Jar Candle Earring Holder

Hello all! This is my first post for Marvy Moms, and while I plan to introduce myself and my little family soon, I wanted to share this quick (and very cheap) project with everyone first!

I am a Pinterest addict. There is no doubt about it, ever since I heard about it via a blog I read often (Young House Love, I am sure I will reference them constantly), I have been hooked. That was back before anyone else I knew had a Pinterest account (hence, no one to invite me), so I had to wait three weeks to be accepted into the exclusive club. Some of my favorite pins have been how to use everyday things in new ways, and since I am a frugal momma, this idea just occurred to me the other day and I tried it out on a whim. Magically, it seemed to come together!

I am also an earring addict, they are my favorite accessory. I happen to have a lot of dangling earrings, which always get tangled around each other inside my jewelry box.  My mesh hanging earring holder wasn’t working either, since I like to move my bedroom around and the nail that was holding it up is now behind the dresser mirror.

I’m calling this the Jar Candle Earring Holder… if anyone else can come up with a prettier name, please let me know!

The materials:

• 1 used glass candle holder with a cap
• Some kind of filler (I used a bag of Dollar Store glass beads)
• Hot glue gun
• 1 small candle/votive holder
• Some kind of yummy smelling oil

Note: Be smarter than I was, and plug your hot glue gun in before you start this project (instead of leaving it on the counter next to you unplugged). It will make it all go so much smoother, and with so much less under-the-breath-cursing.

1. Clean out all of the wax from the inside of the candle holder. I was lucky enough to have these pre-cleaned for another project that fell through, but you can try this website for ideas on how to get that gunky wax out.

2. Take off the glass cap. The caps to these candles fit tightly because the caps have a plastic protector ring around them. Pop that off – it comes off easily – just dig your fingernails under it and tug.

3. Flip the base over and hot glue the plastic lip from the lid to the bottom of the candle. This part is optional, because obviously the candles sit on the table all the time. Mine sits on a mirror on my dresser, and I figured out that it didn’t slide as much with this plastic base in place.

4. Once the hot glue is dry, flip it back around and fill it up with something pretty. At first I tried some rocks I got at the lake a few weeks ago, but they didn’t fill it quite as I had envisioned. Luckily, I found a bag of glass beads at the Dollar Store and loved the look, although I think some dried navy beans, or marbles, or even potpourri would do the trick. You could also try coins, pony beads, Mardi-Gras necklaces that you hung on to from college but don’t have a spot for in your current décor, anything goes!

5. Mix in some of the scented oil with your filler and stir it around with a butter knife or spoon. I used the Dollar Store’s Black Cherry scented oil, and it smells delish every time I go to put on some of my pretty jewels.

6. Then, as you can see from the picture with the gems, just start hanging your earrings from the lip. I hung them all on the outside, but if you have some grabby hands in your household, you can also hang them on the inside of the jar.

Hang Inside	or	Hang Outside

7. But Molly, what is that thing in the middle there? Ah ha, you caught me. Once you have all of your earrings hung, drop in that votive or smaller candle to hold any non-dangling earrings.

I didn’t take a picture of just glass beads and inside-hanging earrings, because I was distracted by a baby who needed to use the high chair that had become my photo-shooting surface. Babies! Selfishly thinking they deserve to eat lunch when Mommy is doing projects.

You may be asking, “But why not drop the candle in before hanging the earrings?” in which case you and my husband are on the same page. I found that when I put the candle in first, and then the earrings, I had a much more difficult time getting the candle out if I couldn’t reach my little hoops. Either way should work, this way just worked for me!

Going without a candle or votive in the middle can work in a pinch, but when you reach in to grab out your hoops, it is much more likely that as you pull your hand out you will also jostle out a whole bunch of your dangling earrings.

8. As another optional step, I happened to have a paint Sharpie for drawing on glass and decided to put a little design on the top.  When you put your glass top back on, it should fit perfectly between your dangling earrings and the center votive. This is also handy if you need to move your earrings, say to the bathroom to try on different ones in different lights. Just pop the lid on and carry the whole jar, keeping everything together.

And voila! A transportable earring holder that keeps your earrings untangled and does not involve a hammer.

I have also taken a few of the smaller candle holders with lids and made them into earring-holders for Christmas gifts. (I will post pictures of those after the holidays, since I don’t want to spoil any surprises.)  I made these for friends and family as a fancy gift box by following steps 1-6 above, using a very shallow layer of glass beads on the inside. I hung the earrings on the inside and then decorated the outside with a paint pen with their name and a pretty little design. Instead of adding drops of scented oil, I gave them a whole bottle of oil  inside with the earrings just in case they don’t like the scent I picked out. It just makes a small gift like earrings personal and a little fancier!