DIY VINTAGE MASON JARS

Blue vintage mason jars have always caught my eye. I love the way they look in the sunlight and how versatile they are - they're great for holding flowers, as lanterns with battery-operated tea lights, and even wedding or shower decor.  However they are hard to find these days and if you did they tend to be quite pricey.  

Looking to make my own, I came across this awesome tutorial by Momtastic.  With just some mod podge and food coloring, I was able to transform my old glass containers into gorgeous tinted jars! Here's how they turned out:

Materials:

Glass Jars
Mod Podge
Food Coloring

Foam brush
Plastic Cup

Directions

Clean and dry your glass jars.  (Tip: Use a dab of nail polish remover to get rid of expiration dates.)

Mix together about 1 T of water with your preferred food coloring in a cup. For mine I used 3 drops of blue. Add another 2 T of Mod Podge and stir well.

Note 1: When I first tried making these jars, I used regular white glue based on the suggestion of another tutorial. However I found that the blue tint smeared and came off right away as soon as the jar touched water. Also when I tried to set it in the oven, the colors disappeared and left the jars with ugly brown stains. Mod Podge, a waterbase sealer, dried off much cleaner and helped the jars maintain their colors. 

Note 2: For a deeper richer color, omit the water and just mix the mod podge with food coloring. 

Carefully paint the outside of the jar and around the rims with a foam brush. I gave the jars about two to three coats of the mixture. 

Don't worry if the paint appears streaky. Most of streaks will disappear once the mixture dries. 

Place the jars on top of wax/parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake them for 40 minutes on the lowest temperature setting on the middle rack. The lowest temperature for me was at 170 degrees. 

Remove from the oven and set the jars aside to cool down.  Once they're cooled they are ready to use! (Optional: Spray the outside with a clear sealant for extra protection.)

FYI, after you tint the jars they are no longer safe to drink out of or used to hold anything edible.  

By the way aren't these daffodils gorgeous?! I found them on sale at Tom Thumb for $1.99.  Fresh cut flowers are the best! :)

Hope you all enjoy the beautiful weather!