Autumn Makes

I have seen photos of mason jar soap dispensers all over blogland for a while now.  Back in the spring I purchased a Kerr canning jar from the thrift store and a bottle of Dial soap.

 Yesterday I finally got the gumption to put one together and here's how I did it:

Step one was to use a hack saw to cut the top off the dial soap container.  Yes, I did remember to empty the container first!  I then trimmed the cut off piece so it would fit underneath the jar lid.

I wanted to cut a hole in the top of the jar lid big enough for the threaded part of the dial soap container to fit into.  I used my 3/4 inch spade bit, but as you can see it didn't really work out!

The lid was too soft and the jar kept spinning around as the bit was turning.  Placing the jar between my feet while I drilled didn't really work to keep it still.  These lids are so soft that really all you need is an awl to poke a couple of holes and then cute the circle out with some small tin snips.  I was able to save my mistake by cutting a bigger hole with my tin snips.

A good rummage around the garage and I found some clear silicone.  I put a goodly amount on the area around the threaded spout of the plastic Dial container; then I put some around the top to make it water tight and to cover the sharp edges!

The hardest part was waiting for the silicone to dry!  After about four hours it was dry enough I could put it all together and add the soap I took out the Dial container in the first place.  Obviously using clear soap in a clear jar and photographing it against a white wall isn't the best choice, but I was too impatient to wait until I had better props!

It will be interesting to see how the lid holds up: how long will the silicone seal last and will there be any rust.  It was a fun project, and easy to do if you have the right tools.  It would be fun to find one of the thick, old glass Mason jars with the zinc lids and make a soap dispenser out of that.  I used to have one of those but it got broken somewhere along my way.  Maybe I'll get lucky at the Sally Ann next time:)

Here are a few snapshots of other things I have done lately:

Fall window boxes for my house:

Pumpkin Spice Whoopee Pies:

Cupcakes for a birthday party with a New York theme:

Halloween cookies made by my two monkeys!