Happy Wednesday, friends! I know you’ve seen them everywhere…..blue mason jars! I think its the only way to make a delectable mason jar even more scrumptious! ha! I love how pretty tinted vintage jars are, but they aren’t cheap. seriously. And the DIY’s that I’ve seen that turn regular jars into colored ones, are only a temporary fix. Mod Podge peels off after washing them. So I went on a quest to find a permanent solution to tint my fave glass jars to lovely shades of blue and turquoise……
You probably remember this image from yesterday’s Flower Lid tutorial. Well, I tinted that Mason Jar with a turquoise glass enamel made by DecoArt. Its called Crystal Gloss Enamels. Its a transparent glass paint that is permanent and durable. Which, if you want to wash your jars, this is crucial! Here’s how I did it.
How to Permanently Tint a Mason Jar
- All you need is a sponge brush and a transparent glass paint. I used Crystal Gloss Enamels in turquoise for this particular jar.
- Simply paint the inside of the jar, starting at the bottom with long event brush strokes. Do the neck of the bottle last. I did one medium coat of paint. If you want a darker tint, do a second or third coat of paint.
- Allow to dry upside down on a scrap piece of paper to let any excess paint drain out. I didn’t have much excess, so after about 30 minutes, I turned it right side up and let it finish drying.
- To set your paint, allow it to dry for 48 hours. Then bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit in a non-preheated oven. {important detail} Then allow your jar to cool in the oven.
I added a flower frog lid to the top of this one so I could arrange fresh flowers in it. {check out my tutorial for DIY Flower Lids here}
So that’s how to permanently tint a Mason Jar. Think of all the fun colors you could do! These make awesome gifts! Think Mother’s Day, house warming, birthdays, and wedding gifts. Speaking of weddings, this is a great project for that DIY Bride!
happy crafting,
linda
disclosure: i received free product from DecoArt to try.
About Linda@CraftaholicsAnonymous
My grandfather passed away and left over 200 mason jars to me. Now I know what I am going to do with some of them.
Thanks for sharing this great idea and the supplies that you used to achieve it. I have already enjoyed your post on how to make the flower frog lid and now I know how to make the blue jar to go with it thanks to you.
Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing this great tutorial!
The blue really does make those red flowers POP.
Thanks for the tutorial. :-)
Very cool- I can definitely see myself doing this
After painting the jars and baking them, are they safe for food storage? And are they washable?
Hi Diane,
Yes, you can wash them. {not sure if they’d be dishwasher safe though, so I’d recommend hand washing} I’ll email DecoArt and ask them about the food storage. The label did not say, so I’m not sure. I’ll let you know what I find out!
happy crafting,
Linda
I would love to know if they are safe for food/drinking out of as well. I’d love to do this on jars I use for drinking, please let us know what you find out!
Andrea
Hi Diane,
No, they are not safe for food storage and hand washing is recommended.
thanks!
linda
this is too cool..I love the lid tutorial as well;)
Hi Gina,
You can find the flower lid tutorial here: http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/how-to-make-mason-jar-flower-frog-lids-tutorial
happy crafting,
Linda
Thanks so much for the tutorial! Can’t wait to try it :)
Awesome post, awesome site! I looked on DecoArt’s site, but didn’t see an answer to this: do you happen to know if this product is safe to use to tint votive holders ( with candles burning inside them :) ?
Thanks!
Hi Melissa,
For votive, you’d probably want to paint the outside of the glass to keep it away from the flame. Other than that, you should be good to go!
happy crafting,
Linda
This is *exactly* what I have been searching for a way to do. Thank you! Do you happen to know how scratch resistant it is?
Hi Sparrow,
Awesome! They’re pretty good, especially since the paint is on the inside. When you wash them, the paint will be softer until its dry again, so be careful until it re-dries.
happy crafting,
Linda
Jus Pinned & twitted about the tinting. I have some paint , what color does’nt matter really. Thanks griend for thinking for us. HAPPY EASTER to you and your lovely family.
I’ve been looking for a permanent solution as I want to use some in the garden. I never thought to check the craft paint aisle. Thanks!
Wow, I found a tinted Mason jar with frog lid in a boutique home decor store last summer and couldn’t resist. I’m ashamed to say how much it cost except to say it was plenty!! Thanks to this wonderful tutorial, I’ll be making more of my own now!
