Some people may say that mason jars are a “fad”…but the fact that they’ve been going strong for more than 100 years means they have proved that they are anything BUT a fad! I unashamedly admit to an ongoing love affair with mason jars. I have so many jars that I could start my own store. They are just so darn versatile! What else do you own that would be perfectly “at home” in your pantry and as the centerpiece on your dining room table? 🙂 I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of them.
As much as I love the good ol’ everyday clear jars…I also have a soft spot for the blue/green colored ones that you can only find in antique shops (if you’re lucky!) However, I’m NOT a fan of the price! I’ve seen them for $10.00 and UP!
So I started doing some research on DIY methods for getting that vintage look. Wow. There are a LOT of different ideas out there for how to achieve this much sought after colored glass! But none of them seemed to REALLY replicate it. Until now that is. 🙂
After some experimentation (including this major FAIL) I discovered a surprisingly simple way to get a beautifully even tint that’s permanent and dishwasher safe!
The KEY is glass paint and something to dilute it. I found them both at my local Michaels craft store, but you can also easily find them online.
DIY Vintage Mason Jars
What you’ll need:
- Mason jars
- A plastic cup
- A skewer or popsicle stick for stirring
- 1 jar of Pebeo Vitrea 160 Glass Paint in Turquoise
- 1 jar of Pebeo Vitrea Lightening Medium
Instructions:
Add 1 – 3 teaspoons of the lightening medium (depending on the size of your mason jar) to your plastic cup then add a pea-sized amount of turquoise paint and mix them well with your stirring stick.
Now pour into your clean and dry mason jar and swirl until the entire inside of the jar is coated. I managed to coat the inside of the neck of the bottle by turning the jar as I poured the excess paint back out into the plastic cup.
Place the jar upside down onto a wire rack with parchment or wax paper underneath to collect the drips. You can place the jars directly on the paper, but you’ll need to wipe any excess paint from the mouth of the jar before baking.
Repeat for as many jars as you want to “antique.”
Allow the jars to dry for at least one hour and then place the jars in your oven before heating to 320 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes then turn off the oven and leave the jars inside until they have completely cooled.
The result is a beautiful “vintage” jar that you’d be hard-pressed to tell apart from the genuine article! The glass paint dries hard & clear with no streaks whatsoever! I only tried this out on a handful of jars but you better believe I’m going to be “antiquing” more of my collection! 🙂
