The Mason Jar Lid Trick That Makes Arranging Cut Flowers A Breeze

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Even though they were originally intended for food preservation, Mason jars have proven their worth for a wide variety of household and garden projects. You can use them to make a whimsical light-up centerpiece for your dining room table, effectively store odds-and-ends like buttons or chalk, and even create wonderful floral arrangements. The wide mouth of most Mason jars is perfect for holding flowers. And if you have the right kind of lid, you can use a wonderful trick to make arranging cut flowers a breeze. Simply put a piece of a mesh bag over the jar's opening before arranging the flowers in it. The idea behind the netting is that it will help hold the flowers in place so they don't droop or cross with one another, thereby making a more visually appealing and orderly bouquet. 

A 16-ounce wide-mouth Mason jar will work great for displaying flowers, as these jars have a small footprint but are big enough to hold a stunning, full bouquet. For this netting hack to work, you'll need a two-piece lid. Many Mason jars will come equipped with a lid that has two components: a flat disc and a screw band, also called the ring. The screw band holds the flat disc in place during canning, but for this flower arranging trick, you only need the screw band, which will keep the produce netting in place.

Aside from the jar and lid, the only other tools you will need to make this darling floral arrangement be a pair of scissors and some produce netting. You can either reclaim some netting from an onion or potato bag or purchase new fruit bags, like these Sukh Mesh Produce Bags. Don't worry about having some leftover netting; there are all kinds of smart ways to reuse mesh produce bags that will make it easy to manage the excess. 

Using the scissors, cut away a section of netting large enough to fit over the mouth of the Mason jar. Stretch the netting tightly over the mouth of the jar, and secure it in place with the lid's ring. Arrange the flowers by sticking them through the openings of the netting, which should produce ample support for all but the thickest flower stems.

What kind of flowers you use will be up to your taste and discretion, and you can use this trick alongside other flower arranging hacks for a more vibrant display. However, those flowers that are thin-stemmed and cut short to accommodate the size of the Mason jar and netting will work best. For larger and longer flowers, like sunflowers or tulips, you may want to just omit the netting and go for a larger Mason jar. Still, this fun trick makes for a great gift or as a beautiful seasonal centerpiece for your table. And if you don't want to see the flower stems, you can always paint the Mason jar to cover them up.