What I Made Today: Mason Jar Soap Dispensers

I've despised our soap dispensers for ages. The cheap, "stainless steel" kind that rusts without a moment's hesitation,  drips soap out of the seal, and struggles to dispense properly. 
They're the bane of my hand and dish washing existence. So, I made some new ones!

Materials I Used:

2 small Mason jars with silver colored lids - $2.84 (I wanted silver colored and not brass ones like I usually find/ already have, as they matched the soap pumps I got better. Note to self: Really think about the color of the pump before you order and it doesn't match what you planned to make a dispenser out of!)

1 large pasta sauce Mason jar - Free (already had it after finishing the pasta sauce! I replaced the brass lid with a silver one from the little jar I bought.)

2 Soap pumps and threaded collars from One Dream Design - $10.50  (Plus shipping. I ordered new ones because the pumps on our already owned ones were terrible!)

Loctite 2 part 5 minute Epoxy - already owned (You can get this at any hardware/home improvement store,

 or use another permanent glue ie. Gorilla Glue.)

If you have access to a drill press, I reccomend using it. 
(EDIT: Forgot to mention that my charming and handsome husband, Kyle, used the drill press 
at his work to drill these for me! He's awesome :D )

However, a correctly used regular drill can get the job done.

Unless you have a bit specifically designed to cut a hole this size, I recommend starting with a smaller bit and 
working your way up to the size of part that goes into the top. (In this case, the white plastic bit on the pump.) 


BE SAFE! Wear eye protection, and clamp that sucker down!
 (Either with clamps or hands if you have someone to help you.)

Use a scrap block of wood underneath so you don't ruin your work surface.

 

Mix up your epoxy (or other glue) with a popsicle stick or some other disposable device. I used a lollipop stick.

This particular Epoxy is designed to set in 5 minutes 
(though I recommend letting it set up to 30 minutes to be really sure),

so if you are using this, move quickly because the mixture gets gummy within a few minutes. 

Glue the collar ring down over the drilled hole.

I suggest putting glue on both the ring and on the metal around the hole to get a good seal.

Let the Epoxy set for about 30 minutes. I know it's "5 Minute Epoxy" but trust me, I'm a professional. Not really, but I have used this stuff many times, so please try to resist the urge to mess with it until it is fully set!

Once it is dry and you can pick it up by the collar without anything falling off or sliding around, screw the pump on, and you've got yourself a brand new, totally awesome, mind blowingly fabulous mason jar soap dispenser!

Way to go! You did it!

 

Thanks for reading!