Make This Safe Oil Lamp With a Mason Jar and Olive Oil [Tutorial]

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While the days may be slowly but surely lengthening, we are still very much in the winter season here in New England. February’s of my childhood often are filled with dim memories of snow storms and subsequent power outages, leading to inevitable candlelight dinners cooked over the fireplace. The warmth and flicker of the various fires we had lit both small and large reign in my recollection of those times. I can still smell the matches burning off after being extinguished, the light smoke wafting through the air to settle on clothing and blankets. Despite the bitter weather outside and the temporary lack of electricity, we were never cold. We had hats, sweaters, blankets, and each other.

Nowadays like many others in this community I find solace in the light of a candle. The eternal dance of flame is grounding and comforting, a reassuring hand when things feel like they may never warm back up again. I’ve experimented with candle making of all kinds - dipped beeswax tapers, pillars and hand poured jars of soy wax to name a few. So it was about time to try my hand at perhaps the easiest DIY flame source you can create - the DIY mason jar oil lamp.

Olive oil lamps are ubiquitous at archaeological sites across the Mediterranean region. Unsurprisingly, the most common oil used in the Mediterranean region was olive oil. In 2022, a 2300 year old olive oil lamp was unearthed in the West Bank. Clay lamps that used oil as a fuel source appeared during the Bronze Age around the 16th century BC and were ubiquitous throughout the Roman Empire. Thanks to all this evidence, there’s reason to believe that oil lamps appeared at the very dawn of human history. But we don’t need to go back in time to make our own DIY oil lamp. In fact, this simple mason jar craft can be made in minutes using items you may already have at home.

How oil lamps work:

Floating wicks come in a pack with the floating portion separated from the wick. You’ll place the wick in the hole in the center of the floating disk piece with half the wick on each side of the disk. This way, when you place the wick in the oil lamp, the oil will be drawn up through the wick and be vaporized and burned by the flame.

Are oil lamps expensive?

Not at all. Since one tablespoon of oil can burn for two hours in your lamp, it is much cheaper than most candles. This is a great addition to your emergency supplies, as well as being a beautiful addition to your table. For storm prep, all you need to make sure you have is a pack of the floating wicks, some olive oil, a mason jar and water and you can keep your home safely lit without electricity during a power outage.

Are oil lamps safe?

The danger of oil lamps comes from the possibility of spilling. If the lamp were tipped over while burning, the spilled oil would all catch fire all at once on whatever surface it spilled onto. Thankfully, olive oil has a very high flash point which means it’s not super flammable. Plus, we’ll only be using a small amount of oil - the rest of the liquid in our mason jar will be water. If our DIY oil lamp tipped over, it should extinguish itself immediately. That said - it’s always important to practice fire safety around any type of open flame. Always burn within sight, keep away from pets and children and away from any flammable materials. Never move your oil lamp while still burning. I assume no responsibility for any damage that may occur due to misuse of your diy olive oil lamp.

How to make a DIY Mason Jar Olive Oil Lamp:

The options are endless when you make your own olive oil lamp, and you’ll find inspiration below for different ways to turn your lamp into beautiful mason jar decor. But let's cover the basics first!

Supplies:

• Mason jar (any size, I used a pint jar)

• Floating wicks

• Olive oil

• Water

• Decorative items to submerge in the water

Instructions:

• Fill your mason jar until there is about half an inch of empty space at the top

• Add any decorative items that you can submerge in the water - just be sure not to choose anything that will float too close to the surface and disrupt the flow of oil to the wick.

• Pour olive oil into the mason jar on top of the water until the oil layer is about a quarter inch thick

• Gently place the floating wick on top of the oil surface, light and enjoy your olive oil lamp.

Ideas for how to decorate your mason jar olive oil lamp:

Christmas mason jar olive oil lamp

Red holly berries, pinecones, cranberries, vintage ornaments and evergreen clippings are great for the holiday season. Choose materials in natural shades of green, red and brown and play with mixing different textures.

Fall mason jar olive oil lamp

Fall foliage in bright oranges, reds and yellows can be suspended in the water. Better yet, replace the mason jar with a hollowed out mini pumpkin!

Winter mason jar olive oil lamp

Birch bark from fallen branches, acorn caps, evergreen clippings and even twigs will capture the chill months of winter in a cozy fashion.

Spring mason jar olive oil lamp

Fresh crocus blooms, dandelions, tulips, eggs and apple blossom branch clippings will all celebrate the season of growth and fertility.

