Recycled Glass Lamps with Mason Jars 2026

Don't you know what uses to give those glass jars? If so, look at these beautiful recycled glass lamps that you can easily make yourself.

Video:

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For the base, I used a 3/4″ plywood laminate that I salvaged from some old sawhorses I built but no longer used. The jar holding the glass is an oversized mason jar that I rescued from a wedding centerpiece (and another couple using flower vases). Lighting is achieved with an LED light strip that sits inside an acrylic tube inside the lamp and is switched with a sort of industrial looking toggle switch.

Tools and materials:

• Acrylic tube
• LED light strips
• Wall power adapter
• Extension connector
• Light strip connector
• Toggle switch
• Mason jars

Steps to make recycled glass lamps

Step 1: Demo

And what I like most about this design: I made different "cartridges" that can be interchanged with different colors of glass!

Step 2: Cut and Glue Plywood Blocks

• I'm starting with an old easel that I built a while ago and it's been sitting around because I don't use it anymore. I cut it into strips on the table saw so I can reuse the material. This is going to be laminated to make the base for the lamps.
• I was able to get enough material to make 4 lamps. All of these pieces are cut to size on the miter saw.
• I use wood glue on all the pieces and spread it out to prepare the glue.
• There are 4 sections that I press. I make them all together, but leave the glue between the sections so they separate when the glue is dry.

Step 3: Shape the blocks

• Since these are quite small (too small for the planer) I sanded them with my belt sander.
• I then squared the pieces and cut them to their final square shape on the miter saw.
• I love the look of stacked plywood.

Step 4: Cutting the holes on the CNC

• I'm going to use my CNC to cut the hole for both the bowl and the lighting underneath. Just a note that the same thing could be achieved by cutting the pieces before gluing them and using a Router and hand drill to adjust the shape of the cavity. I use double stick tape to keep it in place during cutting.
• I measure the lid of the jar to set the program. I want it to be large enough to fit the diameter of the lid and bury the entire height so you can't see it.
• This is the top of the blank where the jar will fit.
• And this is the bottom of the fixture where the lighting and electronics will be placed, including a thin cutout for a bottom panel that will cover everything.
• Here it is after cutting, you just need to clean the tape and refine the shape a little.

Step 5: Final modeling and bottom cover

• I rounded the top corners to soften the shape a bit. Then I do my final sanding.
• Then on each side I drill a hole with a front bit, one for the toggle switch and one for the cable.
• For the bottom, I decided to use a piece of aluminum flashing that I had sitting around because it's nice and thin. I hammer it and trim it to size to fit the hole at the bottom.
• To finish the wood blocks, I use a finish that is a mixture of linseed oil and beeswax. It soaks into the grain to bring out the color and also gives it a slight shine.

Step 6: Preparation for the glass

• To hold the cap in place, I mix up some 30 minute epoxy, apply it around the perimeter of the hole, and push it into place.
• I decided to drill a hole in the lid of the jar because this will allow me to retain the glass in the jar, while also allowing light to pass into the glass.
• To let the light reach the top of the jar (so it's not just bright at the bottom), I use an acrylic tube. I cut it carefully (slowly) on the miter saw.

Step 7: Glass Installation

• Now this is what this project does, the colored glass!
• I start by applying a thin layer of glass to the bottom of the jar and then inserting the acrylic tube.
• Then it's just a matter of filling the rest of the jar around the tube and shaking it from time to time to make sure the glass is well filled.
• Then I can put a lid on the jar and screw it on to make sure it fits when I screw it onto the lamp.

Step 8: Installing the LED (first attempt)

• For lighting, I initially decided to use this LED work light, which is how the block was cut. I changed my mind, but you'll see why.
• I have to dissect it by removing the cable, light, conductor, etc. from the previous case.
• Then it's just a matter of holding the cable in place and plugging it back into the controller.
• And it also feeds the wiring through the toggle switch and holds it in place.
• Then everything can be put away and I hold the bottom panel in place with some rubber feet. These are held in place with screws so everything stays in place, but also gives the lamp a place to sit and prevents it from sliding around.

Step 9: Change of Address

It is at this point that I test the lamps and leave them for a few hours to see how the LED lights I chose handle the design and the small space. They ended up being too hot for me to feel comfortable, so I decided to stop the project. However, rather than abandon the idea completely, I decided to give it another try and grabbed some LED strip lights that I thought might work better.

Step 10: Installing the LED (final attempt)

• I remove the entire lamp and luckily the wooden base will still work without much modification. To power the light strips, they plug into a connector, so I use some 2 part epoxy to hold this in place in the hole that used to hold the wire.
• Then it's just a matter of soldering the connections to the wires and the connector that goes to the light strip.
• All of this is wired and connected to the power and switch. I connect the strip light to the adapter and put the switch back in place. I chose the length of the strip to be 4 times the length of the acrylic tube so that it can go up and down twice inside the tube.
• The lights are pushed directly into the acrylic tube and I use a small amount of hot glue to hold the end in place so it doesn't settle into the glass over time. The legs are screwed back into place.

Step 11: Turning on

Ready! We already have our own recycled glass lamps, without a doubt a beautiful lamp that you can place anywhere in your home.

• Success! I left these lights on for a whole day and didn't get any kind of heat.
• On the left is the pair I built with mason jars and on the right is the pair I built with flower vases. Only mason jars are interchangeable.

Step 12: Glamor Shots

• These are particularly difficult to photograph due to the light. In person, they are actually a little brighter and the light looks more consistent from top to bottom.

Be sure to watch the video on how to make lamps using recycled glass.

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