Painted Mason Jar Ideas [Lookbook]

Old doilies, lace curtains and bits of lace make great stencils. Paint your jar first with a base coat. Or you may choose to leave it clear. Use a sponge brush to tap on a contrasting paint color.

We’ve used a piece of lace curtain to create this graphic effect. More delicate laces will give you a romantic look. Play around with the concept and color combinations.

Keep a few of these painted jars around for garden blooms. Or make a matching trio and arrange faux flowers.

Lemons just bring us back to childhood lemonade stands and summer fun. Vibrant lemon yellow makes a beautiful decorating accent. Let’s make a lemon jar.

Start by painting a lemon base coat. You can add a little texture to the yellow while the paint is still wet. Dab a sponge gently on the wet paint. Let dry. Now, paint a couple simple leaves.

Tie on some twine for a final finishing touch. The leaves and twine don’t have to be perfect. In fact, be loose with your paint strokes for a fun, whimsical look. Wouldn’t it be adorable to paint a bunch of these and use for a summer party centerpiece?

Painter’s tape and two paint colors is all you need. First, paint the jar and let dry completely. Place the tape where you want stripes.

Now it’s time to paint the stripes. Remember to always work lightest to darkest when painting color-on-color. The darker pigment will cover the lighter easier. Even so, you might need to apply 2 coats of paint.

Use the same colors to make coordinating jars with different stripe widths. These are fun for children’s rooms to organize toys, art supplies and toiletries.
Click below for a quick mason jar luminaries tutorial.

Sometimes less is more. Just a coat of paint and sandpaper transformed this jar. Sand around the edges and over any embossed lettering.

Painted mason jars make beautiful vases. Keep the arrangement simple and monochromatic. White flowers in a colorful jar make a perfect arrangement.

PAINT:
The best paint to use is a multi-surface craft paint. More expensive alternatives are chalk or milk paints. But if all you have is plain acrylic paint, that will work. Just make sure to paint a coat of white first. This will make your colors more vibrant and less transparent.
SUPPLIES:
Inexpensive foam brushes, sandpaper and stencils. You don’t have to use actual canning jars. Start saving spaghetti sauce jars or other food product jars. Think of this as an upcycling project.

Start by taping off the top of the jar. Paint it green for the rind.

Paint the rest of the jar a watermelon color. And speaking of watermelon color, mix your own using red and white paint. Add the white a little at a time until you find the hue you like best.

Use a small paint brush and dab on black watermelon seeds. You’re not going for perfection here. Make sure the seeds are scattered around in a random pattern.

For a different watermelon, paint two-thirds of the jar watermelon red. Use 2 different greens and a foam brush for vertical stripes along the bottom. Finish by painting black seeds on the red.

We’d love to see your ideas and share them. Take a picture and post on our Facebook page. Click the link below to start sharing.