Stacy Risenmay

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Make Your Own Blue Jars!!!

By Stacy 63 Comments

I know, I know. Another mason jar project :) I can’t help it! I have then on my mind with all this canning. I have now moved on to green beans. But I took a break to do this next project.

Blue jars can be hard to find and pricey. I like that I have figured out a do-it-your-self- version

I an LOVING how they turned out!!! Do you want to know how to turn a regular jar into a vintage looking blue jar???

Supplies Needed:

(affiliate links)

*Crystal Gloss Enamels Paint

Mason Jars

Glazing Medium

 

I experimented with different amounts of each the glaze and the paint. The more glaze, the lighter the jar. Add them both to the jar. Swish it around until they have completely mixed together.

The slowly twist the jar while it is on its side until the paint has covered all of the jar. If there is a lot of extra paint/glaze you can pour it into another jar or into the garbage. I hold it upside down until it stops dripping. Then I wipe the top so there is only paint IN the jar and none on the outside. ***IMPORTANT*** After you have let it drip upside down and most of the extra paint has dripped out you need to set it on the counter and WAIT. You need to let the extra paint that did not drip out, settle to the bottom. I waited about an hour. More time wouldn’t hurt. I screwed up my one and only square mason jar ( :( ) because I was too antsy. If you stick it in the oven too soon it will start to get hot and the paint that is making its way down the side of the jar will harden in a wavy, drippy, pattern.

Like I said before, I tried different amounts of glaze and paint. The lightest one ended up not really working.  It just looked milky.

The you bake them in the oven at 200 degree F for 30 minutes. There are more (important) detailed instructions on the back of the bottle. Just follow those and you will be good to go!

Don’t they look amazing! The color is so even and it bakes so crystal clear! I love them. They will be making an appearance in my bathroom and office :)

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Filed Under: DIY & Tutorials, Painting 63 Comments

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  1. Claire says

    September 2, 2011 at 8:30 am

    These are just beautiful! I will be on the look out for extra jars to try this with :)

    Reply
  2. Michelle says

    September 2, 2011 at 8:41 am

    Wow..who would have though?! I love this idea and love you creative mind! You have the funnest blog ever..I look at it everyday! Thanks for the inspiration to try new things! I did a little project on a dresser(I got for free) It turned out pretty good! The dresser was free so I was thrilled! I wanted to glaze it like I learned from you, but I was a little nervous. If you have time ck it out and tell me what you think!!! Thank you:)

    Reply
  3. Michelle says

    September 2, 2011 at 8:41 am

    sorry for the misspellings..I get excited!

    Reply
  4. Brandy Miller says

    September 2, 2011 at 8:53 am

    That is so cool. I’m assuming you could use other colors? Like hot pink?

    Reply
  5. Kat Griffin says

    September 2, 2011 at 9:25 am

    very cool

    Reply
  6. Mary Beth|Cupcakes and Crinoline says

    September 2, 2011 at 2:48 pm

    What an awesome idea ~ thanks for sharing how to do this!

    I pinned it ….just too good not to share. : )

    Reply
  7. Kara says

    September 2, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    Have been wanting to make my own for our bakery! Pinned this! Thanks so much for sharing :)

    Reply
  8. nebuchudnessar says

    September 2, 2011 at 5:32 pm

    That is so pretty! I really must do this

    Reply
  9. Kelly says

    September 3, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    This really caught my eye. Can’t wait to share it on my little blog. Looove the blue, but can I do it in a green too? thanks!

    Reply
  10. Lynette of Rooted in Atascocita says

    September 3, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    This is brilliant! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. Michelle says

    September 3, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    They turned out great! I pinned this to try!

    Reply
  12. laxsupermom says

    September 4, 2011 at 7:02 am

    Love these! They turned out terrific! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  13. JoDee says

    September 4, 2011 at 8:11 pm

    Great idea! I always look at those jars in the shops and just can’t make myself pay their prices, but this I can do. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  14. Smallgood says

    September 6, 2011 at 7:05 am

    If y’all don’t mind me asking, how much are the vendors charging? I have found oodles of blue jars at the flea market. By the time I bought these materials and new mason jars, I think I’d be back to the price of the blue/aqua jars. But I could be a lucky gal with a lucky flea market.

    You can see my blue jars on the first post at my blog.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 4, 2012 at 4:23 pm

      FYI, I know this is old but vintage aqua mason jars are SUPER pricey if you don’t run across someone who is selling them and doesn’t know their value. If you look on ebay, most are going for 10 jars for over $100.