This looks so much easier than the modpodge method I tried! Thanks for sharing Linda!
Thanks for stopping by and saying hi, Caroline!
Happy crafting,
Linda
Can you drink out of the jars after you tint them? I want to use them as water glasses. Thanks!
Hi Missy,
I asked DecoArt about this {the makers of the glass paint} and they said it is not food safe :( darn it!!
happy crafting,
Linda
I am wondering where you got the paint. I have searched a couple of stores and found something similar, but it didn’t end up being transparent.
My Michaels carries it. I think most Joanns, Hobby Lobby’s, and Michaels carry it, but I’ll check with their rep.
thanks for stopping by, Mindy!
happy crafting,
Linda
I’m trying to figure out how I could do this with bottles. I have a wine bottle tree and want to add some colorful bottles but they are so expensive to purchase. Any thoughts?
I have tried brushing on, mixing the paint with a glazing compound, but it goes on very light and appears to be streaky. I have not tried the thinner or tried brushing the paint on as is, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Nick,
Try doing 2-3 thin coats. That helps with the streaks and makes the color darker.
hope that helps!
happy crafting,
Linda
Was the sponge you used wet? My first attempt wasn’t even close to this look….the paint is much too thick. Any ideas?
Hi Parker,
No, it was not wet. What paint did you use? Did you do 1 or 2 coats?
thanks,
Linda
I used the same paint pictured here (even took the pic to the store!) I wasn’t able to thin the paint enough to create a clear-ish coat. My experimental jars are drying now, and the streaks are becoming more pronounced :(
Great idea!!! thanks for sharing!!
Thanks, Silvina! I’m so glad you stopped by!
happy crafting,
Linda
Is the tint flammable? I would like to do this for a wedding with candles in the jar…
Hi Adelle,
Yes, the paint my be flamable, so you’d want to paint the outside of the mason jar to keep the paint away from the open flame :)
happy crafting,
linda
1st Thanks for the tinting help, question – If these were painted on the exterior of the jar instead of the inside after baking could they be safe for drinking? Trying to find a way to add color while still being able to use them for drinking. Thanks again.
Hi Pamela,
Thanks for stopping by! Yes, if you painted the outside {and avoid where you’d put your mouth}, you could use them for drinking. Let me know if you have any other questions!
happy crafting,
Linda
A non preheated oven? I wanna make these for my wedding so much cheaper than the antique jars. “something blue” :) I’m not much of a crafter so that was the only thing I didn’t understand in your instructions. Thank!
Hi Kates,
Yes, you want to put them into a cold oven and then turn it on to the correct temperature. That way your glass won’t break from a drastic change in temperature :) Let me know if you have any more questions!
happy crafting,
Linda
I love the tinted mason jars. For a family party this summer I drilled holes in the lids and bought hard plastic straws from Hobby Lobby. How much prettier if I’d painted them. Using your method and painting the outside would I need to bake them in the oven to permanently set the paint?
Thanks,
Margie
Uh, maybe I should have read the previous posts!!! Duh
No worries! lol Thanks for stopping by, Margie!
happy crafting,
Linda
Do you think it would be safe to store hand lotion in? I know you said its not food safe…but what about beauty product safe, tinted jars are so cute i want them everywhere haha
Hi Angel,
Yes, I think lotion would be just fine in them! :) Thanks for stopping by!
happy crafting,
Linda
Will the colored tint/paint possibly mix into the jar over time if placing dish/hand soap or lotion type product inside of it? Or is the tiny pretty perment once baked in the oven?
*tint
Hi Misty,
If you cure the paint correctly, you can hand wash it and it will be just fine!
thanks,
Linda
Linda, can this technique be applied to the outside of glass? thinking of using it to color wine bottles I use for hummingbird feeders.Thanks
Hi Chris,
Yes! You can do this to the outside of the bottles if you’d like.
thanks for stopping by!
Linda
Once you bake these (and wash them I would assume?) could you drink out of these?
NO NO NO! You cannot use them to store food in or as tableware unless you paint on the outside. Read ALL comments before you even BEGIN to attempt this fun project!
Love this idea. My thinking is this. If everyone wanted to use these for food storage, or drinking glasses couldn’t the outside be tinted instead. Have you ever tried to tint the outside, and if so what were the results ? The tint is permanent right ?