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!

Three empty Mason jars, a box of food coloring, a bottle of ReaLemon, and a clear mixing bowl holding a bag of rice.

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

A red spoon in a clear mixing bowl filled with parboiled rice.

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.

A spoon in a clear mixing bowl with parboiled rice and red food coloring.

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!

Three clear bowls of parboiled rice, one white, one colored red, and one colored blue.

Repeat this step with the blue food coloring.

Parboiled rice spread out on a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper.

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.

Three Mason jars filled with red rice on the bottom, white rice in the middle, and a bowl of blue rice nearby.

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.

Three Mason jars filled with red rice on the bottom, white rice in the middle, and blue rice on top.

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.