How to Paint a Mason Jar TUTORIAL

Happy Thursday and Happy Flag Day! I think today’s craft tutorial is very fitting for today’s holiday, don’t you?

You might remember my blue tinted mason jars that I did a couple months ago, well, I love them so much, I decided to try one in red for my patriotic mantel! I did it a little differently this time……

Red Mason Jar

how to paint a mason jar

 Add a little gingham ribbon and some tousled whited silk flowers and that red mason jar is feeling seriously patriotic! It looks so nice next to my Distressed Star sign.

red mason jar

There were a couple questions about the glass paint after my last post, so I asked DecoArt {the makers of the glass enamel} and here are their answers:

Can you drink out of the jars after you tint them? I want to use them as water glasses. 
Even though craft paints, in general, are non-toxic when used for craft projects, they are not considered food-safe. Painting the outside of the jar will allow for safe food storage as long as the food does not come in direct contact with a painted surface.

Do you happen to know how scratch resistant it is?
Once the paint has dried the appropriate amount of time and has been baked in the oven, it is very scratch resistant. Glass paints won’t hold up to scraping with silverware or other hard objects but is durable for general use. 

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 :) ?
It is important that only the outside of the votive holder is painted. Do not paint the inside if using for candles with an open flame!

After painting the jars and baking them, are they safe for food storage? And are they washable?
After painting the outside of your jars, drying and baking them, they will be top rack dishwasher safe. It is preferable to hand wash hand painted glass items. Wash in warm soapy water, rinse and let air dry for best results.

How to Paint a Mason Jar

supplies: sponge brush, scrap paper, Americana Gloss Enamels {i used Napa Red}, mason jar.

how to paint a mason jar

This time around, I painted the OUTSIDE of the jar instead of the INSIDE like I did with the blue ones and I used the regular Gloss Enamels so the color was more vibrant and less opaque.

I simply turned it upside down on a piece of scrap paper and painted 2 thin coats of the glass paint on. {I did not paint the bottom of the jar just in case it would leave a mark on my white mantel} The label on the paint says after 21 days the paint cures or you can bake it for 30 minutes to cure it.

how to paint a jar

Which is better- painting inside or painting the outside of the mason jar? I’ll be honest, I like the look of painting the inside the jar a little better. I think it looks a little more authentic to real vintage colored mason jars…. BUT the ease of painting on the outside was rather nice, faster, and less messy….

So I think I actually converted over to painting the outside of my mason jars!

mason jar craft

Have you painted a mason jar? Do you prefer to paint the inside or the outside of the jar?

disclosure: i received free product. all opinions are 100% mine. see my disclosure page for a complete statement.

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happy crafting! -linda

Linda
Hi! I'm Linda, the craft addict behind Craftaholics Anonymous®, a craft blog. Crafting is cheaper than therapy, right? When I'm not DIYing something, I can be found taxiing around our 4 crazy kids or working out. Or shoe shopping... because you can never have too many shoes! Happy crafting! ♥
Linda
Linda

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