DIY Blue Mason Jars
One thing those close to me have learned is that I have a tendency to reject “trendy” things. I reject them until the fad is good and settled, then I cave and give it a chance and fall MADLY in love with it. It’s not that I don’t like “trendy” items. It’s more that I don’t like to go with the crowd. Say no to peer pressure!! Or not.
This was the case with Harry Potter. I refused to read the books while all my friends were devouring them. Then, after the 3rd movie had come out, I gave in and read the first book. Needless to say, I went through the series pretty quickly and just as much a Potter-fanatic as anyone. {Excuse me Hogwarts!! I’m still waiting for my letter!! I don’t care that I’m 26!!!!}
I did the exact same rejection with mason jars. While they were everywhere when I was planning my own wedding, I wanted nothing to do with them. Sure, they were pretty and cute and versatile. But no. My stubbornness won out. Now? Oh I have a collection to rival anyone! They take up 2 shelves in my coveted tiny kitchen cabinets! Do I stop snatching them up the second I see them at a thrift store? Heck no!
With my obsession beginning to verge on “hoarding” I had to figure out something to do with them. Enter in antique blue ball mason jars.
Hello LOVER! These babies are gorgeous!! And the blue perfectly matches the blue in my living room and dining room. I wanted, I needed these. Then I found out that they cost, on average, between $7-$15 per jar. Ouch.
Then, I found this tutorial over at Clean & Scentsible. SOLD! I set off to make these gorgeous little mason jars. Here’s how I did it:
First begin by gathering your supplies.
Supplies:
- Mason Jars of your choosing
- Pebeo Vitrea 160 Glass Paint in any color. I used Turquoise.
- Glass Paint Thinner/Diluant
- Rag or paint brush
You will Mason jars of any size and shape. You can either buy these in a large pack or keep an eye out at your local thrift store. If you look for them in stores, you can find them at Target, Walmart, and many grocery stores in the canning area. Some dollar stores even have them!
You will also need glass paint. I used Pebeo’s Vitrea 160 in Turquoise that I got from Michael’s for about $4 with a coupon. It calls for you to use Vitrea 160 diluant to thin out the paint. None of the Michael’s in the surrounding Denver area had this (I called them ALL!). SO I decided to risk it and use a different brand. I used Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel Thinner Diluant. And I had zero problems! YAY!
You will also need a rag or paint brush. The paint brush leaves behind more streaks. So I used a rag {aka a sock I couldn’t find the match to!}.
Mix your paint and thinner in a 3:1 ratio. 3 parts thinner to 1 part paint. I measured out ¾ teaspoon thinner and ¼ teaspoon paint. Mix thoroughly. Feel free to adjust the ratio to your liking. But the color will come out darker than it looks when you put it on.
Dip your rag into the diluted paint and, with the jar over your hand, begin to make long strokes down the side of the jar, from rim to base.
Continue all the way around until the body of the jar is covered. Then wipe around the lip of the jar and base, coating them with the blue paint.
Place jars upside down on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and allow to dry for 24 hours.
After 24 hours have passed, place jars in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Pull jars out after 40 minutes and allow to cool completely.
And now you are done! You can fill them with flowers or candles or whatever your heart desires! I put a few in my bathroom to hold our toothbrushes and cotton balls! I also put some on our fireplace mantel candle-scape! More on that soon!
**While many other tutorials show you different ways to make blue mason jars, I wanted my jars to be permanently blue. Using this glass paint in combination with baking the jars, the blue will not come off. Fill your jars with water, run them through the dishwasher; they will still be blue.
