Sunday 22 June 2014

Getting Crafty | Don't Throw Away Your Empty Jars

Does anyone else spend hours browsing for craft ideas on Pinterest? I always come across ways of decorating jars, from decoupage to painting. Jars are so easy to collect at home so I gave it a go myself! 

After compiling a craft board I decided that I would spray paint some jars and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. All you need is, a can of spray paint, a collection of empty glass jars/bottles, an area and something to cover that area like a dust for the decorating to take place. 

The most tedious bit is getting the labels off of the jars, especially if there is a lot of glue. I found that soaking them in warm soapy water overnight made the labels peel off easily. I then used nail polish remover to get rid of any excess glue and then gave the jars another wash, drying them thoroughly.

When you are spray painting the jars make sure that you have a large area to do this in. I laid out an old dust sheet in the garage and then placed the jars upside down on the sheet. If you have a space outside then this might also be a good area to use. I would also recommend wearing old clothes and some gloves when painting the jars just in case. Then follow the instructions on the can of paint. I'm guessing most are the same but it's always best to check just in case. I made the mistake of holding the can too close to the jar when I first started using the spray paint which meant that the paint went on way too thick and then started to run down the jar. For an even finish try not to hold the can too close and constantly move it from side to side as you work round the jar so that you are evenly distributing the paint. You usually need to do a couple of coats and some instructions suggest that you leave the paint to dry for a certain amount of time and then go back to apply another coat.




I tried to use masking tape but the only effect that worked was the round bottle in the photo above. I found that the paint would end up going on areas that I wanted to keep clear so found it pretty difficult. I think if you want to achieve a stripy effect or something similar then you would need to use paint and a brush in order to stay in the lines and control the paint. 

Have you tried making anything like this at home? How did it turn out?

10 comments:

  1. These look great! The kinda thing I always aim to make but then somehow never get round to!! x

    Jasmin Charlotte

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  2. Such a great idea! I'm not a big DIY person, but I'd totally re-make those jars like you did. The second set is amazing :)!

    xx
    http://gita-oddsandends.blogspot.com/

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  3. Hello lovely, I've just came across your blog and it's awesome!

    I'm your newest follower and look forward to your next post - cute pics!

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  4. Oh wow they look fantastic! I love the bronze ones especially xx

    Gemma // Miss Makeup Magpie

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  5. This is such a cute idea! And you did such a good job of spray painting them, it totally looks shop bought!

    Elesaurus

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  7. wow I love the copper spray ones - they look like something from zara home! x
    www.article21.co.uk

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  8. I love these! They are awesome, and thank you so much for the tip on taking off labels (I always find that this is the hardest part of any DIY projects I attempt!) What are the specific brands and colors of spray paint that you used?

    Xoxo Rae
    http://raexkay.blogspot.com/

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  9. Love this idea, I didnt ever think of using masking tape. Although you said it bled under the tape I think it still actually gives quite a nice result!

    sprksam.blogspot.co.uk

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  10. So pretty !
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