How to Make a Christmas Tree With Baby Food Jars

This Christmas tree made from baby food jars makes a beautiful addition to your holiday decor. It is a wonderful way to use the baby food jars that seem to multiply quickly when you have a baby. After just a few days, you should have enough to make one Christmas tree. It is a very quick project, although the glue must dry overnight for a permanent bond. This tree makes a wonderful gift for co-workers, teachers and neighbors. Employ the help of your children, and spend some quality time crafting them.

Things You'll Need

• 19 baby food jars
• Drill and 3/8-inch drill bit
• Safety glasses
• Scrap wood
• Metal rasp file
• Household cement adhesive
• Tinsel in the color of your choice
• 24-count string of Christmas lights
• Duct tape

Instructions

1. Remove the labels from and clean the baby food jars thoroughly. Set a scrap of wood on your work surface. Place a baby food jar lid upside down on the wood. Drill a hole through the center of the lid while wearing the safety glasses. Repeat for 17 more lids. In the last lid, drill one hole in the center and another one above it. This extra hole will be used to hang the tree. Use the metal rasp file to smooth any sharp metal on the outside of the lids.

2. Wad clumps of tinsel in your hand and place in each jar. Put lids on all of the jars.

3. Arrange the Christmas tree shape with the baby food jars flat on your work surface. Place the baby food jar with the extra hole on your work surface and place two more horizontally below the first jar. Place three jars below the two jars. Repeat with a row of four jars and then five jars. This will form the tree shape. Center two jars, side by side, below the five jars. This is for the tree trunk. Place two more jars below them, for a total of four jars for the trunk.

4. Separate the baby food jars one by one and apply household cement adhesive to the jar areas that will touch one another. Firmly press the baby food jars together to hold the Christmas tree shape. Allow the household cement adhesive to set overnight.

5. Insert the string of lights through the holes in the baby food jar lids. Start with the first two lights above the plug. Insert two lights in the bottom right of the trunk, the top right and the top left. Place one light in the bottom left corner of the tree. Continue to place one light in each jar across the row to the right. Repeat in the next row from right to left. Continue adding one light in each jar as you zigzag up the rows of the tree, with the final two lights in the top jar.

6. Cut small pieces of duct tape to fit over the top of the lids. Wind the excess length of wire that is between the jars and place it on the lids. Apply the duct tape over the wires to secure.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use craft glue or hot glue to connect the jars. These adhesives are not strong enough, and the Christmas tree will not hold together.