Easy Red, White, and Blue Mason Jars

We love this easy way to make red, white, and blue mason jars for the 4^th of July—no paint or glue required for this DIY project! The craft uses rice and food coloring to make a festive and affordable decoration for a 4^th of July party; plus, lemon scent is known to repel mosquitoes and other nasty bugs, so we drenched the rice in lemon juice for bug protection. The craft only takes about 15 minutes plus some drying time, and you can find most of the supplies in the kitchen. So grab some mason jars and get ready to freshen up any barbecue or party on the 4^th of July!

You’ll need:
½ cup of lemon juice (or 3-5 drops of Lemon Essential Oil)
1 bag of white rice
1 large mixing bowl
2 smaller bowls
1 packet of blue food coloring
1 packet of red food coloring
3 sheets of wax paper or 3 cookie sheets
3 small mason jars

First, pour rice into glass bowl. Then, add the half cup of lemon juice (or essential oil). Mix it together until all rice has been coated.

Put one third of mixture in a glass bowl. Add red food coloring. Add just a few drops, stir, and then continue adding until it’s the perfect shade of red. Helpful hint: the rice will absorb some of the red and blue, so don’t be afraid to make the colors bold!

Repeat this step with the blue food coloring.

Spread the red, blue, and white rice out on the three sheets of wax paper or the cookie sheets. Each color should get its own sheet so the colors don’t mix. Leave the rice to dry for either a few hours in the sun or overnight.

After drying, fill a third of a mason jar with red rice. Fill the middle third with white rice, and then the final third with a layer of blue rice. Repeat with the other two mason jars.

Now you have a trio of lemon-scented red, white, and blue mason jars! Set them on a deck railing or a patio table for the perfect addition to your 4^th of July party.