      Reply
  15. Merciful Blessings says

    September 6, 2011 at 3:18 pm

    Stacy, these are absolutely adorable!!! They make we want to get my craft “area” (no chance of dedicating a whole room) ready and actually DO STUFF instead of just dream :D. I think they would make beautiful in a beach theme or in a blue garden (which I hope to accomplish next year) – you have a pin it link, I don’t yet have that account but I think i’m going to open one NOW ;D – thanks for contributing to my “i’mma make these one day list”.
    Best, Mercy of MB_WOO.MOM

    Reply
  16. Rachel says

    September 6, 2011 at 4:56 pm

    I love, love blue glass and this is such a great idea! I had no idea you could make it from regular jars – I’ll be trying this for sure :) Can’t wait to check out the rest of your blog!

    Reply
  17. Nikki says

    September 7, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    These are lovely!! I will definitely be trying this!!

    http://photographernaturally.blogspot.com
    Come on over and enter my giveaway. Win a $30 Target Gift Card! Ends 9/10

    Reply
  18. Bailey K. says

    September 7, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    wow, great job! they look like the real things! love it.

    i would love for you to come link up this or any other amazing project at my creativity party going on right now!

    letbirdzfly.blogspot.com

    thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  19. Amy @ All In A Day says

    September 7, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    Love, love, love them! I am actually doing some of these for a baby shower coming up and was needing a good tutorial! Thank you!

    Reply
  20. Carmie of the Single Nester says

    September 8, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    I posted in July about this but used Elmer’s Glue and Food Coloring and painted the outside.

    Reply
  21. Karie says

    September 8, 2011 at 9:08 pm

    Wow! I have wondered how to do that. Thanks for the letting me know and how to do it. Appreciate it. Love the jars. Karie

    Reply
  22. ShannonSews says

    September 8, 2011 at 11:47 pm

    I love your blue jars so much! I’ve been looking for ways to bring color into our apartment. Someone suggested finding colored jars at garage sales but I never ran across any. I do have several regular mason jars though. Thanks for the great idea!

    Reply
  23. Melissa says

    September 9, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    Just out of curiosity… when you get them wet, does the glaze stay on?? Or will it wash away? I’ve loved the look of the ones that use elmers glue or modge podge, but it washes off… and I want to use the jars as vases and such! Thanks :)

    Reply
    • Cheri says

      May 16, 2012 at 5:24 pm

      Melissa, I have been wondering the same thing. I would want to use mine for vases as well. Did you ever try it to see if the glaze stays on with water?

      Reply
      • Nicole says

        February 26, 2013 at 11:56 am

        I was wondering the same thing as well. Any luck with an answer? I’d like to use them on patio as vases.

        Reply
        • Stacy says

          February 26, 2013 at 12:01 pm

          I have used mine as vases. They are water proof. But when they are wet for a long time the blue turns opaque. When it dries out again it is clear again. I am thinking it is because of the glaze but I am not sure.

          Reply
          • stephanie london says

            May 21, 2015 at 11:49 am

            i have a tip to pass along. if you use mod podge dishwasher safe after then you can use them as vases without the worry of the glass coming back off after all the work and wait. hope this helps

  24. Laura says

    September 9, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    Great tutorial. I have been wanting to do this. I want greenish jars. I featured it on my blog tonight.

    Reply
  25. Kelly Rowe says

    September 10, 2011 at 8:57 am

    YAY! I’ve been wanting to try this for my shabby chic room project. Super excited. Thanks for the great tutorial!!

    Kelly @ http://www.livelaughrowe.com

    Reply
  26. laurie says

    September 10, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    Awesome! What a neat idea – and they look so darn real!!! :)

    xoxo laurie

    Reply
  27. Melanie says

    September 11, 2011 at 7:16 am

    I love this how to post! I can not believe how good they turned out! I too love blue mason jars, so I am going to have to give this a try!

    Reply
  28. ariella says

    September 13, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    i accidentally bought “americana gloss enamel” not “crystal gloss enamel”. will it still work?

    Reply
    • stephanie london says

      May 21, 2015 at 11:51 am

      mix mod podge dishwasher safe in with your gloss enamels and then it can be used like a clear glaze and even waterproof. hope this helps

      Reply
  29. Kate says

    October 3, 2011 at 5:15 pm

    So you know if they are safe to use as water glasses once baked? I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have these in my kitchen!!

