I wish was available when I made these. You still will need the following step to adapt them to track lights.

HERE is where you can buy the track light pendant adapters. This adapter is key to be able to adapt any old pendant or chandelier fixture into a track light fixture!

I got these blue glass jars and old zinc lids by swapping one of the carpenters some of the old windows we took out. His wife was thrilled to get the old windows for crafts, (I kept a few windows for myself to use) and I was thrilled to get the jars and lids… it was a great trade!

If you’re familiar with old zinc lids you know they have a glass liner inside them, I sadly had to hammer that and break it out to be able to repurpose these jars, but I consoled myself with at least this way the jars are being used and displayed.

So once the lid glass was out here are the steps I did to simply wire together the lamps:

I drilled vent holes in the lid, just in case the light bulbs heated up inside there? I just figured better safe than sorry.

But again, if you get that black lamp kit I told you about above, this would be an easy peasy step!

And speaking of lightbulbs, since you are looking directly at the lights, I used a super low watt bulb, also it had to be small to fit inside the mouth of the jar. Since publishing this post, LED bulbs have been introduced and there are so many varieties! I would recommend this shape bulb now.

By having the chain hook to the pendant adapter at the top and screw into the rod in the lid, all the weight of the light, (which actually isn’t very much, but still…) goes onto the chain, and not onto the cord, which would not be safe. And again, that black lamp kit I’ve linked takes care of this issue too!

The simple farmhouse style of the canning jar lights compliments the antique cottage’s kitchen so well. It’s a sweet statement of how life once was in this little brick cottage.

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Here are more posts featuring this little brick cottage renovation:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Jenny says

    What a cute idea! I may have to borrow this for the light over my sink! I already have the light kit and the jar so wow…..free light!! LOVE IT!! Thanks so much for sharing. Stopping by from White Wednesday 🙂

    xoxo
    jenny

    Reply

  4. Kathy says

    LOVE it! Perfect for a farmhouse kitchen! Thank you for sharing your step-by-step post with Home and Garden Thursday – playing catch up!
    Kathy

    Reply

  5. Karen says

    This is so cute! I love mason jars as lights, and I haven’t seen them done this way before. I am pinning it and sharing it tomorrow at my link party! Starts at 2 PST. Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Misty says

    So fun! I’d love for you to link up to my first ever linky party, Ta-Da Tuesday 🙂 check it out HERE ! <3 from your newest follower, I'd be delighted if you'd follow back!

    Reply

  10. jamie says

    so cool! I was wondering how to make pendant lights out of old jars… I was just researching it today and then I found you through the A to Z link party tonight! Thanks!

    Reply

  11. Mindie says

    Super cool diy lights. I would love for you to share at the Anything Goes linky at Bacon Time, if you want another fun place to share your talents. It runs every Friday to Monday.

    Reply

  12. Christine says

    This is FABULOUS!!!!! It looks just perfect above the island! Love the blue tint to the jar too!

    Thanks for sharing at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality!

    Reply

  13. Stacey says

    Ahhh…my adoration of mason jars lives on. Thanks for fueling that fire! Those are just awesome – love the character they bring to the space!
    Stacey of Embracing Change

    Reply

  14. kim@too much time says

    Hey!
    These are so cute and thanks for the detailed tute. I will admit, I love the look, but have felt intimidated about the process. Hmmmm maybe I can actually try it now!
    Thanks for linking up!
    Kim

    Reply

  18. Donna wilkes says

    Came over from HoH to see the canning jar lights. You are far superior to me – I would never tackled an electrical job. As I was reading, I was thinking about the heat building inside the jar. Then, of course you answered that! You are not no only creative, but your posts include the little details.

    Distressed Donna Down Home

    Reply

  20. Sharon Hines says

    Wow! I absolutely love these lights. You never cease to amaze me with your ingenuity and creativity. Thanks for sharing at Show & Tell!

    Sharon @ mrs. hines class

    Reply

  24. Savannah Granny says

    Hi, I am visiting from Sharon’s “Show and Tell”. I love your pendants. hat would work well over my kitchen island. Now, I just need to find the canning jars. LOL

    Reply

  27. Home Made Modern says

    What a great tutorial! I love the reclaimed-ness of this project…and did you know canning jar lights actually go for a lot of money on Ebay and Etsy? Thanks for the DIY idea!

    Reply

  29. JaneEllen Jones says

    Great tutorial, love how they look. Fit right in to type of kitchen you’ve made. I have a few of the size jars you used. I was thinking how neat those lights would look with the bigger slightly green cast jars or mixing the sizes. I can never seem to leave anything as I see it, always have to change something. I have couple of those bigger jars and thought that would be a good use for them. I’d love to find more of the bigger ones. Found the ones I have in KY. The ones that are available here (Grand Junction, CO)are way too expensive.

    Reply

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