DIY Mason Jar Party Craft: Easy Summer Barbecue Caddy

Mason jars are the ultimate summer party hack, and this DIY mason jar party craft proves it. With just twine, wood discs, and a few jars you probably already have on hand, you can create a rustic, charming barbecue caddy perfect for silverware, napkins, straws, or even fresh flowers.

Now that we are deep into summer, let’s talk barbecue – and an easy mason jar DIY project that you’ll reach for again and again. We don’t mess around with our barbecues or our DIY projects here in Texas.

Summer isn’t the only time to host a barbecue, although it does seem fitting. A good barbecue is reason enough for a party on its own. This mason jar project is simple, budget-friendly (under $10!), and works for everything from a backyard cookout to a fall tailgate.

You can have this mason jar craft ready for your summer parties or 4th of July celebrations in no time.

Using Mason Jars for Your Next Party

As I was browsing Pinterest for inspiration for barbecue DIY projects, I came across a picture of mason jars with twine wrapped around the rim of the jar.  The site was Old Time Pottery written by The Country Chic Cottage.

I ended up finding so many ideas that I created a new Pinterest Board called Summer Party Ideas. This idea was so simple and so easy that I decided to use it for our next summer party.

Another thing that I loved about this project? I already had almost every single supply I needed. I love it when I can use supplies already on hand to create something new and different.

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Supplies for My Mason Jar DIY Project

Obviously, from the inspiration photo, mason jars are the main element, which, of course, I have. If you don’t have mason jars, you could easily use another type of glass jar, such as a pickle jar or a mayonnaise jar.

• glass jar – mason or whatever you have on hand
• twine or string

Wanting to add my own spin on this project, I searched through the shelves in my office, looking for another element to use with the mason jars and twine.

Stickers – I found a bag of round wooden discs of different sizes, some of which I had used in a previous project. Round wooden discs resembling a small tree branch cut down could have a rustic barbecue look. I picked out the three largest discs, each about 3 inches in diameter.

NOTE: You could also use round wood tags or even cut circles of cardstock. But the wood slices will give you the most character and charm.

While looking through my supplies, I opened my box of stickers. I had a bag of different alphabet stickers that I bought at a garage sale a few years ago. The font was simple, large, and colorful.

What if I “wrote” the word “bar-be-cue” on the three wood discs? That would be cute and simple.

Now I had all my “ingredients”.

Preparing the Wood Slices

First, I needed to find a way to attach the wood discs to the mason jars. Twine was the obvious choice, but I would need to drill holes in the discs. I’ve had my own drill for years. I think it was my first power tool. Every crafter needs a drill and a glue gun.

I inserted my thickest drill bit and started drilling.

I know when to give up, as I couldn’t apply enough pressure to drill the holes. I had to call in the big guns, AKA Sweet Shark. He drilled the holes in under a minute.

Adding the Stickers

This step is about as easy as it gets. Pick out the colors you like and arrange them in a pattern you like on the wood slices.

NOTE: If you don’t have stickers, you could stencil the letters or write them freehand with colored markers.

NOTE: Other ideas for the wood slices. If you are making these for a 4th of July party, it would be easy to “write”:

• “4TH – OF – JULY”
• “HA-PPY- 4TH”
• “RED – WHITE- BLUE”

Attaching the Wood Slices to the Mason Jars

Now I needed to attach the twine and the wood discs to the mason jars. Since the twine will be wrapped around the rim of the jar 2 or 3 times, I cut pieces of twine about 3 feet long. Then I folded them in half to find the center.

I started wrapping the twine around the rim. I found that looping the twine once and pulling it tightly held the twine securely in place.

First, I tried putting one end of the twine through the hole and then pushing the second end through, but that didn’t work. So I twisted the two ends of the twine together, and then pushed them through the hole easily.

Once your twine is through the hole in the wood disc, just pull tight and tie a bow. Cut off any excess twine. 

That’s all there is to this easy mason jar DIY project. How can you use these cute jars with twine, wood, and stickers at your next party?

Ideas for Using Your Mason Jar DIY Caddy

If you are hosting an outdoor barbecue party, you need containers to hold party necessities. Here are four easy ways to use these mason jar barbecue jars:

Silverware Caddy

Napkin Holder

Straws

I need to find some red straws!

Flowers

This use is the closest to the original inspiration photo. I did have Sweet Shark pick up some baby’s breath for me at the grocery store, but you could use any flower you like. The baby’s breath was $3.00, the only thing that I spent money on.

More Mason Jar Ideas for Your Next Party

Once you’ve made your mason jar barbecue caddies, you’ll start finding new ways to use them all over your party setup. Here are four more ideas to try:

1. Drink Station: Fill mason jars with lemonade, sweet tea, or a summer cocktail, such as a margarita or mojito. Add colorful paper straws for a charming self-serve drink station.
2. Condiment Jars: Small mason jars are perfect for ketchup, mustard, relish, or pickles. Use your wood slices and stickers to label them for a coordinated look.
3. Mini Centerpieces: Group a few jars in different sizes down the center of your table, filled with greenery, herbs, or seasonal flowers.
4. Dessert Jars: Layer individual servings of trifle, fruit salad, chocolate mousse, or banana pudding in small mason jars for a cute, portion-controlled treat.

These ideas are easy to mix and match depending on your party size and theme, and they all tie together beautifully with the same twine-and-wood-disc style.

What else would you use the mason jar/twine/barbecue wood discs for? Right now, I have the jars on our entry console as a centerpiece. 

Questions? I’ve Got Answers

Also, check out these Summer Party Essentials Ideas and get your Summer Party Essentials Checklist.

I’d love for you to PIN this project. So you don’t forget it. Check out these Boards for more Summer DIY Crafts and Summer Table Ideas.