Welcome back for the 2nd Edition of Friday Showdown - glad you decided to show up! Today we tackle another craft I have been itching to get to for several months - a soap dispenser made from a mason jar. I, like many people, find the charm and versatility of a good ol' mason jar entirely irresistible. I spent the better part of flea market season 2010 collecting blue mason jars in various sizes because I love them - and they are harder to come across than the clear varieties. I have a "collection" of about 15 jars sitting in my china cabinet - just waiting for re-purposing. One of the smaller (about 6" high) guys finally got some attention.
Before....
Turning the above into a bathroom soap dispenser is a pretty easy job. All you need is a drill, a 3/4 inch drill bit (or whatever size bit will make your soap pump fit snugly into the jar lid), aforementioned soap pump long enough to almost touch the bottom of your jar (mine snagged from an ugly dollar store number) and a little bit of patience.
First, check the underside of your jar lid. If there is any lining - remove it. I learned this the hard way. I thought the white lining on the underside of my lid was just a little plastic something or other and decided it would be no big deal to drill right through it. It was glass. It was a big deal... a big deal of mason jar lid shrapnel. I learned the lesson for you, be glad.
Second, secure your lid to to a small wooden block that you won't mind messing up with the drill. Put on some safety goggles while you're at it!
Third, line up your drill at the center point of your lid and apply firm, even pressure as you pull the trigger. Depending on your familiarity with a drill, you may have to start and stop a few times. That is fine. No one ever ruined anything by taking their time with power tools!
Fourth, screw the lid onto the jar and slide the soap pump securely into the hole you drilled and see how everything lines up. If your soap pump is less than secure, a few wraps of masking tape around the top of the soap pump will do the job. If the "straw" part of your pump is a bit too long for your container, a quick snip with regular old pair of scissors will make it perfect!
And voila! My very own mason jar soap dispenser!
... After.
Gee I wish my bathroom re-fresh was already done. The soft blue tint of the jar would look approximately 100 times better against the wall of my future bathroom... by my calculations anyway.
Questions? Feedback? Did you try this yourself?
Labels: crafts, Friday Showdown