Summer mason jar olive oil lamp

Embrace the season of abundance with fresh herbs from the garden like mint and basil, cherry tomatoes, sunflowers, lavender, fresh fruit and berries.

Beachy mason jar olive oil lamp

Bring the beach bonfire to you with sand, seashells and seaglass (responsibly sourced if you can’t obtain them yourself of course)

Citrus mason jar olive oil lamp

Exactly what it sounds like - but no need to dump a few lemons in chaotically. Shake things up with different shapes, sizes and a variety of citrus fruits including lemons, oranges or clementines (sliced or whole) and a bit of green with sliced cucumber rounds or fresh leaves.

Floral mason jar olive oil lamp

Celebrate whatever is growing most abundantly in your flower beds at the moment and suspend your favorite cut flower in your lamp - try hydrangea, poppies, bleeding heart, sweet pea, roses, peonies or lilies. You can leave them whole, or just use the petals.

Crystal mason jar olive oil lamp

Place your favorite crystals in your oil lamp - just be sure not to use crystals that can dissolve in water - As a general rule of thumb (with some exceptions), crystals ending with “ite” tend to dissolve in water. Try crystals like Clear Quartz, Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Smokey Quartz, Citrine, Agate, Carnelian, Rutilated Quartz, Jasper, Tiger's Eye, Aventurine or Moonstone.

Mason jar decor is one of my favorite ways to update our home decor, because we always have the jars on hand and they are such a great blank slate from which you can creatively experiment with little effort. 

Now that you know how to make your own DIY mason jar light, you know the options are endless to modify and customize your lamp to your own style and personality!

Mason Jar Gift Ideas

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Mason jars can serve so many purposes. They’re the perfect blank slate for food, crafting, and gifts. Below you’ll find mason jar ideas for Christmas, Chanukah, birthday, or just-because gifts.

The History of the Mason Jar

Back when Mason jars were invented, they were made from a transparent, aqua glass. You can still find aqua mason jars at yard sales and antique stores. Because of their age, it’s probably best not to use them for canning, but they have lots of other uses. I like to use them as vases and oil lamps, or to hold dry food or craft supplies.

John Mason, who invented the jars in 1858, didn’t get a patent on the rubber ring he used to seal them until 10 years later, by which time lots of people were producing mason jars. In 1880, five brothers began producing them under the name of Ball Brothers Manufacturing. The rest, as they say, is history.

Antique Ball jars were made in a variety of colors and shapes, some of which are very valuable to collectors today.

As more and more jars became available, the American diet changed pretty dramatically, as people could eat canned fruits and vegetables year-round. Canning as an activity goes through periods of boom and bust, but Ball jars themselves are never out of style. They are a timeless staple.

Mason jars are made of tempered glass, making them not indestructible, but quite durable, which is why so many very old jars are easily found. While the antiques have their own charm, newer mason jars retain the mix of simplicity and usefulness that made the jars the instant hit they were.

At our house, we use antique Ball, Kerr, and Atlas mason jars as drinking glasses, fill them with leftover soup, arrange pretty things in them, and do lots and lots of canning.

DIY Mason Jar Gifts

Whether you want to craft a mason jar gift or create the perfect mason jar food gift, there are truly endless possibilities. Here are a few ideas to inspire your own creations.

Spa Mason Jar Gift

I recommend using a wide mouth canning jar for this gift, to better fit some fun and pretty self-care products.

These shampoo and conditioner bars from the Package Free shop would make a great foundation in the bottom of the jar. As would this Cocoa Butter Lotion Bar, also from Package Free. Add a refreshing peppermint lip balm, non-toxic nail polish and some reusable cotton face rounds for a DIY spa gift in a jar that will make a gift everyone can enjoy!

To top off your spa mason jar gift, consider using a natural loofah sponge on top of the lid.

Love Notes Mason Jar Gift

It is indeed the thought that counts. Come up with as many things as you can – big and small – that you love about your gift recipient, write them down, and stuff that mason jar tight. You could use handmade recycled paper, cut out into fun shapes, or even take it one step further with seed paper they can plant later for a garden gift that keeps on giving.

Snow Globe Mason Jar Gift

Here’s what you’ll need to make a dry mason jar snow globe:

• Pint-sized mason jar and lid

• Winter miniatures such as pinecones, repurposed old wooden ornaments, trees, snow-people, or other figurines

• Non-toxic glue

• Ribbon

Instructions:

• Glue your collected miniatures to the inside of the mason jar lid. Once dry, screw your lid onto your mason jar. Turn the mason jar upside down and embellish the ring of the lid with your ribbon of choice.