    Reply
  30. jessica burden says

    October 3, 2011 at 6:53 pm

    this is fantastic…..but i challenge you to take it one step further to increase the versatility of the jar…what if you attached a loop to the lid or punched 2 holes in it and strung a string through to make a loop…then suspended the lidded jar and dunked it into another container where the mixed glaze was waiting…and then hung to dry…then removed lid and place in oven upside down so the glaze doesn’t stick to oven rack….that way the interior of the jar is left un-painted and you can add water for a vase, use for food storage…..worth a try!

    Reply
  31. Roxy says

    November 13, 2011 at 2:49 pm

    I purchased the Same glaze you have in the picture. I don’t see further instructions for the baking part. What else has to be done besides the 30 min baking?
    Thanks.

    Reply
  32. Tammy says

    January 13, 2012 at 5:35 pm

    Absolutely, brilliant… I love them, I love mason jars for everything. so excited to try. “Thank you”

    Reply
  33. Audrey says

    February 1, 2012 at 1:17 am

    Did anybody ever figure out if you can put water in the jars as I wanted to use them for vases as well for my wedding. Everywhere i looked the kerr and ball blue jars are vintage and about $4-$5 each jar so this is a perfect alternative as clear jars are cheap. Also were there any other instructions after baking as asked above ?Thanks for your help!

    Reply
  34. Susie says

    March 19, 2012 at 8:26 am

    Worth a try. I also have used and blogged about the glue and modge podge way of doing this craft. You are not able to put water in the jar, will wash out the color. I do question if this technique is used can you put water in the jar? Please update I am very interested. Great looking project!

    Reply
  35. Michelle says

    March 22, 2012 at 10:40 am

    I was wondering if these were waterproof, too. The DecoArt website had this to say on their Crystal Gloss Enamel product:

    Bake in oven for a durable, dishwasher-safe finish
    https://www.decoart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=D&Product_Code=DAGT12-3&Category_Code=DAGT

    So I guess that means these babies are solid!

    Reply
  36. Katie says

    April 9, 2012 at 9:25 pm

    Ok, has anyone else actually done this? Cause I followed the directions exactly and it was a disaster! The paint only cleared on one side and on the other was still regular old paint – did not clear at all. We let them drip for an hour before putting them in the oven but the paint still caused quite a thick ring around the rim and was impossible to completely remove. Ughh…waste of lovely jars and time!
    Help! Would love to know what we did wrong.

    Reply
  37. Julie says

    April 16, 2012 at 6:22 pm

    I have been testing this and the first time the color was perfect but didn’t let drip enough upside down and had sticky goop at bottom, it caused the glazed baked paint to peel off glass and come out. Second time I left too long upside down and too much came out, washed jars clean. Today I left them upside down about an hour then right side up another hour then baked 60 minutes to help set. Instructions say to cool with oven door open, did that too. One problem I’m having is that putting water in dried, baked and cooled jars causes milky fog to begin then the color just peels off like film. Tonight I’m leaving jars out two days after baking to see if they will set further. I may ask my ceramics friend if there is another mixing medium to use with glass paint to tone color down but that will set solid and can be used with water… If not I am going to mix and paint outside by hand and bake upside down.

    Reply
  38. Julie says

    April 16, 2012 at 6:24 pm

    @katie there were quite a few acrylic paints that look the same, did you get crystal transparent glass type? I had to use brush and mix glaze and paint thoroughly at bottom of jar before twisting and covering inside.

    Reply
  39. Julie says

    April 16, 2012 at 9:12 pm

    So I tested a theory and it worked nicely using same glaze and paint, I covered cookie sheet in wax paper, turned jars upside down, mixed glaze and painf in little cheap Tupperware and painted outside with nice sized acrylic paint brush, had to out in oven immediately because allowing dry time will cause streaks. I made sure to paint evenly and not leave thick paint anywhere. Baked at 200 for 30 mins and they are gorgeous. And I can put water inside for wedding flower centrepieces. Might still go find a spray on sealant to ensure outside stays set and sealed :)

    Reply
  40. Rachel (Ravenous Rae) says

    May 23, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Wow… I am so glad I ran across your blog today!! Now I have multiple projects that I HAVE to do!! I am excited about these – thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  41. Josh says

    May 28, 2012 at 4:48 pm

    I saw this on Pinterest (of course) and thought this was a pretty neat idea. So I tried it and used different colors and thought I would use them outside with candles in them. I followed the directions but they did not turn out right. They are not transparent. They are still a solid color. They look neat, but not right. Is there something I am missing? Can anyone help?

    Reply
  42. Charles Lee says

    July 10, 2012 at 8:48 pm

    it’s really good Idea! looks great! but I’m just curious what is going to happen if you use the brush and paint them outside of the jar. Is it safe to use these jars for food do you think? I think heavy painted one looks best!
    Thanks for sharing great Idea!

