Yesterday was just an average day until the mailman brought me a package. As I searched for a sharp object to cut open the box, I enjoyed that warm & fuzzy feeling I get when I receive an unexpected package and for a few moments have no idea what could be inside the box. I just knew in my heart it was going to be something good.
I wasn't prepared for this surprise gift to be something that combined so many of my favorite things in one beautifully-crafted object. Pumpkins, autumn, canning, little velveteen leaves, re-purposing, DIY....it's all here in my "new" Canning Jar Ring Pumpkin!
First of all, do you have some rusty rings lying around?
Do NOT use them for preserving! They are dangerous & unsanitary. The rust prohibits the rings from screwing onto the jars properly. Plus they're just plain icky. The USDA will back me up on this one.
Next, let's talk about how you can use rusty rings.
The rustier, the better, I might add.
This idea was shown on Pinterest -- just a picture, no instructions -- and my dear friend Theresa Althauser, of Althauser Design, whipped it up after coming across a few rusty rings at Earthwise in Seattle.
I posted a photo of her Canning Jar Ring Pumpkin on my Facebook page mere moments after opening the package and right away so many people asked me how to do it that I had to ask her for help. She obliged me by typing up some instructions. Here they are, in her words:
"Not my original idea - I just embellished it a little more than the one I saw on Pinterest. All you need is 25 rusty rings. Have them going all the same direction, use some wire twine to attach them all together. Bring the twine up through the center. Hot glue onto a lid - place a branch or twig in the center and put more hot glue in the center. Add moss and leaf! Easy!"
Easy for her maybe. Theresa is quite talented. I appreciate her attention to detail in every thing she does. Don't believe me? Check out the bottom of the pumpkin. She even made sure to keep the canning theme going by using a wide mouth lid on the bottom, even though you can't see it when the pumpkin is on display!
(This "bottom" photo seems like a perfect place to say "The End"!)