How to Paint Mason Jars
Mason jars are one of my favorite ways to craft. And most of my mason jar crafts start with paint. but learning how to paint mason jars takes a little practice, along with some trial and error. Luckily, you have me here to do all that hard work for you! This mason jar painting guide will fill you in on everything you need to know to get amazing painted mason jars every time.
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These painted mason jars are the perfect way to add some farmhouse style to any room. And you can use them for so many things! Whether you’re looking for a rustic storage solution or a pretty vase for your flowers, painted mason jars are the perfect choice.
Looking for more painted mason jar ideas? Check out my twine wrapped mason jars to see another simple rustic craft you can make for your home.
How to Paint Mason Jars
To create make your own painted mason jars, you’ll just need a few supplies. Grab these items to get started:
- Mason jars: You can use any type of mason jar for this project, depending on what you’ll use the jars for when you’re finished painting. You can even use upcycled jars, like pickle jars or spaghetti sauce jars!
- Chalk paint: My favorite way to paint mason jars is with chalk paint. Keep reading to get some tips on finding the best chalk paint for mason jars.
- Paintbrush: To ensure your painted mason jars don’t have streaks, use a foam paint brush instead of a regular brush.
- Sanding block: To make farmhouse painted mason jars, you’ll need sand paper or a sanding block to give the jar a distressed look after you’re finished painting.
Once you have all your supplies gathered, it’s time to start prep your workspace. It’s a good idea to cover the area you’re working on to ensure you don’t accidentally drip paint while you’re painting. If you’re just painting one or two jars, a paper plate works really well. For bigger projects, covering the area with newspaper or a large trash bag can help protect your table or countertop from paint damage.
After you have your workspace prepped, you can start painting! One of the easiest ways to get good coverage on your mason jar is to stick your fingers into the top of the jar and hold it out. That way, you’ll be able to easily paint the top and bottom edges of the jar without worrying about the paint getting everywhere.
Continue painting until the entire jar is covered. After the first coat, you’ll probably see some streaks and areas that aren’t completely covered. Don’t worry! The first coat of paint never looks good. But it does provide you with a solid base coat, which helps the next couple of coats stick to the jar better.
Continue adding coats of paint until the entire jar is covered in a nice, smooth coat. After that, your painted jar is ready for display! You can stop at this step if you’re happy with the look of your jar. But if you want to create a more farmhouse-style mason jar, follow the next step to give your jar a vintage look.
To give your jar a more rustic look, use a piece of sandpaper or a sanding block to distress the jar. I like to focus on the designs on the jar to add my distressing. Just rub the sandpaper over the designs until the paint begins to come off. Continue doing this until you’re satisfied with the look of the jar.
Then, grab a damp paper towel and wipe the jar off to remove extra dust. After doing this, if you don’t like the look of a spot, just paint over it and try again!
The hardest part about this DIY project is painting your mason jars. The reason this step of the craft project is a little more difficult is because you need a particular kind of paint to paint your jars. Since mason jars are made of smooth glass, traditional craft paint won’t work. If you’ve ever tried to paint your jars with acrylic paint, you were probably left with a streaky mess.
What Kind of Paint Do You Use on Mason Jars?
Finding the best paint for your mason jar craft is the most important part of painting mason jars. There are three different types of paints you can use on mason jars:
- Chalk paint
- Acrylic paint
- Spray paint
I have found that chalk paint is the best option because if its matte finish. The grainy texture of chalk paint helps it stick to the smooth glass found on most jars, which results in a smoother finish without streaks.
But others have had good results with acrylic or spray paints when painting mason jars. If you plan on using acrylic paint, it’s probably a good idea to use a primer before adding your paint. This will help keep your craft paint from streaking on your jars.
I have also had good success when using acrylic paint on top of chalk paint. Create a base layer of chalk paint on your jars, then use acrylic paint to decorate your jars, as I did with my striped Christmas mason jars.
Best Chalk Paint for Mason Jars
I’m a big fan of chalk paint, especially when painting mason jars! When you use chalk paint, you get rustic mason jars perfect for decorating! And the good news is that you can get chalk paint just about anywhere. I’ve tried a variety of different chalk paints while crafting, and these are the best chalk paint for mason jars I have found:
- Waverly chalk paint. You can get a bottle of Waverly chalk paint at Wal-Mart for a few dollars. And one of their bigger bottles goes a long way! The paint comes in a variety of rustic shades, which means you’re sure to find the perfect color for your project.
- Folk Art chalk paint. Another affordable option for chalk paint is Folk Art paint. I found this brand of paint at both Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby for a great price!
- Americana Decor paint. If you’re looking for a great chalk paint you can get on Amazon, try Americana Decor. This is another cheap paint that works well for mason jars and other farmhouse style crafts.
- Rustoleum Chalked spray paint. One of the quickest and easiest ways to paint your jars is to use spray paint. Rustoleum Chalked spray paint gives your jars a chalk paint finish without the need for a brush.
After finding the right paint, just use a foam paint brush to brush the chalk paint onto the mason jar. Continue adding coats until you’re satisfied with the coverage, then allow the paint to dry completely.
How to Paint Mason Jars Without Streaks
Nobody wants streaks on their mason jars! Luckily there are a few simple things you can do to avoid having streaky painted mason jars. These simple tips will help you avoid streaks:
- Check your paint. Not all paint can be used on glass. First, make sure your paint is suitable for smooth glass surfaces.
- Use a foam brush. A foam brush is good for avoiding streaks because it provides more solid coverage than a brush with fibers.
- Apply a thick coat. Using a thicker coat of paint can also help avoid streaks by allowing you to smooth the paint more easily.
- Allow the paint to dry completely between coats. Painting over paint that isn’t dry is a sure-fire way to cause streaks. Make sure the paint on your jars is completely dry before adding additional coats to avoid damaging your previous coats and causing streaks.
How to Get Glue Off Mason Jars
If you’re planning on painting upcycled jars, like an empty pickle jar, you’re probably wondering how to get glue off jars so you can start painting!
There are a few different methods you can use to get glue off mason jars. These three methods seem to be the most successful:
- Soap and hot water. Sometimes, you don’t need any special ingredients to get the glue off your jars. After removing the label, submerge the jar in very hot, soapy water. Allow the jar to soak for around an hour, then remove the jar and scrub off the glue with a microfiber cloth or sponge. If the glue doesn’t come off, try one of the other methods listed below.
- Goo Be Gone. This cleaning solution is made to remove goo and gunk from just about any surface. Just rub the cleaner over the glue on the jar, and it should could right off.
- Coconut or olive oil. For a more natural solution, try coconut or olive oil. Use a cotton swab or paper towel to ruba liberal amount of oil over the glue. Allow the oil to soak into the glue, then use a sponge to scrub the glue off the jar. For more stubborn glue, repeat the process until all the glue has been removed.
Most of the time, all it takes is a little bit of elbow grease to clean your jars. Try one of the methods above and get to scrubbing to get your jars ready for paint!
More Fun Farmhouse Craft Ideas:
Charcuterie Mason Jar Appetizers
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Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
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