Terrarium Mason Jar Gift

You can make a terrarium with a mason jar in its regular standing position, but I think the upside-down look is more interesting.

What you need to make a mason jar terrarium:

• Mason jar

• Moss

• Very small plants (When purchasing plants, bring a mason jar lid with you to help in choosing the right size.)

• Spray bottle with water

• Optional additions are pebbles, acorns, tiny pine cones, shells, or other small materials found in nature

Instructions:

• Wash your jar thoroughly and be sure to rinse it very well.

• Remove your plant very carefully from its pot and moisten the soil with your spray bottle to prepare it for planting in the mason jar lid.

• Compact the plant’s root ball with your hand. You may need to remove some soil. Your goal is to be sure it will fit on the inside of your mason jar lid and that all the roots will be covered in soil.

• Place the plant on the inside of the lid. The soil should not overflow, and there should be a tiny bit of space around it for other materials.

• Press moss around the edges of the soil, filling the space to the edge of the rim.

• Add pebbles, an acorn, tiny pine cones, or shells if desired.

• Now comes the hard part – placing the jar over the plants. Use one hand to hold the plant upright and guide the branches into the jar. With the other hand, lower the jar over the plant.

• You can just place the jar on top of the lid, but if you’re a bit more daring, you can try to turn the jar onto the lid’s threads. This would make it easier to move around, but if you don’t screw it in you can just hold the lid and jar separately when moving the terrarium, and it will be a bit easier to lift the jar when the soil needs moistening.

• Include a small card with these care instructions with your terrarium gift: “Terrariums do best with bright but indirect light, so they shouldn’t be kept in direct sun. The soil should be checked every few weeks, and should be kept moist, but not wet.”

Sugar Scrub Mason Jar Gift

Mix up a batch of your favorite sugar scrub and fill a mason jar with it! My personal favorite recipe is this Lavender Oat Scrub.

Candle Mason Jar Gift

Who doesn’t want a warm and cozy candle to keep them company through the long winter months? This is more of an advanced gift in a jar project since it requires a fair amount of supplies, but once you have everything you need it’s a fun weekend project that will leave your home smelling amazing! Choose a natural soy wax and phthalate free scents for a non-toxic gift.

Mason Jar Recipe Gifts

Soup in a mason jar

There are tons of incredible recipes for ready to cook soups you can serve your friends and family in the form of a mason jar food gift. Personally, I think an edible gift is one of the best kinds of gifts since it is zero waste and creates a personal experience for the recipient. Layering your ingredients creates an appealing visual effect that is sure to impress! Just be sure to include a tag (either printed or handwritten is fine!) attached to your gift with cooking instructions.

Cookies in a mason jar

If there’s anything better than soup in a mason jar, it’s cookies in a mason jar! The same guidelines apply here. You’ll want to find a recipe that is specifically made to fit inside of a mason jar so the ratios are correct. These mason jar food gift recipes only include the dry ingredients, so the recipient will just need to add whatever milk, eggs, butter or other perishable ingredients can’t be included in the recipe.

Wrapping Your Mason Jar Gifts

You can package your mason jar gift in a reusable gift bag, but here are some prettier options if you feel like getting creative:

Burlap:

Use a Burlap Ribbon to tie a simple bow around the mason jar, or use it to create a sleeve by securing a length of it around the jar with glue.

Tissue paper:

Place your jar on top of a piece of tissue paper, right in the center.

Bring the 4 corners of the tissue paper together above the jar, then gather the excess tissue paper in towards the jar and up.

Use ribbon or raffia to tie the tissue paper to the space between the jar and the lid.

Fabric:

Fabric can be used in just the way I described using tissue paper above, or can be used in the most classic of mason jar decorating methods by covering or replacing the flat part of the lid, underneath the lid’s ring.

To accomplish this, use pinking shears to cut a piece of fabric into a 5 ½ “ square.

Remove the ring from your mason jar, lay the fabric over the lid, and then twist your ring back onto the jar over the fabric. If you’d like to add a bit of dimension, simply place a bit of batting between the lid and the fabric before you secure it.

You can embellish this with a bow tied just below the ring of the lid.

Raffia:

Raffia and mason jars are made for each other. I like to wrap it around multiple times before tying it off.

Ribbon:

Natural, plastic-free ribbons are a great alternative. Use any ribbon or jute twine you like to secure a sprig of evergreen branches to the outside of the jar for a timeless gift accessory.