    Reply
  43. Karen Whitney says

    August 29, 2012 at 10:07 pm

    These do look amazing! I have seen so many knock-offs of this project in Blogland. But yours look the best, they are permanent (unlike the ones with Elmer’s Glue), and yours have the best quality and look the most like the real blue Mason jars!

    Reply
  44. pat says

    November 6, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    Do you know if there is a way to remove the glaze if one wanted too? I have just bought this amazingly shaped glass vase. But it has some glaze on it that is scratched and I would like to try and do the mercury glass painting.

    Reply
  45. jackie says

    February 4, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    this is my first time here … and i already love you! You literally saved me money and a headache!

    Reply
  46. Jamie Budak says

    February 27, 2013 at 8:27 am

    If you’re not going to fill them with water, I have an easy, cheap, even kid-friendly way to do this.

    Mix gel type school glue (the clear stuff) with a couple drops of food coloring and a little water to thin it. Pour it into the jar, pop on a lid, and roll it around to coat the inside. Take the lid off and pour out the excess, then set upside down on a cooling rack (Dollar Tree sells them 2 for a dollar) to let the rest drain out while it dries. You can put little battery operated tea lights in them or set them in a window. It’s really fun to make different colors for holidays. If you use regular white school glue, you get a really cool frosted glass effect too. :)

    Reply
  47. Mary says

    March 8, 2014 at 6:16 pm

    Can you put a candle in one of these jars? Will
    the candle make the paint run or melt?

    Reply
  48. shirley hales says

    March 10, 2014 at 12:47 pm

    Can you put these in the,microwave for like,a minute instead of the oven?

    Reply
  49. Melanie says

    July 14, 2014 at 2:16 pm

    Could you drink out of these!

    Reply
  50. Martha says

    September 4, 2014 at 12:33 pm

    You can also use food colouring mixed with mod podge gloss to get the same effect… and probably cheaper too! But love the way they look :)

    Reply
  51. lee says

    April 12, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    Will the paint stay the jars if used outdoors?

    Reply
  52. Stephie says

    June 19, 2015 at 11:49 am

    I love the idea of glazing jars blue. I have quite a few glass jars sitting in my cupboard, and I know if I put a bit of effort into making them look nice I could use them as decorative vases. I thought it would be difficult, but I just need to go out and get the supplies. I do have a question as to whether it would stay if put through the dishwasher? If I glazed glasses, could I drink from them, would it be safe?

    Reply
  53. brittney says

    April 29, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    Just out of curiousity, are these waterproof??
    Thanks. They look great!

    Reply
  54. Carolynn Padgett says

    June 15, 2016 at 7:28 pm

    This looks like a wonderful project for several areas of the house, and I love translucent glass colors! No spraying, you can use paper towels for less mess, and get deeper colors by using less coloring! I want a rich amethyst, a blue like hers, a leaf green, and a soft fairy pink and maybe a fuschia, as well. This depends on the colors available, of course! I wonder if they are mixable? (For teals, and aquas, and all sorts of rich lavenders, plums, flags, and purples. I get so tired of trying to find interesting pieces at the store, let alone really useful one! Mason jars are pretty sturdy (just try not to drop them on a bare cement floor!) One for my bathroom, at least two to three for my bedroom, two to three for my kitchen, and a pretty coordinated set for the living room! I could also change the look with decals and gold or silver spray paint, but I’m more of a purist–either unadorned or with just a simple label suits me fine. Love it, love it, love it!

    Reply
  55. Ashley says

    December 5, 2018 at 7:28 pm

    What I let them sit all the excess paint settles in the bottom but then this paint isn’t drying out in the baking process… what did you do about this? I tried very hard to use as little paint as possible but there is still a layer that settles to bottom. I also tried baking for longer… still not working.

    Also, wod you be able to wash these after?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Make Your Own: Blue Mason Jars | DecoArt – DIY says:
    February 7, 2012 at 10:57 am

    […] Tired of looking for those hard-to-find blue mason jars but really want the look? Stacy shows you how to achieve it! […]

    Reply
  2. Mason Jars… « Wedding Blog • It’s a Bride’s Life • Real Brides Blogging til I do! says:
    February 22, 2012 at 7:44 pm

    […] I pinned this awesome tutorial on how to make your own blue mason […]

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stacyWelcome to my blog where I share my adventures of fixing up our tiny 1938 cottage. Whether it is big or small, I think everyone should love their home and I don't think it takes a lot of money to make a space your own.
 

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