What you'll make
Each jar is a 550 ml glass preserving jar filled with a 2.3 m string of warm white LED fairy lights, with the AA battery box tucked behind the jar. A $4 string from BIG W plus two AA batteries makes up most of the cost, so a finished jar comes in around A$11. You can make them weeks ahead, since nothing in them wilts or melts.
Materials (per item)
| Glass preserving jar, 550 ml, with lid 1 (from an 8-pack at $34.95 at BIG W) · BIG W, Kmart or clean pasta sauce jars you have saved | $4.37 |
| Mirabella 24 LED battery string lights, warm white, 2.3 m lit length 1 string ($4 at BIG W) · BIG W, Kmart or the Christmas aisle at any discount store | $4.00 |
| AA alkaline batteries 2 (from a 20-pack at $29.45 at BIG W) · BIG W, Bunnings or any supermarket | $2.95 |
| Craftsmart jute twine 1 m (from a 50 m roll at $5 at BIG W) · BIG W, Spotlight or Bunnings | $0.10 |
| DIY cost each | $11.42 |
Tools
Scissors, Dishwashing liquid and a lint-free tea towel
Sources
- Lights4fun: Create your own copper wire mason jar fairy lights · 2026-10-26
- Kelly Elko: Christmas fairy jars (battery packs hidden in glass jars) · 2026-10-26
- Creative Jewish Mom: DIY fairy lights centerpiece (hiding the battery pack) · 2026-10-26
- BIG W: 8 x 550 ml preserving glass jars with lid ($34.95) · 2026-10-26
- BIG W: Mirabella Christmas 24 LED string lights tub, warm white ($4) · 2026-10-26
- BIG W: Toshiba 20 pack high power AA alkaline batteries ($29.45) · 2026-10-26
- BIG W: Craftsmart jute twine 50 m ($5) · 2026-10-26
- Amazon.com.au: Rhytsing set of 3 glass cylinder lanterns with fairy lights ($64.86, ready-made) · 2026-10-26
Each guide is built from at least three published how-to sources and real store prices, checked on the date shown. We write the steps in our own words and list every source at the bottom.